The importance of truth-telling at end-of-life

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[Register for free]( and turn insight into advantage. --------------------------------------------------------------- KevinMD Plus: Apr 21, 2022 [A bad death: the importance of truth-telling at end-of-life]( “Death would not be called bad, O people, if one knew how to truly die.” — Nanak Her funeral was yesterday, and there was a huge turn-out. She was 67 and never cussed or said a bad word about anyone. She was much-friended and well-loved. In late January 2022, she was diagnosed with stage-4 cancer [...] [4 things the chronically ill wish others understood]( One of the difficulties faced by those of us who are chronically ill (which includes chronic pain) is that others don’t understand what we’re going through. Our culture does a poor job of educating people about health challenges even though they’re a natural part of the human condition. We wish with all our hearts that [...] [I see so much of this in pain management]( In 2017, the CDC rolled out a “solution” to the opioid crisis. The recommendations, which were never intended to become laws, were mostly level of evidence three or below. To put it another way, they were not robust, nor were they based on research in any way that matters. There was also no input from [...] [How to prepare to be an effective caregiver]( At some point, most of us will take on the role of caregiver. You may be caring for your parent or older family member, a spouse or partner, or a close friend. As the population ages, the number of people in the U.S. who are caregivers is growing significantly. Caregiving in the U.S. 2020, a [...] [Help patients recognize how important their opinions are [PODCAST]]( “Too often in medicine, health care providers assume what patients want or need. Like the crocodile, we may assume all patients would want a tire removed in order to help extend their life – even if the cure meant losing the only thing that made their unique life worth living. The burden of changing health [...] [What do we do with our sadness and anger?]( When my boys were little, they responded to frustration differently. One would get angry, throw toys, yell, bite, refuse to cooperate. The other would become pitifully sad, appearing abandoned or lonely. The sad one received more attention because when we see someone who’s sad, it pulls on our heartstrings and evokes innate compassion. Seeing another [...] [Reduce your loneliness, improve your well-being, and take the first step]( Just before the pandemic, I walked 96 miles (154.5 km) in seven days on the West Highland Way in Scotland, though I was hardly alone in this endeavor. About 250 people start the walk each day, including the amazing group of primary women that I walked with, indicative of both the attraction of the trail [...] [Looking across the glass door: a COVID-19 vigil]( A small piece of lint is tickling my nose as I am desperately trying not to sneeze into the tight-fitting mask on my face. I know that I will not be able to adjust the mask as my gloves are sterile, and I am standing suspended over a patient’s body with my gloves patinaed with [...] [Pfizer and Moderna must share vaccine technology [PODCAST]]( “Pfizer has a particular onus to help intervene globally as one of the largest and most profitable pharmaceutical companies in the world. With its immense capital power, Pfizer should shift some of their spending from national ads promoting their vaccine product in a country that has large booster vaccine availability to sharing the technology that [...] [How to retain more of your hard-earned money]( I have never known a doctor who wasn’t interested in bringing more money into their home. There are so many reasons for this that can range from paying off large loans to the costs of having children (nannies, sitters, private schools, college, weddings, etc.) to the growing sense that your employer undervalues you. Regardless of [...] [Divided loyalties: A physician testifies against a colleague]( Some may think I am a traitor. I testified against one of our colleagues. And his employment was terminated. It feels terrible. The type of gut-wrenching terrible that baits my tear and steals my sleep. I find myself rehashing the testimony, always startled afresh at the unambiguous answers. “What were your concerns?” Counsel asks. “Patient [...] --------------------------------------------------------------- [Thousands of physicians are browsing this job board](. They love its selection of over 12,000 openings across the U.S. [Physicians are finding opportunities they almost missed](. --------------------------------------------------------------- If a friend sent you this email and you want to subscribe, go to [KevinMD](. --------------------------------------------------------------- 345 Hudson Street New York NY 10014 USA [Unsubscribe]( | [Change Subscriber Options](