BEING MORTAL by Dr. A. Gawande Prescribed Reading: What Matters in the End

Dr. Atul Gawande is a practicing surgeon, prof. at Harvard Med. & bestselling author.  His recent book BEING MORTAL is a compelling read for anyone who has an aging parent, family member diagnosed with a fatal disease and for those in the medical & health care profession.  In other words, this courageous and thoughtful book, is pertinent for everyone and intended to open dialogue to enhance our understanding of what needs to be considered to provide compassionate care and appropriate responsibility for people losing their independence or confronting their own mortality.  Dr. Gawande provides us actual cases of senior citizens who can no longer manage independently and cancer patients, including his own father.  The multitudes of confusing & vital information regarding a patient's options presented tends to be overwhelming.  Dr. Gawande is a pioneer in confronting the elephants in the room, aging & dying.  True, there are no cures for these inevitable stages.  Therefore, it is imperative for us to empathize & provide dignity & self-empowerment for those requiring special consideration at the end of their lives.  Listening, questioning, providing honest information and listening again are life lessons that should not be epiphanies, yet in many ways these are the barriers that need to be re-examined.  Dr. Gawande finds fault in the medical profession where doctors are dedicated to prolonging life but fail to be provide a candid prognosis or explanation of risks/affects of treatments.  The onus also lies with the individual and their family who must be willing to have a timely, serious dialogue as to their wishes & concerns and inform their care givers.  Dr. Gawande has written a book that helps us to navigate at a most difficult period in life; confronting mortality.  This is a powerful resource for opening a crucial & reciprocal discussions.