Have you read Being Mortal by Atul Gawande? If not, you should! Everyone should. This remarkable book describes how dying has become medicalized. It used to be that people got sick and died. They were killed by influenza and TB and heat attacks, cancer and strokes. These things happened to them and, well, they just died. But now, someone has a stroke or a heart attack or cancer and off to the doctor they go to be cured. Or, if not to be cured, to have their lives … [Read more...]