Being Mortal- Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande
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Web ID: 41342936 reviews
The end-of-life book you need to read in medicine
Progress is rarely a linear path - with two steps forward, there are usually so many steps sideways, backwards, up and down, and the leaps and stops in between. Hundreds of years of medical innovation has resulted in the previously unpredictable consequences of birth, infection, injury, and aging becoming much more survivable, resulting in overall robust health and longevity for the human race. In conquering death, however, medicine unfortunately has lost sight of the meaning of life, and what it means to be human in inhuman conditions. With economic 'progress' leading to a rise in nursing facilities and their accompanying isolation and incongruous goals of care, alongside doctors and families who perform and demand "life" even in the face of suffering, it can feel like the idea of "first, do no harm" has become lost in the name of progress. In reflecting on his experiences as a surgeon and as an everyday son standing vigil in the sun-setting years of loved ones, Dr. Atul Gawande addresses the conundrum of life at all costs head on, arguing that the real question for patients, their families, and the medical profession should instead focus on the quality of life the patient desires and can enjoy in the end. Offering personal anecdotes interspersed with examples of alternate models - including assisted living and hospice care - for assisting the infirm and elderly he proposes the radical idea that even in a fast-paced and medically progressive world the end of one's life can be rich and dignified rather than lonely and sterile. "Being Mortal" is one of those books that tends to make its way onto every single "books you should read before medical school" list, and after reading it myself, I can say with 100% certainty that it continues to be on those lists (including mine, of course) for a reason. Even though it's been more than a decade since its original publication, the lessons about medicine and what matters in the end are timeless (and, from my experience, still a major point of missing education for a lot of families). Any medical student (and hopefully all students who move through the allied health professions) will likely get at minimum a lecture during some part of their training about "respecting patients wishes" and 1-2 questions from the ethics QBank from UWorld for their board exams that should be automatic freebie points. What I think this book does really well is provide examples of what "respecting wishes", and does so in the contexts of the author's own experiences with his own family - and how he felt as he moved through the process as a son and "the medical guy" in the family. I think anyone who has older family members or who has moved through the death/dying process will find a lot to resonate with here and I feel the discussions here would be really helpful for opening conversations about end-of-life with loved ones out in the real world. I worked in EMS prior to medical school, and the other thing I think this book does a fantastic job illustrating - especially for those who have never experienced elder care first-hand - is describing the nursing home/assisted living/senior care industry and all the pitfalls and room for improvement its paved with. I hope everyone who goes into medicine gets a chance to move through elder care facilities to better understand the system and why Dr. Gawande thought it was necessary to write a whole book discussing end-of-life care, but if it's not possible I think AT MINIMUM students should read this book, then make every effort to find that experience for themselves. Medicine in the United States is under serious attack, and part of understanding why is understanding what it looks like from all sides. I hope students, physicians, and practitioners alike read this book and are inspired - like I was - to seriously think about incorporating "goals of care" talk into every interaction with patients (and with your own families - don't ignore the heavy conversations about end-of-life before it's too late), and to demand change for your patients and your community on local, state, and federal levels when it comes to care for the elderly - through grassroots campaigning, all the way to the voting booth.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
So helpful
I bought this book when my mom was diagnosed with a terminal illness. My doctor recommended it. It was so helpful for me in processing all that we were going through with her illness and dying. It helped me find acceptance and peace, and ultimately helped me see the blessings throughout the process of losing a loved one.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Smooth delivery
I applaud Dr. Gawande on smooth delivery of a difficult to discuss topic. Given the topic of ageing and end of life issues, this book may have been a lot more depressing. A word of caution about using the information provided: the information seems highly anecdotal and should be used in that spirit. Not as a word from science!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Exceptional book
My father died a year ago just a few days after his 89th birthday. It made me start thinking about my own mortality, now that I've reached the age of 65. So I picked up this book. It is a revelation. Gawande has so much to say about the limits of medicine and the importance of knowing what you really want from your last days in this life. Doctors, he says, tend to give you information and then ask you to make a decision, and their information tends to be limited to ways to extend your physical life, rather than how to make you happy in your final days. Maybe that third course of chemotherapy isn't really what you want if it poses little possibility of extending your life meaningfully and makes you so sick you can't enjoy your family in the time you have left. I recommend this book unreservedly. It's not a dry treatise at all; Gawande fills his book with stories while imparting a ton of strategies for older people and dying people. I'm so glad I read it, and I think you will be, too.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Very Insightful
The writer understands the dilemma of housing as we age and the availability of appropriate sites.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Disappointed.
Being written by a physician, I bought this book to learn more about the science of ageing. This was not at all what I'd hoped.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com