back

by jeffreyrogers·11y ago·view on hn ↗
> because the medical establishment as is doesn't really allow for it.

I have many relatives and friends in medicine. They will let you end your life the way you want to (for the most part) but you have to be firm about what you want. Doctors don't like telling people they're dying because it is a hard conversation to have. And most people, even those who are aware of the statistics, like to cling to the hope that they could be different.

2 comments
Thatse why it is important to know that, statistically, hospice provides better and longer life than aggressive treatment of advanced cancer. Hospice patience enjoy more hours of non-treatment "real life" than agressive-care patients (who spend far more time in hospital beds or surgery instead of outside, with family, Etc)
This is exactly the problem discussed in the book. Docotors are not equiped in dealing with end of life issues, something that has to change.