Question 427 of 433
How should I think about dying?
The short answer
Honestly, and in advance. Planning for the end is part of living well.
Dr. Atul Gawande’s Being Mortal should be read by every adult and every doctor. Its lesson is that the goal of medicine near the end is not survival at any price but the best possible day, today. Complete an advance directive. Choose someone to speak for you. Tell your family what matters most to you: being at home, being clear-minded, being free of pain. I have seen the peace this gives, and the chaos when it is missing.
This book asks you to attend to preventable risks. It cannot ask you to outwit mortality. None of us is offered that. What we are offered is the chance to arrive at the end having been fully here.
“This book is for education. It is not medical advice, and reading it does not make you my patient or create a doctor-patient relationship.” From the book’s medical disclaimer. Full disclaimer
CLINICAL / ETHICAL GUIDANCE — Advance care planning supports informed care; it is not a promise of a particular death.Evidence grade (draft mapping)GGuideline-based / consensusPart 29, Q427 · Part sources
From Longevity Unmasked by Afshine Ash Emrani, MD, FACC. Medical disclaimer. This book is for education. It is not medical advice, and reading it does not make you my patient or create a doctor-patient relationship. Nothing here is meant to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Medicine is personal: a test, drug, supplement, or exercise plan that helps one person can harm another. Do not start, stop, or change any medication or treatment because of something you read in these pages. Talk with a licensed clinician who knows your history first. If you think you are having a medical emergency, call 911. The author disclaims responsibility for any loss or harm arising from use of the information in this book.