Doctor Reacts To The Fault In Our Stars 

Fun fact about the book: John Green based Hazel on a real girl named Esther who was a fan of his and actually helped write and publish her memoir. A lot of the cancer stuff is based on Esther and her family’s journey and experiences. John has also admitted he did some medical research of his own before writing this book but made up the drug Phalanxaphor as part of the plot.

That “Augustus Waters died 8 days later” still hits hard 😭

She doesn't succumb to cancer at the end of the movie, but eventually. The point of Hazel's story isn't to give up ever. It's to understand that death is knocking and appreciate the moment you have now.

“It lit up like a Christmas tree” will always make me sob omg absolutely breaks my heart every time

Thanks for making this video; it was interesting to see a medical take on the film. As others have noted in comments, I had a lot of help when it came to the medical parts of the book. (And for the record, I really appreciate you pointing out here how mental health visits should happen in real life; I hope I reflected that well in the book, even if in the film they condensed things.) One note: There are comments here claiming to reflect my own feelings about what happens after the end of the story. In fact, (I am pretty sure?) that I have never made any comments on that subject. Books belong to their readers, and I don't think it's the place of an author to comment retroactively on matters outside the text, and so I try not to do that. I do not know when or if Hazel dies, and I do not think it is for me to know. (I think Dr. Mike's reading is perfectly reasonable, but so is Sam's reading, and so is yours.) Thanks again for making the video, and to everyone who read the book or watched the film. -John

I pulled into a store by friend's house and there was a guy overdosing on fentynal and because I bingewatched your videos the night before, I saved the man's life through chest compressions until the ambulance showed up. Just wanted to say thank you for all that you do.

One of the hardest things I've ever had to do was go to the hospital to fill out Do-Not-Resuscitate forms for my son who was 12 years old. Because of covid, I had to go through screening at the front and the lady asked my purpose for being at the children's hospital. I said to visit him but she wanted to know what care he was receiving. It was right in the middle of his cancer care ending and going into palliative care. I couldn't get the words out. And she was looking at me like 'wtf is wrong with this lady?' No one expects liver cancer in an 11 year old boy. We don't know how long he had it. We were told he had 10-12 months but his aggressive treatment didn't work because he died 2.5 months after he was diagnosed with FLHCC. This idea of people 'fighting cancer' just irritates me. What fight? With our son it was over almost as soon as it started. That wasn't a battle, that was a slaughter.

John Green actually wrote this book after he met a real girl with cancer, who inspired Hazel and, thereby, this story. This girl sadly died before the movie released. ☹

Yeah, saying that cancer is horrible is reductive. I was 4yo when I got diagnosed with leukemia, and can't even begin to imagine what my parents must have gone through (I barely understood anything). Happy note though, I did eventually beat the cancer :)

Wouldn’t mind Dr. Mike doing movie commentaries/reactions once in a while this was fun and interesting. “5 feet apart” next?

Growing up as a kid with a chronic illness when the book came out when I was in high school I had never felt more seen. Everything about Hazel I could relate to with the cynicism and lack of faith in medicine and the isolation. I was obsessed with the book, but when I brought it to my friends they told me it was a book for basic white girls and too dramatic for them. It’s one of the things that ended up being a factor in my breakup at the time hearing how dismissive he was of the importance these things had to me. I was being portrayed accurately in a character for the first time ever and it meant so much to me. I have the soundtrack for the movie on my phone and I only listen to it to fall asleep or when I need a cry.

One time I was seeing a doctor for the first time and my partner had come with because she is better at remembering doctor's instructions than I am. And, while my partner was in the room the doctor asked about home life and if I had experienced any domestic violence. Again, WHILE MY PARTNER WAS IN THE ROOM. Thankfully I have a delightful, violence free, relationship with my partner but, if I had been experiencing domestic violence I would have felt very unsafe to express that while she was there.

The part that Isaac is reading gus his eulogy for him and says that if in the future scientist present him with robot eyes we would refuse because he doesn’t want to see a world without Gus BROKE ME! This movie is so touching, I loved it and loved the book as well.

