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Conversations On Death And Dying Book Review

1781 Words8 Pages

The novel “Conversations on death and dying” by Phil Dwyer (2016) is written from the perspective of Phil Dwyer and Dr. Larry Librach. Dr. Librach is a world-renowned pioneer in palliative care who has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer as well as early onset Parkinson’s disease. The book gives the reader insight into what it is like to slowly approach death. It touches on the mental and physical impacts as well as how dying affects our loved ones. A broad theme in the novel I found most important in the book was the quality of medical care. The more specific I found to be the most important was the role of patient-centered care. I found this theme relates to the study of adult development and aging because as we grow older, we become susceptible …show more content…

Librach career. Not many people have the funds or resources to have their homes turned into hospitals to increase their comfortability. By having more money available, you can afford better medical care, which translates to having healthier lifestyles. Reading the book “Conversations on Death and Dying” had more of an impact on me than I thought it would. I feel that it made me anxious and a bit terrified, especially when reading Dr. Larry “[felt] weaker everyday” (Dwyer, 2016). It reinforced the idea that I need to get screened, get regular check-ups, and change my lifestyle if I want to live a long, healthy life. The way Phil Dwyer describes the slow cognitive decline of his companion Dr. Librach like helium from a balloon (Dwyer, 2016) shocked me considering how sharp and quick-witted he was at the beginning of the book. There was also an aspect of his decline that saddened me when he described how it has impacted his independence and made him feel like a burden (Dwyer, 2016). Although reading this novel made me feel afraid of death, I will note that I do appreciate that even in his last days, Dr. Librach still felt passionate about educating oncologists on the loss of cognitive functions and urging them to do more research (Dwyer,

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