Tell Me the Truth: Conversations with my patients about life and death

Author: Ranjana Srivastava
Publisher: Penguin Group Australia
ISBN: 174253127X
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 296

Book Description
'Cancer patients put up with the most and complain the least, endowed with an uncommon wisdom that is a privilege to observe. It is not simply that they see the big picture; if you spend long enough with them, they help you see it too.' What really happens when someone hears the words, 'You have cancer?' What has preceded it and what comes after? Written with great compassion and honesty, this is a rare view from the other side of the desk. Oncologist Ranjana Srivastava reflects on the very human side of the medical profession – the moral dilemmas, the anxieties, the empathy – and shows us that the best doctors are the ones who keep learning by listening to their patients. This book is much more than an oncologist's diary; it is an acknowledgement of the incredible courage of ordinary people as they confront the big issues of life and death.

A Better Death

Author: Ranjana Srivastava
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1925750965
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 226

Book Description
A powerful, timely exploration of the art of living and dying on our own terms by one of Australia’s most respected voices Of all the experiences we share, two universal events bookend our lives: we were all born and we will all die. We don't have a choice in how we enter the world but we can have a say in how we leave it. In order to die well, we must be prepared to contemplate our mortality and to broach it with our loved ones, who are often called upon to make important decisions on our behalf. These are some of the most important conversations we can have with each other - to find peace, kindness and gratitude for what has gone before, and acceptance of what is to come. Dr Ranjana Srivastava draws on two decades of experience to share her observations and advice on leading a meaningful life and finding dignity and composure at the end. With an emphasis on advocacy, leaving a legacy and staying true to our deepest convictions, Srivastava tells stories of strength, hope and resilience in the face of grief and offers an optimistic meditation on approaching the end of life. Intelligent, warm and deeply affecting, A Better Death is a passionate exploration of the art of living and dying well. Dr Ranjana Srivastava OAM is a practising oncologist, award-winning writer, broadcaster and Fulbright scholar. See www.ranjanasrivastava.com

Conversations on Dying

Author: Phil Dwyer
Publisher: Dundurn
ISBN: 1459731956
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 278

Book Description
The story of the end-of-life experience of a palliative care physician who helped thousands of patients to die well. We all die. Most of us spend the majority of our lives ignoring this uncomfortable truth, but Dr. Larry Librach dedicated his life and his career to helping his patients navigate their final journey. Then, in April 2013, Larry was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. Unlike the majority of us, Larry knew the death he wanted. He wanted to die at home, surrounded by his family: his wife of forty years, his children, and his grandchildren. He did. He was peaceful and calm at the end. Larry proved that the “good death” isn’t a myth. It can be done, and he showed us how. Ever the teacher, Larry made his last journey a teachable moment on how to die the best death possible, even with a pernicious disease. As hard as it is to guide patients toward dying well, it is far harder to live those precepts day by day as the clock ticks down to one’s own death, but Larry, together with author Phil Dwyer, chronicled his final journey with courage and humour.

What It Takes to Be a Doctor

Author: Ranjana Srivastava
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1925791742
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 117

Book Description
'Deciding to study medicine is a momentous decision, and Ranjana Srivastava has created a long overdue and indispensable guide peppered with invaluable advice and insights – a must-read.' Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, Adolescent Psychologist An essential guide for anyone contemplating a career as a doctor, by one of Australia's finest practitioners – and writers. 2018 finalist book for The Australian Career Book Award – supported by the Royal Society of Arts in Australia and New Zealand. What is the life of a doctor really like? Is there an end to studying? Are money and prestige guaranteed? Can a fulfilling medical career and a satisfying family life co-exist and what support can a parent or partner give? Which doctors are the happiest? What is the most important question to ask yourself before studying medicine? An insider’s calm and considered answers could determine whether you choose to pursue this high-stakes career. Becoming a doctor is a tremendous privilege and a serious responsibility. With her trademark warmth and storytelling ability, Ranjana Srivastava delves into the reality of being a doctor in the modern era of medicine. Through lived experience as a frontline clinician, prolific writer, and mother, she celebrates the highlights of being a doctor but doesn't flinch from the disappointments. Her compelling stories illustrate the hidden facets of a life in medicine – from the burden of prolonged medical training and the regret of mismatched expectations to the humility of caring and the joy of making a difference, this book contains illuminating observations, reflection and advice that should be required reading for anyone contemplating a career as a doctor.

