We must determine to accept death as an ordinary part of life, something none of us will escape. We must determine to accept some suffering as an ordinary part of life. But we must also determine that extreme and prolonged pain has no place in a society that prides itself on its social and humanitarian standards. In A Good Day to Die Lisa Birnie tells the stories of the dying, of their lovers, families and friends, and of the health professionals who care for all of them. In this wise and compassionate book she shows that how we die matters not only to ourselves but to those we leave behind. The attitudes and beliefs we bring to death are those we forge during our lives but, Birnie argues, we can only die well if we are free of physical and psychological pain. This remarkable book is about how palliative care can give us this freedom and love when we are at our most vulnerable.
