Being Mortal Book by Atul Gawande

[lgutman]

I want to thank those folks who suggested I read "Being Mortal" especially chapters 5-8. We are meeting with my Dad's oncologist on July 5 and his palliative care doctor on July 8th and I plan to use a lot of what I read during this conversation. My father's pain has returned with a vengeance since June 10 and he has no balance. He has fallen 5 times (that we know of) and he has refused to be taken to the ER to be checked out.  His ex-wife complained to me about the falls and felt he needed to move. I leaned on the book to realize that my dad's time is limited and that I know my dad would prefer his independence today than the next step which is a nursing home. His frailty scares me. But his quality of life is most important.

If you are a daughter or son, download the book. I did an audiobook and cried multiple times. 

I highly recommend it. 

[MooseJawg]

You are a great advocate for your dad and I appreciate your reasoning!

[spencoid2]

you might also like to read "How We Die" sounds morbid but highly recommended

amazon.com/How-We-Die-Refle...

[HikerWife]

Thank you for sharing this. I have already purchased the book (saw it highly recommended somewhere - maybe here) but haven't yet read it (somehow that feels like tempting fate). Need to remedy that.

[Mgtd]

I am glad you found the book useful. I sent copies of it to my 5 closest friends.

By the way it is on the top ten books reading list for all med students. My granddaughter was a premed when I gave her a copy. I instructed her to read chapters 5 to 8.

After reading that she volunteered on weekends at a hospice. She learned that not all medicine is about saving lives and that end of life care is critical and important. By the way she had learned valuable life lessons in that experience.

Empathy and caring are critical skills in being a doctor.

Pay it forward and pass that knowledge and book onto others.

[pacificlover]

I also thought the book was so very useful. I also cried through some of it.

[j-o-h-n]

Got a dry copy you can send me?

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n