End of Life - thoughts from an MD

Michael Hebb interviews me in the last (8th) of a series about end of life from RoundGlass. In this one I tell a few stories that have unexpected endings. These are a bit more upbeat than prior e...

https://www.endoflifeblog.com/2021/07/ask-doctor-episode-8-stories-with.html

  Michael speaks with Jim about brain death and organ transplantation. Jim tells a story about a patient who suffered a heart attack, was legally dead by brain death criteria, and difficulty a...

https://www.endoflifeblog.com/2021/07/ask-doctor-episode-7-discussing-brain.html

  About 25% of the population in the United States lives in areas where MAID is legal. Some call it death with dignity, some call it assisted suicide. What is really happening is discussed.

https://www.endoflifeblog.com/2021/07/ask-doctor-episode-6-controversies.html

Ask The Doctor episode #5 discussing the role of medical ethics in the choices we are confronted with at life's end. For example: Do No Harm, Autonomy, Beneficence -- how these principles come in...

https://www.endoflifeblog.com/2021/06/ask-doctor-episode-5-discussing-medical.html

Discussion about nutrition and feeding tubes. Questions about discontinuing feeding, benefits of feeding tubes and the role of hospice and palliative care at life's end.  

https://www.endoflifeblog.com/2021/06/ask-doctor-episode-4.html

Discussing the Health Care Proxy with Michael Hebb. How to choose the person to speak for you when you can no longer speak for yourself.

https://www.endoflifeblog.com/2021/06/ask-doctor-episode-3.html

In this session, Michael Hebb and I discuss CPR outcomes and how advance directives can be found.

https://www.endoflifeblog.com/2021/06/ask-doctor-episode-2.html

> Here is the first of a series of interviews with Michael Hebb from > the RoundGlass End of Life Collective. Future live webinars can be > reached on Tuesdays 11 AM�...

https://www.endoflifeblog.com/2021/06/ask-doctor-episode-1.html

Note: I received the following comments from a friend. She is a scientist and lawyer, but found that the handling of her husband's death could have been better managed, and certainly more persona...

https://www.endoflifeblog.com/2021/05/it-shouldnt-have-to-be-this-way.html

  Please join me for the kick-off of this interactive program to have a conversation about the care we might want as we near the end of our lives. Click on the link below for more informatio...

https://www.endoflifeblog.com/2021/05/ask-doctor-about-your-options-for-care.html

Note: The following is taken from my recently released book now available at bookstores and on Amazon. From time to time, I'll be posting stories from Facing Death. I hope you find them of us...

https://www.endoflifeblog.com/2021/04/facing-death-finding-dignity-hope-and.html

I've had some kind comments about my book, but greatly appreciate the review below from Dr. Howe, a highly skilled and beloved neurosurgeon in Seattle. "Dr. deMaines’ book, “Facing Death: F...

https://www.endoflifeblog.com/2021/03/kind-review-from-neurosurgeon.html

Yesterday I was interviewed for a radio broadcast by Katya Goodenough from Two Harbors, Minnesota. Here is a link if interested.  She wanted particularly to ask about my thoughts about Death Wit...

https://www.endoflifeblog.com/2021/03/interview-on-end-of-live-choices-and.html

Discussion of my book with more emphasis on Swedenborg and ethics.  

https://www.endoflifeblog.com/2021/03/facing-death-talk-to-swedenborg.html

Note: One area of ethics that isn't much discussed in medicine is virtue ethics. We frequently talk about autonomy, beneficence and non-maleficence--but how about kindness? Actually, as physician...

https://www.endoflifeblog.com/2021/02/kindness-should-be-factor-in-timing-and.html

Presentation about advance care planning to the Continuing Care Communities of Washington State by Author Jim deMaine, MD  

https://www.endoflifeblog.com/2021/01/book-discussion-facing-death-finding.html

 A virtual book signing on Zoom took place in recent months, a kickoff for "Facing Death: Finding Dignity, Hope and Healing at the End. I'm interviewed by writer Claudia Rowe, read from the book...

https://www.endoflifeblog.com/2021/01/book-kickoff-at-brick-and-mortar-book.html

 FM Radio Station KEXP invited me to talk about my writing and teaching about end of life care during my career in pulmonary/critical care medicine. They had been present at my Town Hall talk an...

https://www.endoflifeblog.com/2021/01/kexp-fm-interview-about-end-of-life-care.html

Recently Katy Sewall interviewed me for her podcast, This Bittersweet Life. She wanted to talk about the changes in our thinking about death and dying during this strange and disquieting time of...

https://www.endoflifeblog.com/2020/07/interview-about-fear-isolation-and.html

Psychiatrist Warren Ward writes in Aeon : "As a doctor, I am reminded every day of the fragility of the human body, how closely mortality lurks just around the corner. As a psychiatrist and psyc...

https://www.endoflifeblog.com/2020/05/sooner-or-later-we-all-face-death-will.html

I’ve been asked a lot about what our options are if we get very sick with COVID-19 pneumonia. Below are my recorded thoughts as of April 1st. We are still early on and there is not extensive d...

https://www.endoflifeblog.com/2020/04/the-option-of-ventilator-my-thoughts.html

Ed Note: Aging is all about loss and resilience. But what if we're on the path to dementia and don't want to go there. Is it time to "check out?" The choice of VSED (Voluntary Stopping Eating an...

https://www.endoflifeblog.com/2019/06/is-rational-suicide-oxymoron.html

Marie is too young to have a fatal diagnosis. She has Primary Pulmonary Hypertension . This condition is called "Primary" because we have no idea of the cause. Medical lingo has a variety of way...

https://www.endoflifeblog.com/2010/04/one-more-trip-to-guam.html

Below is a commentary that I have permission to pass on from Dr. Leibovich. It points out to me that the issue of forcing the dying patient into the hospital may be an international problem, esp...

https://www.endoflifeblog.com/2011/10/note-from-israel.html

As I grow older, I find it so refreshing to be around my grandchildren.  It's their idealism mixed with innocence and craziness that attracts me and carries me back many years.  Also, I find i...

https://www.endoflifeblog.com/2014/08/forever-young-pete-seeger-at-91.html