Last Word

Death is the only certainty we have in this life. This reality is not depressing; it is just a fact. We learn more about the end of life's cycle, make decisions as the book suggests, and continue to live fully. You do not have to think about it all the time. You just have to prepare; which will guarantee the care and treatments we want to receive when we are close to the end of life. Our family should only honor our decisions, not to decide for us. My life is my most valuable asset; therefore the Last Word in regards to the end of my life, must be mine. The book helps the reader to open their eyes and value time, life, be grateful. After all, we have one chance to live this journey in the best way, with fullness. The decision for palliative care does not mean that the patient has a defined destination. It is an option for people who are diagnosed with a serious chronic illness and a treatment focused on the quality of life of the patient and their family members through the prevention and relief of suffering. To write the book, I appealed to situations I experienced - thinking about my patients and what was important to them at that moment. So the ideas came up and I was selecting the stories to exemplify the themes that I think are important. The idea of registering these cases arose from a recurrent reality in the nurse's routine: often the patient did not have the cognitive conditions to decide which course to take because his physical situation was extremely compromised. The decision-making responsibility about the end of life and treatment possibilities lies with the weakened and emotionally stressed family with the avalanche of bad news. The book proposes to avoid situations like this, so that it is possible to think and decide on the subject while still healthy.