As the Supreme court’s decision on ‘passive euthanasia’ centres the debates & discussions nowadays, i thought of sharing this incredible book on death & mortality..
Many of you must have already read this. Those who have not, if you are 50 or above i urge you to read this..
This book gives you a 1st hand account of what growing old means in 21st century, sufferings of persons with terminal illness, the available medical treatments, the procedure followed by their doctors, end of life care options & how to make the last years of life meaningful..
It’s inevitable. We all are going to age & die one day. But the question is how do you want to spend your last days. What’s the quality of life we wish. The author, a doctor himself, debates this point by revealing the various experiences of his patients. With the tremendous achievement in medical field, doctors are now able to prolong the life of a person, with the aid of life saving drugs & equipments. But on the far side, it might just make one bedridden, with tubes everywhere, fading in & out of awareness. According to the author, modern medicine has failed in dealing with end of life issues . He suggests that objective of medicine should not be health & survival alone, rather about quality of life & dying with dignity.
The book takes us on a tour of gerantology, nursing homes, assisted living facilities etc. Although primarily set in the US, it is relevant to humans everywhere.. With a plethora of dreadful diseases like cancer waiting to attack us, it makes sense to read about how our body is going to behave during illness & aging. The book will help you figure out how you want to exit, if you get a choice!
A chilling read, one that will make sure that we take our health seriously & spend an active life.
sangimurmur 