Omg, that movie was so sad. I was sobbing so hard. The actors are incredible😭

Fun fact I was diagnosed with leukemia at age 11 months after battling cancer for 3 years it was over and now I’m 10 and a half and a 7 year survivor I’m just glad I’m okay 😊

I'm a childhood cancer survivor. I had Osteosarcoma in my right shoulder blade. I watched this in the theatre with a friend. At the time I didn't know that gus had Osteosarcoma so with this movie I had a lot of anxiety and flashbacks because I finished treatments only 3 months prior. Come to find out 3 months after the movie came out I was diagnosed with chondroblastic Osteosarcoma. Which came back again. So I had a scapulectomy and had a prosthetic shoulder blade in. Now 7 years cancer free.

as a cancer patient it was an awful idea watching this video but i love how serious you treated the subject, i hate how people usually treat the sickness as a taboo

It's been a long time since I saw this movie, but I think my conclusion on the ending was the total opposite of yours! From what I can remember, the way things start out, Hazel is kind of more cynical about things, and the severity of her cancer seems worse than Gus'. Whereas Gus has this carefree, fun-loving personality. And when we're looking at the two of them side by side, we're really expecting that he's the one who's going to have a better chance of surviving. But then things change, and he gets really sick, and ultimately dies, and it's totally shocking. But before his death, some of that fun energy rubs off on Hazel as well and really uplifts her. So the way I saw the ending was, "I'm going to beat this, and I'm going to live my life the way you would have lived yours if cancer hadn't taken it away from you." Like, I thought she would want to honor him by doing her best to survive and to come out of it better and stronger and hold on to some of that joy that he had given her.

When I was dealing with depression in my teens, the psychiatrist definitely never talked to me and mum like this. It was always like an interrogation where they talk to the suspects separately. 😄

My 27 year old son was diagnosed with AML in February this year. He's now in remission, but still has his chest port in. He's choosing to keep it in until he at least gets a few more months to a year of continued remission under his belt. This year was so hard between leukemia and covid restrictions and the side effects and depression and fear and hospital. And the two weeks in icu due to neutropenic fever and sepsis. Cancer is so hard and so terrifying. We were blessed, and pray that we continue to stay blessed, that he's in remission.

Mike still the most respectful guy I've ever seen, he tries to applied this stuff to real life or how it should be in real life always showing empathy for people!!! Great video and sad movie was a good one to me !

Yeah, I always thought the "sHe'S dEpReSsEd' "IM NOT DEPRESSED" was a weird and inaccurate scene, it felt so hollywood.

Her thyroid cancer was based on the late Esther, a girl close to John Green who had thyroid cancer they thought would be treatable but ended up spreading and taking her

You know, if this becomes a new series, I highly recommend reacting to My Sister's Keeper. That movie made me bawl my eyes out.

Doctor Mike making fun of Gus’s “metaphor” really gave me the laugh I needed today

Watching someone go through cancer, and later succumb to it, is the most awful thing. Cancer does not discriminate, and anyone can be affected.

The two main characters are actually in Divergent siblings. So, watching this made me laugh. Keep up the great work!!

Another good book and movie dealing with cancer is my sister's keeper. It was the most saddest movie I've ever watched because then every single time I'm watching it I tear up because my own mother had to go through intense sessions of radiation and chemo and the thought of losing her is too hard to bear. So if I'm extremely stressed out and I need an outlet to release my tears I watch that one

The way you interpreted the ending blew my mind. I never thought about it that way before, now i can’t help but agree. 😳😭

We never know the ending. That was the point of this story and a direct connection to An Imperial Affliction. Sometimes the story just ends, and we don’t know what happens after that. The character ceases to exist in the space in which we know them. A metaphor on death. 😌 That is why Hazel has such a connection to that book and why we all ugly cried at the end. I regret nothing.

The Fault in Our Stars was a kick to the gut, both the book and the movie. I love the story, it's beautiful, but oh my feels... I was still sobbing when I left the movie theater, and I wasn't alone. Thank you for reacting to it!

As a pharmacy student I love watching your videos Dr. Mike! Thank you for bringing awareness to polypharmacy!

