Death isn’t a happy subject, thus many physicians avoid giving their patients a realistic look at a current diagnosis. Conversations are often filled with the hope of treatment and the possibilities of success, often robbing an individual of any remaining quality of life and the ability to plan for their own end of life decisions. We exist in a health care system where physicians receive money for treating patients — not for allowing them to decline treatment. It’s time we all started being our own advocates for quality of life versus lifesaving treatments that only offer pain and suffering.
