What Dying People Want : Practical Wisdom for the End of Life

Based on research funded by the Soros Foundation's Project on Death in America and extensive interviews with dying people, an internationally renowned palliative care physician offers guidance on changing how we deal with death. Facing death results in more fear and anxiety than any other human experience. Western medicine has accomplished a great deal in addressing physical pain and symptom management for people with a terminal illness, but much slower progress has been made in understanding or alleviating psychological or spiritual distress. In What Dying People Want, Dr. David Kuhl begins to bridge that gap by addressing end-of-life realities through his own experiences and through the words and experiences of dying people. He presents ways of addressing the pain, of finding new life in the process of dying and of understanding the inner reality of living with a terminal illness. He acknowledges the despair and recognizes the desire for hope and meaning. Dr. Kuhl also makes the provocative case that insensitive communication by doctors creates more suffering for patients than either the actual illness or the knowledge of impending death and offers guidance on preventing painful interactions.This is not a feel-good book about how we are deepened by a loved one's death. It is not a book about the last few days or moments. This is a book about what the day-to-day experience of living with a terminal illness is like over a long period of time. It will offer guidance, solace, and helpful strategies for terminally people and their families and caregivers.D. Kuhl, David Kuhl