I'm asthmatic and got Covid, one of the first people in my country, Doctors really tried hard to figure out what was wrong, but couldn't. I got sepsis. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Between it and brain swelling, I'm lucky to be alive, but so many things changed, that is still shoccks me. I could spell nearly perfectly, not anymore, I was very good at math, not anymore, although the last one comes back periodically. I lost any fitness I had. My left arm sporadically just does whatever it wants, as if it's losing connection to the brain... It was brutal and it is still hard nearly 2 years on. I wouldn't wish it onto anyone.

I lost my mom to cancer over 20 years ago. I found out 2 days before she passed that I had graduated from University. While she laid still in her bed , from the morphine, I read her the letter from the university while holding her hand. At the end she pinched my finger. That moment will always remain with me, and comes up on holidays and special occasions. The best of the season to you all!

Thank you for making this video. Your videos are one of the things I look forward to! My mother too unfortunately lost her battle to cancer when I was very little. Well one thing I know is that everything happens for a reason!

Interesting to hear your comments on this. I’m an osteosarcoma survivor (almost 21 years remission) and this book always wrecks me. I feel like a lot of media doesn’t fully capture cancer correctly and usually cancer kids are these insightful perfect beings and to see them moody, mad and frustrated I felt finally captured one sliver of how I felt all those years ago

2:06 My dad had melanoma that spread to his lungs when I was a kid. Two doctors told him he had six months to live. I like to think he said "fuck that, I have four young kids at home." He's still alive and cured of that cancer.

Seven years later, and this book and movie break my heart. Shailene Woodley was the perfect choice for Hazel!

This movie never fails to make me cry every time I watch it.

I was so uncomfortable when I went to a therapist and he kept my mom in the room, and I always wondered if it was an acceptable thing to do. Thanks for your videos!

Really appreciate this analysis Dr Mike. I see cancer patients often, and both the physical and mental effects are really traumatic. For any health condition, but especially cancer, we’ve been taught to use the BIO-PSYCHO-SOCIAL approach - you have to consider the patient’s biological symptoms, the psychological effects, AND the impact on their social circumstances. It’s so important to treat them holistically and with empathy.

On the smoking note, that really hit hard, after vaping and smoking for 6 years and trying to quit for the last 1-2 years, I finally quit both a month ago and my breathing already feels better... I can walk up 5 flights of stairs in my building now without panting at the top of hair

Thank you Dr.Mike for your input in this case..I love how you explain and breakdown the medical prognosis into easier understanding of what's taking place..We in the UK could do with more doctors like yourself whom actually do exhibit empathy and complete understanding of what's going on for the patient concerned

I read the book. When I got to the end it took me a week or so to finish the end. Every time I would start to read the end I would cry. I never seen the movie because I just can not handle it. I love the added info given during this video. My grandma (mom side) and uncle (dad side) died from cancer. It scares me knowing how close it is. My mom took care of my grandma until she died. I do not remember it much but I can only imagine what she went trough watching her mother die. One of things I am so grateful for is my health. I feel people take it for granted everyday.

I watched my grandfather die of throat and lung cancer. Fortunately his doctor allowed him to die at home and it was over the summer while I was out of school. I took care of him until the day he died. It was tough, very tough, but I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. I hated watching him die, but I loved being able to be with him.

I watched the movie when it came out. In March of this year, I got diagnosed, at 22 years old, with papillary thyroid cancer which is one the benign cancer Dr Mike mentioned in this video. It wasn’t until I watched this that I realised that Hazel had thyroid cancer. Obviously I cannot compare my story to hers. Also, I do not think I’m ready to watch the movie again. Even though I’ve gained a lot of strength over the past 9 months, I don’t think I’m ready yet and that’s okay.

I love your sincerity and passion in these videos.

Thank you for clarifying how a mental health visit should go. Your videos are so empowering.

A family member of mine was a part of this film. The “cancer support group”. John & his team selected kids from the Pittsburgh area when filming this and most were all being treated or were treat at children’s hospital of Pittsburgh. It’s my comfort movie. Thank you for this. When Josh had passed away John wrote the most beautiful Tumblr post about him & his time spent with him on set. It is unfortunately gone from there now, but I wish it was still out there somewhere to read. It’s comforting.

