A Month of Literary Gratitude, Day 10 - Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End, by Atul Gawande

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande, is a profoundly moving and informative book.


Dr. Gawande uses his experiences as a physician and his own father's journey to the end of his life as a backdrop for open and honest discussion about our seniors and the critically ill. The focus is primarily on quality of life care, and what constitutes a good outcome for people. He addresses the fact that most physicians die at home, but most civilians do not, and why that is. He provides guidance on the questions to ask, not only as a physician treating seniors and the ill, but that we need to ask ourselves.

Is prolonging life the goal when someone is sick and/or infirm, or is improving the quality of life that remains the goal? How far are we willing to go in treating illness? How can we as individuals improve our own outcomes when many physicians are unwilling to speak the truth when it comes to aging and illness? How can we manage old age with dignity, respect, and compassion while recognizing that aging is not a disease to be treated, but rather a phase of life that needs to be managed based on the desires and values of the individual?

This book made me think about old age and disease in a new way, and forced me to reevaluate what I want for myself, and what my older relatives want for themselves. It's a tough subject, but one that we need to face with honesty, compassion, and courage.

Thanks, Dr. Gawande.

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