I suspect that the mind of almost everyone who gets a lung cancer diagnosis, as well as other diseases, very quickly jumps to thoughts of death and dying. I know that's where my mind instantly went.
But I am certainly not going to focus on that, at least not yet and not in a negative way.
Yet the possibility of death cannot be ignored either.
Enter Dr. Atul Gawande. Reading several articles written by him have already lead me to believe that I can live the end of my life well.
I had read enough about cancers, including lung cancer, to know that I was not going to be one of those people to fight to the end no matter how bad or how worthless the fight becomes. I will most definitely have an Advanced Directive and I have in mind, to a certain extent, just what my limits might be. Dr. Gawande's writings helped to clarify that and give me a starting point for making end of life decisions. I DO NOT want to wait until it's too late to make my own choices.
The Ultimate Bed to Die In: Image Courtesy of Wmart07
Must read articles from Atul Gawande:
The prescription, he argues in "Being Mortal," is to rethink our priorities for the dying—and give 'em something to live for.
No Risky Chances: The conversation that matters most. (End of Life Medical Decisions)
Atul Gawande's book Being Mortal :
In Being Mortal, bestselling author Atul Gawande tackles the hardest challenge of his profession: how medicine can not only improve life but also the process of its ending...
Full of eye-opening research and riveting storytelling, Being Mortal asserts that medicine can comfort and enhance our experience even to the end, providing not only a good life but also a good end.
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