I swear everytime Dr Mike mentions his mum, or he reacts to something related to cancer like this and I feel like it's upsetting him, my hyper-active (non-existent 😂) mum instincts kick in and I wanna jump through the screen and give him a big old hug 😭😂

I put off watching this just because it was such a tear jerker for me... This is an excellent movie and thank you for reacting to it!

I just watched this movie yesterday. It was really heart touching to see their love and how they delt with cancer.

I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma when I was 19 - went through chemo/radiation for 8 months, then a year later it spread below my radiation line. So the next step was more aggressive treatment along with a stem cell transplant of my own cells. Long story, short I'm doing amazing and have been in remission for 7 years now -wonderful family and a child. Basically this book and movie was my go to in sad times during that because it hit home so much and even now, I'm being told I may have a risk of thyroid cancer now, but all will be good. I relate to Hazel so much. Dr. Mike thank you for always being a highlight of my day as well! I always enjoy your videos and they make me smile 😊

I was diagnosed with Thyroid cancer at the age of 18. It had spread around my body to quite a few lymph nodes by the time it was discovered. A year long battle and a combination of surgeries, medications, and radiation treatments eventually lead to remission and now, 7 years later, I am cancer free. I can confirm/empathize with a lot of Hazel’s experiences and really appreciate Dr. Mike’s explanations. Speaking from experience, Cancer is an incredibly difficult thing to have happen to you or a loved one. The physical battle is the part most people see when they think of someone with cancer, but the mental/spiritual/emotional battle is a WHOLE other aspect of it that no one really talks about outside of depression, and yes, I do believe there is a huge taboo/stigma around the subject. When you have cancer, people begin to define you and see you as your diagnosis and your prognosis, instead of as an actual human being with feelings, emotions, hopes, dreams, and fears just like everyone else. People assume the only thing cancer patients feel is depression and that’s not always the case, it’s truly different for everyone. I personally was extremely depressed and had a lot of anxiety during that time of my life, but found that talk therapy, support groups, mindfulness exercises, having the support of my friends and family, and going to church regularly was more helpful to me mentally than any pill they prescribed me for depression (again, that’s just my personal experience and I’m not advocating for one treatment method over another, just stating how I personally dealt with it.) In all health situations, we must respect the autonomy, feelings, and wishes of the patient above all; as Dr. Mike said about August’s stopping Chemo, these discussions and decisions are extremely individual and personal, are made after much consideration with help and advice from family members and doctors, and the decision is sometimes ultimately made to reduce suffering and pain as much as possible. God Bless and thank you to all the medical and mental health professionals and other support professionals, clergy members, spiritual leaders, counselors, social workers, and support groups who help people with Cancer and their families.

ok so im 13 and my father recently died from alcoholism and the green brothers with dear hank and john and vlogbrothers has really helped me, They make me feel comfortable and safe so whenever i feel lonely or sad or like i need someone i put on there podcast and immediately feel safe. Like john feels like he would be a great father figure and hank is the crazy uncle that never fails to make me laugh. So thank you the science brother and the other one

Never wanted to cry watching a Dr Mike video before, but this brought back some feels...

Just because you interpret the end of this movie differently tan someone else doesnt mean you are wrong! Books Belong To Their Readers (and thus by extension, Movies Belong To Their Viewers), so both you and Sam are right! DFTBA!

what surprised me about this movie is the fact that the actors that played hazel and Gus also played as siblings in divergent and both movies came out in the same year.

I just watched the movie yesterday, and finished reading the book the day before you uploaded... the coincidence. Thank you

Such a cute summary of the movie at the end. Love you Dr. Mike 💖

Dr. Mike, I don't know what to do. I have a strong addiction... to your videos. I can't stop binging them

When you discuss the end of the movie being kind of open it’s supposed to be that way: it reflects the ending of the book Hazel was reading where there are so many unanswered questions. We don’t know what happened to Hazel afterwards whether she died or was still alive.

My son has been paralyzed from the neck down has a trach and is on a ventilator since he was 3. He'll be 13 in January. This would be such an amazing gift from the science world. I still have dreams of him walking, breathing, and talking. He's literally a scientific medical miracle to even be alive.

