Dying Well

From Ira Byock, prominent palliative care physician and expert in end of life decisions, a lesson in Dying Well.

Nobody should have to die in pain. Nobody should have to die alone.

This is Ira Byock's dream, and he is dedicating his life to making it come true. Dying Well brings us to the homes and bedsides of families with whom Dr. Byock has worked, telling stories of love and reconciliation in the face of tragedy, pain, medical drama, and conflict. Through the true stories of patients, he shows us that a lot of important emotional work can be accomplished in the final months, weeks, and even days of life. It is a companion for families, showing them how to deal with doctors, how to talk to loved ones-and how to make the end of life as meaningful and enriching as the beginning.

Ira Byock is also the author of The Best Care Possible: A Physician's Quest to Transform Care Through the End of Life.

Dying WellIntroduction
One: Teaching About Living, Teaching About Dying
Seymour Byock
Two: Questioning Assumptions and Dawning Awareness
My Journey
Three: Learning to Die Well
Anne-Marie Wilson
Four: Suffering and Beyond
Douglas Kearney
Five: Finding Dignity amid Disease and Disintegration
Wallace Burke, Julia Rosauer, Hap Visscher
Six: The Hardest Decisions and The Greatest Opportunities
Janelle Haldeman
Seven: Writing a Personal Script for Dying
Steve Morris
Eight: Accepting the Gift of Dependence and the Burden of Care
Jake Edwards
Nine: Growing Within Tragedy
Michael Merseal
Ten: Facing Unbearable Pain, Unspeakable Losses
Terry Matthews
Eleven: Letting Go, Growing On
Maureen Riley
Twelve: Getting There from Here
Social and Cultural Dimensions
Appendix: Writing Your Family's Story
Questions and Answers
Resources
Further Reading
Acknowledgments
Index