Should be required reading for all healthcare professionals.

This book merges a very personal and heartfelt story of the terminal illness and ultimate passing of a beloved father whose wife and three daughters adored him, with the larger and more unsettling story of a severely dysfunctional U.S. healthcare system, outlining the myriad of ways in which it fails to serve patients or physicians in important ways The book offers many concrete suggestions to guide families who are faced with similar circumstances, although the solutions are not simple or obvious, on any level. As a physician at the end of my career, I feel that this book is a “must read” for any training healthcare provider.

Moving and informative personal story!

I was very struck by the transparency and vulnerability of the author as she relayed the story of her father’s life and death in this book and the subsequent impact on her and her family. There is much the reader can learn from the hardships and struggles they endured dealing with a terminal cancer diagnosis. It is a very moving and ultimately informative read.

Losing a father to cancer.

This is a beautifully written true story of a family who must face the knowledge that they are about to lose their beloved patriarch — a husband, father, grandfather, and revered physician who knew an amazing life. It will be sudden for them and fractures a cherished bond that two sisters shared, and the reader finishes the book with the hope the girls will find a way to reunite. The author is well versed and well educated in the health care field and gives us a stunning insight into what one can expect in a hospital bed. Shiella Dowlatshahi walks us through her research vividly detailing hospital and insurance practices. A must read.

Healthcare and End of Life decisions – A personal journey by the author.

This is a well written, personal, and thought-provoking book about families and healthcare when making critical medical decisions. I was immediately drawn into the story of Shiella’s family history and culture and how their lives had been shaped by the Iran Islamic revolution and her father’s desire to be a physician.

Now at the end of her father’s life journey, the family had to reconcile that he was the patient not the caregiver and subsequently take on difficult decisions that tested the family’s relationships. Shiella’s honest portrayal will resonate with everyone that has gone through end-of-life decisions with their own families.

The other important story told in this book is how the corporatization of healthcare is not beneficial or very humane for most patients. The importance of having a patient advocate, whether it’s a family member or an outside consultant, cannot be overstated.

A compelling family story and cautionary tale.

The author shares an intimate family story of how different members respond to the terminal diagnosis of their beloved husband and father. He, a talented, compassionate doctor, now patient, faces the sometimes harsh and inconsistent end-of-life care, meted out by our modern medical industry.

The family story of growing up in Iran and being driven out by the Islamic Revolution is deftly interwoven. The book concludes with practical advice for all who will face end-of-life decision making.

A vulnerable story with much to learn from.

The author shares her vulnerable story, the heartbreaking reality that is losing her father to a terminal illness, and what she learns along the way. This sheds light on everything from the importance of having tough conversations with loved ones about end-of-life decisions, how to advocate for them, and the many holes in the healthcare system. I will recommend this to friends and family.