I lost my mom to breast cancer when I was 7. She was diagnosed when she was pregnant with my little sister 5 years earlier. My grandfather died from lung cancer due to decades of smoking two weeks after my mom. This was all a couple months before Christmas. That year was super hard for my family, but I also learned something very early on about having empathy, and kindness for everyone you meet. You never know what others, and their families are going through. Thank you for this video. Because I was so little, I don’t remember a lot of things going on, I can remember my moms port, and my grandfather’s breathing machine, but this helped me understand from a medical perspective, a little more of what they were actually going through.

As someone who was diagnosed with a life threatening & extremely rare disease. when I was a teenager I hated support groups 😂. I was also on (still am) tons of medications. At 17, I was on 14 different meds

Does anyone else want to hear his thoughts on Footless Jo's amputation story? I just watched it and it's so fascinating.

These videos make me so grateful to be healthy ♥️

your take to the end of the movie just changed everything, I never thought of it that way!

Having lost my grandmother to cancer and my dad to sepsis 6 months apart a couple of years ago, this video really hit home for me personally. Thank you for highlighting these illnesses and educating people on their dangers. ❤

saw this movie when it first came out. It was to say the least an emotional roller coaster. I knew a co-worker that was going through her own cancer battle. She did watch the movie and loved it. Unfortunately, she lost her battle with the terrible disease but every time you stopped to talk to her. She always had a smile.

your analysis on that ending just made it way sadder then i ever thought , so ouch (loved the video though

I currently have 2 close relatives fighting cancer. A 5yo cousin with a brain tumor and a 50 yo uncle with a liver tumor, it's been really hard to keep faith but I know the doctors are doing everything they can to make their lives better. This movie is really sad but also shines a light on what cancer patients go through both physically and mentally.

I took that depression test thing before, the doctor told my mom that I scored "dangerously high" on it. Absolutely nothing has been done about it since. I've been this way since middle school, but didn't take one of these tests until just last year. It could've been in my paperwork in older visits, but I never filled it out myself, and I don't recall anyone asking me those questions.

This movie makes me cry like a baby every time I watch it. I didn't know it could be even sadder but Dr. Mike's explanation of the ending just made it worst. :(

TFIOS is my all time favorite book by John Green & I love the movie as well! You did a great job analyzing it too, Dr. Mike, thanks for sharing your opinions on the film as well☺️ The scene where Hazel had an issue with her lungs, that scene BROKE me! I cried like a baby🥺 If you read the book, they'll give more context on what's going on.

You really need to make a 'First Aid basics' video if you haven't yet. How to do chest compressions for different age groups, how to do Heimlich maneuver, how to apply a tourniquet and treat large wounds, compressions + mouth to mouth for drowning cases, etc.. SO many people don't know how to do CPR and it saves lives, yet it's so easy to learn. I think with the huge audience you have it may end up saving some lives. Love your vids, have a blessed day.

How does Mike have enough time to make all these awesome vids for us, while being a doctor 😆

I recently lost my mother to cancer. It is such a vile disease, as are also the medications for it! This book (which I read at a time where my mother was not even diagnosed) Made me cry really hard for those children. The film was not nearly as sad or as beautiful as the book, but still one of the best films made imo. I liked that they did not change the story that much.

Dr. Mike, I would love for you to do a video on SCI. Just to help educate people on social stigmas of those those with SCI and explain the difference between Paras and Quads, and any other necessary medical information you think is important. I've been a wheelchair user all of my 20 yrs of life and can only educate 1 person at a time when they ask questions. Would really enjoy your subscribers to hear you talk about it so they can have conversations with their families. Absolutely love your channel and I think this would be a great video idea.

Actually Augustus does smoke cigarettes. He made up the pick up line on the spot so Hazel wouldn't feel repeled. Throughout the book and movie he constantly puts it in his mouth but doesn't light it in presence of Hazel. It is actually kind of implied in both the movie and book. At the end of the book Hazel kinda reveals she already knew and slips a cigarette in his coffin saying "He can smoke it now if he wants to"

This film was heartbreaking but the book was GUT WRENCHING 😭😭😭 John green really did thatttt

I found it hard to stay still during an MRI a year ago because the screws in the machine above my head looked like a smiley face and I was trying so hard to stifle my laughter.

