THURSDAY FEBRUARY 18, 2021 BEING MORTAL

 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY  18, 2021 - BEING MORTAL

I have looked at the book “Being Mortal” by Atul Gawande for the past week.  The concept is that we will all die someday, that growing old isn’t all fun and games!!!

Let’s finish off the three remaining chapters

CHAPTER 6 - Letting Go

The author poses this question “If you had an incurable illness, would you put efforts into slowing the prognosis or live your days without medical help?”

My answer is ambiguous.  It depends on the illness, the speed of its spread, the severity of the disease. A further factor might be my age.

At age 73, if my doctor says that I have fast-growing cancer, I may want to slow the progress of cancer.  At age 93 if my doctor says I have fast-growing cancer, I would live my days without significant medical help.  I would probably seek hospice for my final days (not a nursing home).  I think that hospice might allow some medications for pain (morphine) - but not to solve or slow the disease.

The chapter includes this quote, “In the United States, 25 percent of all Medicare spending is for the 5 percent of patients who are in their final year of life, and most of that money goes for care in their last couple of months that is of little apparent benefit.”  

Let me die in dignity - and with my family around me!!!

[Aside - I can’t go on without this joke.

When I was teaching, I noticed an old man in his walker in the hallways.  I finally approached him and asked what he was doing.

He told me, his doctor had said he had five months to live, and he decided to take advanced accounting courses for those five months.  He said that was like living a lifetime!!!]

CHAPTER 7 - Hard Conversations

This chapter has this question, “Would you feel comfortable having a conversation about your medical wishes with your family members today?”

It can be hard for a person to talk to her children about dying.  There should be many issues as we talk together - is there a will?  Is there an executor for the will?  Do I want a traditional burial or cremation? Where do I want the body or ashes to go?  Do I want to be resuscitated?  Do I want aggressive treatment?  Do I want hospice?  The book on several occasions talks of Atul’s father talking to his grandchildren.  I would want to say ‘goodbye’ to them.  (See note at bottom)

CHAPTER 8 - Courage

A quote, “But no matter how hard we plan, you can never adequately prepare yourself for death. Though you know it is coming, you must have the courage to face it.

Yes, I will die (and yes, YOU will die).  It is coming - I have no choice.  I have a belief in an afterlife - heaven.  As I have written God is infinite (at least to me), and that I really can’t understand infinity.  I believe in a heaven - without really knowing what it might be like.  In the past, there were thoughts of the streets being paved with gold, 

Revelations 4: says ““Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” At once I was in the spirit, and there in heaven stood a throne, with one seated on the throne!  And the one seated there looks like jasper and carnelian, and around the throne is a rainbow that looks like an emerald. Around the throne are twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones are twenty-four elders, dressed in white robes, with golden crowns on their heads. Coming from the throne are flashes of lightning and rumblings and peals of thunder, and in front of the throne burn seven flaming torches, which are the seven spirits of God; and in front of the throne there is something like a sea of glass, like crystal.”  

Honesty, I don’t know - but there is a lot I don’t know!!!  (I know so little!!!)

But, I have to have the courage to face death.  

So, moving on next week.  Tomorrow a LOVE WINS blog; then a Saturday Story, and Sunday WINS!!

LOVE WINS!!!

HUGS
Karen

(Note - I have had some religious visions in the past - Acts 2 says your old men will dream dreams and your young men will have visions - so I must still be young.

One day as our pastor was praying, he prayed for those who would die alone.  My vision was that I was in a bed with my twin granddaughters - one on each side, holding my hands.  They were crying - both happy and sad tears (I had such happy tears when I first held them).  I KNEW that I would NOT die alone.