Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s medical correspondent, on the lessons he learned while writing his latest book:
At the same time, I came to learn how much we do know about ways we can chase life every day to live longer, healthier lives. I learned that most people don’t necessarily want to live longer, unless they are of sound mind and body, without terrible illness late in life, not confined to beds or wheelchairs. They want to live their lives like an
incandescent light bulb, burning brightly, until they suddenly go out. No flickering at the end.
The only thing in the above paragraph that offends me is the amateurish metaphor–it’s like something you would find in an Expos Writing 101 paper. Gupta’s lack of imagination when it comes to quality of life isn’t surprising; it probably typifies the attitudes of much of the medical community. And he fits right in at CNN, where this sort of facile, vapid commentary is de rigeur. If Gupta wants to believe that life in a wheelchair is too terrible to contemplate, he can go right ahead. I have the same reaction when I imagine being forced to read his book.
Living is about the mind not the body. I would be happy (as a mother) if I were only able to watch (or hear about) my children growing up.
My father has dementia and I think he would happily trade his failing mind for a wheelchair. Even so, there is enough of his life that he enjoys living that make his life very much worthwhile. Although he can no longer understand how to do the activities he used to enjoy, he still likes to tell stories (we help fill in the missing words) and loves to listen to music.
I would definitely not want that man as my Dr. He does not understand quality of life nor is he likely to help his patients transition from ability to disability well.