In June 2000 Peter Houghton, a counsellor in palliative care, was himself weeks from death due to cardiomyopathy. He had made his preparations and had said most of his good-byes. Then he was offered the chance to participate in a clinical trial. Six months later he was not only still alive, but planning a long distance walk for charity and writing this book about his experiences. With humour and honesty, his story chronicles the uneven path back from the brink of death. Combining knowledge drawn from his counseling work with other dying people and his unique personal experience, he describes what dying really feels like and explains the physical processes it involves. He also raises profound questions about medical trials and palliative care, and especially about our attitudes to life and death, and the way we approach death. from the publisher's website Table of Contents Preface. 1. My Own Story. 2. The physical process of dying. 3. The last days and death itself. 4. How Dying People Feel about Death and Dying. 5. Thoughts about life, death and dying. 6. The patient and the clinical trial. 7. Wider implications and the future. Appendix 1: Patient Care - The physician's role, Adrian Banning. Appendix 2. The Operation, Steve Westaby. Glossary of Medical Terms. Index. |