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The article profiles Joe Mole, a 41-year-old West Virginia man on dialysis since his late thirties. The article describes the physical and emotional difficulties of copying with the effects of diabetes and with dialysis, the life-saving blood purification treatment used by some with Type 1 diabetes, three days a week. One in five people choose to quit dialysis, knowing that death will come quickly as a result. The increase in the use of dialysis, fueled by the increase in diabetes, is referred to. The article provides an overview of Mr. Mole's life, including his diagnosis with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 19, his work as a carpenter, his decision to be baptized in the Catholic Church, his close relationships with his sisters, and his ultimate decision to stop dialysis.

Discusses how Ted Fink was involved in a farming accident that burned 93% of his body and the decision that his wife, Rhoda, had to make regarding his therapy. Description of the use of artificial skin to treat burn victims; Risks involved with this treatment, including infection; Her decision to try this treatment on her husband; Assertion that survival comes at a high cost of suffering; How Ted Fink's life has changed since the accident.