It was heartbreaking watching the light in my Dad's eye's dim when he got cancer, his health just got worse and worse, eventually died. I was devastated

Read this book multiple times and watched the movie multiple times, never had that take on it but daaaang Dr. Mike with the melancholy symbolism

The cigarette quote has helped me battle my chronic illnesses for the past several years. I’ve read this book more than any other. It’s a saving grace for me, it’s such a realistic depiction of illness

My mom got diagnosed with ovarian cancer earlier this year. It’s been a hard journey to be a part of . Anyone going through that now . I see you and send love your way . ♥️

it was really fascinating to watch this reaction because of how critical doctor mike is with his take on medical shows and I'd love to see his reaction to FIVE FEET APART sometime

I've had many MRIs. I actually fall asleep in the machine! Every time! The techs are always surprised. The sounds soothe me. I want a sleep machine with those sounds!

2:59 I lost my mother to cancer 3 months ago and the journey was so hard that it was actually a relief when she passed. It was awful. Thank you for sharing about your mother, Mike💚

I love how sensitive to the situation Dr. Mike is. Like he understands it, but he's also been through something like it, if not exactly like it, and even through annualizing it, you can still see the solemn/serious understanding that he feels the pain. I think that's what makes him such a good Dr. Congrats Dr. Mike you're the first Dr. I actually like to listen to.

I really wanna meet Dr. Mike once in my life.I am so impressed how well he manages his profession (Doc) , his you tube channel, his hobby(boxing) , his pet (bear) and lot more things. I am an engineering student but i have come to know lot about Med. in past few days just from your videos.May God bless you with health wealth and prosperity! ❤from India

'Dil Bechara' was a movie in my country inspired from this book and film, and it made almost all of the viewers sob and be sad. Thank you Dr Mike for reacting to this beautiful piece.

As a mental health professional, I am so happy when I see people highlight just how inaccurate a lot of Hollywood depictions of mental health and mental health assessments are. There is a whole process and although it is good to hear what the family members have to add, ultimately we go on what the patient tells us because we are treating them and it is important to hear what they are experiencing and feeling and want over what their family want. Even if that means they don't wish to accept treatment. (Of course there are exceptions based on capacity assessments, etc, but that's a whole other rabbit hole) It doesn't make the family's feelings less valid, but we can't take their perception of someone else's experience as gospel. It is upsetting to think that many people may not seek medical attention due to concerns that these movies present accurate situations. Thank you for addressing this!

One of my grandmother's most unique features was her vibrant auburn hair. She lost it while battling ovarian cancer and bought herself a wig of the same color. I always admired that she maintained her sense of humor, even when she knew she didn't have much time left. She was full of love until the very end. I cried like a baby reading the book. The movie was a great adaption.

When dr.mike was talking about seeing someone battle cancer I was thinking of my mom who has als. It is a disease that affects the nervous system and people usually live for 2-5 years but my mom has had Als for about 13. Watching someone struggle like that to do daily things is hard and even harder on themselves.

I follow both you and the author. If you haven’t read the book, grab it on audible or at least watch the movie. There are many layers to it. At age 51, I continue to admire the work. It broke me but also taught me to appreciate things I hadn’t thought through before. I believe John Green had been a chaplain in a Children’s Hospital many years before he wrote this and it adds to his insight.

My sis had retinoblastoma and it was a very grueling process, when it was the quemio she would throw up and she was moody cause of the anesthesia. When it came to radiation she was fine but her eye did swell up like a ball and she couldn’t open it for several months. She didn’t want to eat or drink and it was a difficult time in not only her life but mine too. She is my best friend and it affected my mental health because she was suffering and i couldn’t do anything. I had to learn how to survive without my parents for months and i had to grow up and mature. My sis diagnosis was because of a picture and it was hederitary from my dad who was also a patient of retinoblastoma but he had to get his eye removed unfortunately. Cancer is a very difficult process not only for the patient but for the family.

Just read this book. It really highlights the struggles of life. Especially for cancer patients.

So, in the first minute and thirty seconds I learned this: I am actually depressed, knew it. I am not ridiculous, it’s just that nobody in my house notices. Because the things you said about the way it affects your mind is exactly how I feel. Wow

Thanks for providing videos with English subtitles