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Death Interrupted

How Modern Medicine Is Complicating the Way We Die

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Death Interrupted

Written by: Blair Bigham
Narrated by: Robert Lee
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Doctors today can call on previously unimaginable technologies to help keep our bodies alive. In this new era, most organs can be kept from dying almost indefinitely by machines. But this unprecedented shift in end-of-life care has created a major crisis. In the widening grey zone between life and death, doctors fight with doctors, families feel pressured to make tough decisions about their loved ones and lawyers are left to argue life-and-death cases in the courts. Meanwhile, intensive care patients are caught in purgatory, attached to machines and unable to speak for themselves.

In Death Interrupted, Dr Blair Bigham seeks to help listeners understand the options facing them at the end of their lives. Through conversations with end-of-life professionals - including ethicists, social workers and nurses and doctors who practise palliative care—and observations from his own time working in ambulances, emergency rooms and the ICU, Bigham exposes the tensions inherent in this new era of dying and answers the tough questions facing us all. Because now, for the first time in human history, we may be able to choose how our own story ends.

©2022 Dr Blair Bigham. Published by arrangement with House of Anansi Press, Toronto, Canada (P)2022 Bolinda Publishing Grief & Loss Medicine & Health Care Industry Pain Management Personal Development Physical Illness & Disease Relationships Sociology Medicine Health Care
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An important discussion to have with our family, loved ones and physicians: how we want to die. This book is superb in discussing so many aspects of life and death. Every medical student should read!

Excellent listen for everyone - a must for health care providers

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As an ICU nurse I am faced with this dilemma every time I go to work. It was hard to articulate how I was feeling as no one truly understands unless you work in the field and this book hit all of the main points, and then some! I certainly learned a lot from this book and I believe it will make me a better medical professional for it. It certainly was cathartic to read and I recommend this for all medical professionals.

Information I really needed to hear!

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Well written, a lot of information and thought and caring about planning death, a reality for all of us.

Must read if interested in last moments on earth

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I’m a palliative care nurse and absolutely loved this book. I found myself saying “yes!” Out loud while listening. Wish he had other books!

Amazing

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This is the topic that creates the most moral distress for myself at work. I have seen how technology makes people suffer a prolong death creating its own purgatory.
Death is the only certainty in life, but talking to your family about what is an acceptable quality of life for you, will help everyone make hard decisions when you cannot, and allow them to find comfort through the devistation.
Thanks Dr. Bigham for putting into words the ethical dilemma medical professionals like myself deal with constantly and showing the big picture, that technology can only go so far.
I highly enjoyed the read and suggest it to anyone.

Wow, everyone needs to read this!

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