Being Mortal

Dr. Gawande’s words in the epilogue sum up the wisdom of this book. “Medical science has given us remarkable power to push against the limits” set by our bodies, but too often fails to acknowledge that that pier is finite and always will be. This book made me think, reflect and I will continue to do so as my physical limitations increase. I consider this book a gift.

as a healthcare worker just entering the field, this changed my perspective so much. It prepared me and gave me a new angle to look at. such a beautiful book, I loved the scriptures and mentions of religion.

The medical industry is revealed! Your health and wellbeing is paramount. This book is part memoir and part documentary. A read you’ll find changes your life if you’re not in this industry.

this book made me cry but it also educated me and made me feel even the tiniest bit more prepared.

A healthcare professional my entire life; this is a wonderful and powerful book.

With a loved one experiencing a terminal illness this book hit me very hard at times, but I’m so thankful for the messages I heard as I read it.

This is a book I’ll never forget. It’s made me thinks about life and death in an entirely unexpected way.

I have had to face so many losses in my personal life already that I resonated with many of the stories. As a physician, I have also made many of the same mistakes in approaching patients with the realities of death and dying. I believe I have gained valuable perspective.

A lovely book about death. No, really. The author examines our modern attitudes and practices surrounding our aging and last days, and asks himself and us- how can we do better? Colored with poignant personal stories about the triumphs and failures of our modern ways, this book is a great introduction to thinking how we ourselves would like to spend our last days, and having those hard conversations with loved ones.

Atul Gawande asserts he is not a “facile writer.” I respectfully disagree. Perhaps the words don’t flow out as smoothly as he might wish. Perhaps they require revision once or twice or more when they do emerge. Perhaps they have to be set down and picked up and set down again before they are ready. But once they are ready, they are very good, very pertinent, very true. Death is among the most difficult of topics. Real death that is. Not dramatic death as it is portrayed in movies, either heroically or tragically. It may be heroic or it may be tragic, it may be calm or violent, accepted or fought, but it is inevitable. Dr. Gawande calls out his own profession as the would-be fixers of something that is not fixable and suggests a different approach. There are key lessons here: that those who acknowledge what is happening and choose hospice care have both better lives and longer lives as they pace out the time allotted to them. That the end time is one of coming to peace with one’s life journey. That the presence of loved ones is the most important thing at the end. I read this book some time before the passing of a close relative and it was a great help to me through that time. I could clearly see that this person, who had been so vibrant and strong through his whole life, clearly recognized that this would not be the life in front of him. He was the one who helped people. Helped them into and out of cars, up and down stairs, helped them dress, helped them eat. He was not the one being helped. That was not him. And so he let go. Being Mortal explains this. It explains that such a parting, while sad for those left behind, is the best kind of ending.