In her book, Bookends, Dr. Susan Boron explores the powerfully human aspects of caring for people at both ends of their lives.
She shows how expertise in one area of care easily transfers to the other, increasing confidence and improving care and satisfaction for practitioner and patient alike.
Toko●thanat●ology (n): The theoretical study of the parallels between birth and death, especially in medical care.
What do birth and death have in common? They both represent times of profound change, when patients and their families need emotional support and empathy from their caregivers—things they don’t teach in medical school.
The practical skills and knowledge required to provide care in obstetrics and palliative care are essential.But dealing with the deeper meaning, the human connection, is equally important. The very nature of these events encourages the caregiver to walk alongside the patient, to assist rather than control.
Reader Review
“My mother was dying. I sat beside her hospital bed, knowing it was for the last time. A young nurse came to say goodbye. She was going on maternity leave and my mom had been a favourite patient. Mom looked up. Slowly and with difficulty, she placed a trembling hand on her swelling tummy and said, ‘One comes in and one goes out.’ At an unsettling time for all of us, it was a warm, enchanting moment. It was also the truth. As one of us leaves the planet, we make space for the next arrival: a time for emotion, celebration, and profound change. Susan Boron has studied the many similarities in this wondrous cycle. Through both clinical and personal observation, she takes the reader through the trauma of goodbye and the thrill of hello with kindness and candour. For health professionals and the rest of us as well, Bookends is a well-researched, thought-provoking and comforting read.
I have known Susan’s family for many years. I will be forever grateful to Susan’s dad, Dr. Murray Enkin, for helping me begin my own career. Murray died recently. We celebrated his rich life as best we could, uplifted in knowing that he changed obstetrics forever and created opportunities for others who now take his place. The cycle continues. One comes in and one goes out….and each event is a miracle.”
Lynn Johnston, author of For Better For Worse (the cartoon series)