So It's Cancer

Author: Ranjana Srivastava
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 935177113X
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 286

Book Description
'You have cancer' - three small words that have the power to change your life. They could render you, the patient, feeling like you no longer have control over your own body and circumstance. But you can regain charge of your life: through understanding the illness and how it will affect you. So It's Cancer: Now What? is your guide to that next step: what to do when you are diagnosed with cancer. With her trademark wisdom and warmth, medical oncologist and award-winning author Ranjana Srivastava demystifies the labyrinthine world of the illness. What is cancer and how is it treated? Why can't I have an operation? What should I eat and how do I manage pain? She equips you with the knowledge to make informed decisions on the daunting issues, such as finding the right oncologist, and to ask the bigger questions, such as how to break it to the kids.

Tell Me the Truth

Author: Ranjana Srivastava
Publisher: Penguin Books
ISBN: 9780143571148
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
What really happens when someone hears the words, 'You have cancer?' What has preceded it and what comes after? Written with great compassion and honesty, this is a rare view from the other side of the desk. Oncologist Ranjana Srivastava reflects on the very human side of the medical profession - the moral dilemmas, the anxieties, the empathy, and shows us that the best doctors are the ones who keep learning by listening to their patients.

That Good Night

Author: Sunita Puri
Publisher: Viking
ISBN: 0735223319
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 322

Book Description
"A ... memoir about how the essential parts of one young woman's early life--her mother's work as a surgeon and her spiritual practice--led her to become a doctor and to question the premise that medicine exists to prolong life at all costs."--

Blessed

Author: Kate Bowler
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190876735
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 350

Book Description
Gospels -- Faith -- Wealth -- Health -- Victory -- American blessing -- Megachurch table -- Naming names.

Let's Talk about Death (over Dinner)

Author: Michael Hebb
Publisher: Da Capo Lifelong Books
ISBN: 0738235318
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 214

Book Description
For readers of Being Mortal and When Breath Becomes Air, the acclaimed founder of Death over Dinner offers a practical, inspiring guide to life's most difficult yet important conversation. Of the many critical conversations we will all have throughout our lifetime, few are as important as the ones discussing death—and not just the practical considerations, such as DNRs and wills, but what we fear, what we hope, and how we want to be remembered. Yet few of these conversations are actually happening. Inspired by his experience with his own father and countless stories from others who regret not having these conversations, Michael Hebb cofounded Death Over Dinner—an organization that encourages people to pull up a chair, break bread, and really talk about the one thing we all have in common. Death Over Dinner has been one of the most effective end-of-life awareness campaigns to date; in just three years, it has provided the framework and inspiration for more than a hundred thousand dinners focused on having these end-of-life conversations. As Arianna Huffington said, "We are such a fast-food culture, I love the idea of making the dinner last for hours. These are the conversations that will help us to evolve." Let's Talk About Death (over Dinner) offers keen practical advice on how to have these same conversations—not just at the dinner table, but anywhere. There's no one right way to talk about death, but Hebb shares time—and dinner—tested prompts to use as conversation starters, ranging from the spiritual to the practical, from analytical to downright funny and surprising. By transforming the most difficult conversations into an opportunity, they become celebratory and meaningful—ways that not only can change the way we die, but the way we live.

When Breath Becomes Air

Author: Paul Kalanithi
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 1473523494
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 260

Book Description
**THE MILLION COPY BESTSELLER** 'Rattling. Heartbreaking. Beautiful,' Atul Gawande, bestselling author of Being Mortal What makes life worth living in the face of death? At the age of thirty-six, on the verge of completing a decade's training as a neurosurgeon, Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. One day he was a doctor treating the dying, the next he was a patient struggling to live. When Breath Becomes Air chronicles Kalanithi's transformation from a medical student asking what makes a virtuous and meaningful life into a neurosurgeon working in the core of human identity - the brain - and finally into a patient and a new father. Paul Kalanithi died while working on this profoundly moving book, yet his words live on as a guide to us all. When Breath Becomes Air is a life-affirming reflection on facing our mortality and on the relationship between doctor and patient, from a gifted writer who became both. 'A vital book about dying. Awe-inspiring and exquisite. Obligatory reading for the living' Nigella Lawson