Farewell

Being present at the bedside-and EVEN AT THE MOMENT OF DEATH-can become an experience embedded in the minds and souls of family members for generations. It is a deeply emotional time, one of relief and sadness. Anyone who has taken that final journey with a loved one will never, ever forget those moments. Dr. Edward Creagan has dedicated his life to death. And now this esteemed medical doctor examines death, not only from a medical standpoint, but from an acutely emotional perspective as events beyond our control unfold. For more than forty years, he has been at the bedside with patients at the Mayo Clinic, addressing the end-of-life questions patients and their families ask. This book is about navigating those last days, at the bedside, and saying farewell with hope, love, and compassion. Dr. Ed answers these questions and more: How can we die a good death? What happens at the deathbed? What is death, actually? Why does a person's life story matter at the end of life? Doc, how long do I have to live? What is hospice? What if the family doesn't agree on treatment? Now what? How do we control pain at the end of life? What is DNR? Should there be a feeding tube? Who pulls the plug? Can you help me understand the advance directive? Who cares for the caregivers? How to use this book at the bedside-- From the Introduction: "Sadly, many of you may be reading this book because you are sitting at the bedside of a loved one whose health is declining. You are in the eye of the medical storm. I hope my words will give you the type of hope I have given to thousands of families and patients over the years in my practice at the Mayo Clinic. I don't know you, but I know where you are and the questions you need answers to." Our test readers often told us, "I wish I had this book when I was sitting by my mother's bed." We have organized the book to answer the most pressing questions you may have in this situation. Use the table of contents to find the sections most relevant to you. Dr. Ed welcomes your feedback at his website www.AskDoctorEd.com where you can follow his blog posts on the empowered patient, on physician burnout, and on his observations about life (and death).