The Way We Die Now

There is a myth perpetuated by Hollywood and other parts of the media, of nonviolent death as one of pristine closure and calm for all. The scene is usually in a bedroom with the dying person, propped up on luxurious pillows, looking rosy cheeked and well made up, with a perfect hairdo. The person is surrounded by all their loved ones who hang on their final words, which are delivered, if somewhat breathily, with authority and confidence. After suitable last words that will be remembered forever, the person takes one last strong breath (as if heading underwater) and lets it out as their head lies back gently on their pillows. The visage in death is that of a person sleeping, eyes and mouth closed, serene in composure, regal in final bearing. Seamus O’Mahony spends his entire book dispelling this myth by describing, sometimes in excruciating detail, the death that most of us will likely experience. Right off the mark the author describes the lonely, sterile, hospital death that most people face, despite wishing for that Hollywood ideal of the “good death.” This gastrointestinal specialist spends a good deal of the book describing the reality of most deaths and explains why we have little control over how we die, at least down to minute details. He also covers the societal and medical system aspects of care that often lead to rather unpleasant deaths for many people. The book is an incredibly interesting read because the author is frank in his assessment of the medical system today and the impacts on how we die in this world of highly technical medical interventions. A significant part of the book describes the medical advances that have complicated everything from a person’s ability to choose their death, to the very definition of death by medical experts. O’Mahony lays a lot of the blame on the medical establishment and its view that death must be delayed, and even defeated, at any cost. The book also covers a lot of the recent legal issues around dying, the right to refuse treatment, and assisted suicide. One learns that death, in our modern world, has become extremely complex and far afield from the comfort and simplicity of the Victorian Age and Middle Ages when death was accepted as a part of life. O’Mahony explores many thinkers’ opinions regarding death, but he is also quick to say whether he agrees or not and why. At the heart of this book is how the author, a medical doctor, views death in our modern society. He is incisive and sometime harsh in his assessment. But, he is also compassionate and steadfast in his desire to see change through greater awareness.