The Way We Die Now

The Way We Die Now: The View from Medicine's Front Line by Seamus O'Mahony, 292 pages

O'Mahony is a gastroenterologist who has worked in several hospitals in England and Ireland. He has seen hundreds of patients and family members die.

In the modern world, death has become hidden and medicalized. Those that are dying go to hospitals or, in some cases, hospices.

In attempt to fight death, patients are often subjected to treatments and surgeries that are not necessary. They will not improve the condition of patients or extend their lives. We think that we can defeat death when we can't.

Alternately, we try to control it by determining when we will die. This has led to the idea of assisted suicide and living wills. O'Mahony argues against assisted suicide because he feels that it is a slippery slope. Living wills aren't very effective either because they may not be accessible when needed and families aren't always willing to follow them.

O'Mahony points out that philosophers and people who write about death have not been good at accepting death when the time comes.

O'Mahony believes that we need to return to common decency when it comes to the treatment of those who are dying. One of his modest proposals is that, "We must teach the public, the politicians, the media and the judiciary that we can't offer every conceivable option to every patient."

I thought this book was an excellent read. O'Mahony's perspective as a doctor was insightful.