Late Life: A Conversation With Atul Gawande

Dr. Atul Gawande, author of Being Mortal, shares his vision of healthcare that helps people live well to the end.

[@marilynb8136]

I am a 74 year old retired nurse and i love this doctor and so agree with him!!! I have serious heart problems, but my husband is now on Hospice and i am his caregiver. I need to be around. I know my days are numbered too. We're both okay with dying and moving on.

[@zooker38]

Newly diagnosed with stage IV metastatic NSSLC. 79 and feeling great. Hospice bound. Thank you for giving me voice. 🙌

[@terichoi1366]

hope you’re doing well 🫡🙆‍♂️

[@violahamilton782]

Thanks so much, this should be kept up forever.

[@donnaceciliani9137]

thank you so much this was a great learning tool for my job. Yes I"m from Oregon even told my boss and my mom who is also a heath care provider about your video I want all my co workers to see your videos and learn .We always make sure that no one passes alone we really do have a great team the more we learn the better we get thank you so much for the first time in all my 30 yrs you gave me the right approach to the most important understanding for the end of life

[@abhilashamodi2869]

She never let dr still finish any answer and never paused after the answer. He is so good. God bless him beyond being a great dr. Thank you so much

[@oceanark77]

What I'd do to have a compassionate doctor like this man. Wow if only most doctors held his morals and characteristics.

[@akeelabbas28]

This man is what every young doctor dreams about being!

[@tkraghu]

Pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp

[@ghislainerosen5970]

This man is what every young doctor SHOULD dream about being

[@solarhydrowind]

This has some very beautiful moments in it. Makes me harken back to days of curling up under the covers as a youngster when my mother was caring for me. At 39 minutes in, he says something Dr. Andrew Weil talked about many years ago: that the baby boomers might remake aging like they'd remade many life stages.

[@jennypacheco5498]

Wow. A new and much appreciated approach to care giving. A turning point

[@deborahbachand1330]

I am a retired nurse with 47 years of experience in almost every field including Long term care, intensive care and even paediatrics…when I first worked in ICU we used to quip that we were searching for the antidote to death…it held true for my career…and yet old people I care for were not as fearful of, nor reticent to face, death. Our society is …as Atul Gawande states…asking the wrong questions.

[@TimeToComeUntoChrist]

Fascinating, love this conversation! Every one should hear this

[@ariefbata6278]

The beautiful lady next to me in my pic(my wife of 23yrs) died of cancer. Her palliative NP was a Godsend .

[@johnvcorbett6528]

Atul Gawande has changed my life (and coming death - MCRPC, 7/6 Gleason score, going on Enzalutamide..

[@mjd2491]

My dream doc.

[@gr6666a]

I think this is the best thing that could happen for the elder generation , just want them to use very simple language when talking to family and patient. , Family is the hardest to get to agree on treatment or not . I say as the youngest member of a very healthy family my oldest brother is 88 no medication still mows and me the youngest at 72 and all the siblings in between healthy. I just want to say I wish the kids would understand this concept, but the kids will want to keep them going. I don’t want to see that

[@zooker38]

My way forward.

[@Helladios-ft2ij]

7.18:"The first misconception is that death is a failure."

[@rebeccazegstroo6786]

At a visit to my provider, I feel like she is much more focused on checking off items on list than seeing me as a human.

[@sandella11]

Yeah...I feel this quite often also....I have narrowed my 74 yrs of living and dying ( aren’t we all living and dying from the moment we’re all born?) down to 3/4 drs. I’ve lived a stressful many years helping others, raising my girls alone, working hard, helping to raise all 5 grandkids. Single parent early on. Right after I had my second baby girl, his dad passed and his family never mentioned to me that he has so many emotional issues..and drug issues. He seemed fine..seemed ok...but within 3/4 yrs...the symptoms of schizophrenia arose....he started drinking alcohol a lot and began doing lots of drugs. I don’t do any of those things...and I tried to help him..but we can’t help those who don’t want to help themselves. I found out a lot during the divorce...after the 4th time he stopped taking medication...and would drink constantly and do drugs....not around me and my girls at first,....but he wouldn’t listen to drs. None of them. I had. , at age 16 yrs old, lost my own dad. My mom fell apart..only child.had to go to school, work 2 days a week...and come home to help my mom try to heal. That took a while. I don’t think I ever really healed from his loss....but I kept going...for my mom. Everyone in my family has passed away from heart disease issues. Very young. Even my youngest daughter..she just turned 37 yrs old. She passed from heart problems 11 yrs ago. So after raising my girls alone...working hard..getting better jobs as time went on..I knew I had to help raise my 5 grandkids. I thought I’d be long gone by now. Got no child support or help from my ex or his family (who were going on cruises, bought new homes, new cars, etc...). Thought I’d be long gone by now. I’ve financially helped my family and fostered/adopted so many non humans ...physically helped...and emotionally helped. I was burnt out a few times from overdoing....but I’m still here. Alone...almost 75 yrs old...and I’m realizing all my health issues. Tiny old woman. Getting forgetful. Still caring for stray cats I took in. Can’t do the things in my little home...I used to be able to do. Everyone busy working...living their own lives...even all my grandkids. I don’t hardly leave my home. Eyes going. Spinal stenosis. So much nerve pain. Can’t eat much things I used to eat. I’m anemic...always have been. Have scoliosis, bursitis, Tendinitis, sciatica (on both sides)...shoulders hurt...short of breath, coughing...and I also suffer from chronic fatigue (severe) and fibromyalgia. My favorite time is going to bed...I’m so tired...and I keep thinking I’ll go in my sleep. So...being my money is running out, I’m forgetful, off balance at times, and I don’t seem to be getting better. My concern is I only have Medicare...and I’m not sure I can afford it. I wish I knew a dr who was like this dr. I’m not terminal yet...I don’t think...but I get a bit worse every week/month/year. I am in pain...and have no energy or motivation. Getting old .... no one tells us to be prepared for this. I don’t think death is morbid....it’s just part of life. I just would like to stop finding more things wrong...feeling more pain...and hanging here and then dying by myself. I feel like this dr. I want my family around, want some music on...my pets....and I’d kiss them all and say goodbye. I don’t feel like I’m really living anymore. Why are we allowed to euthanize our sweet fur babies when they are suffering? Yet we, as old, sickly , unable to do the things we used to do....why must we humans stay here, be a burden to our families, and why must we suffer? Doesn’t seem fair to me.😢

[@johnvcorbett6528]

Everyone thinks they’re in the long tail. Wrong, we all gravitate to the mean.

[@johnvcorbett6528]

Oncologists are so reluctant to give prognoses because they’re so shitty at it.

[@johnvcorbett6528]

Surgeons and oncologists think they are so shit hot that all their patients are in the long tail.

[@deepavijay7890]

Ponniyin selvan

[@johnvcorbett6528]

Dr Head Waiter…

[@Cathy-xi8cb]

He SHOULD be afraid of being old and frail, because even with education and family support, they medical system is a danger to such people. When things go very wrong medically for the in a greenhouse nursing home, he wouldn't like it very much.

[@myrealnews]

I don't like the brutality of that interviewer. And you should never tell them authoratively how long they have to live ...like you're the last word. What you believe is based on the medicine you believe you know. Sure there are quacks out there and lots of bogus stuff. But, if you can't help, there still might be some approach out there that can and you don't know. The world is a big place. "Politics" has a strange way of carving it up. At least, this was honest.