FHC #117: The Young and the Breathless

Bubbly and precocious, Hunter was every parent’s dream child and every teacher’s ideal student. By age 14, she had already enrolled in classes at a local college to augment her course schedule. She played soccer, softball, basketball and ran track in high school. She was on the swim team. She even tried cheerleading, though that wasn’t her cup of tea, said Maria, Hunter’s mom. Maria describes her daughter with words like “amazing” and “beautiful” and “unstoppable.” But to truly appreciate the power of this mother-daughter duo, you have to understand what the two of them went through together. Theirs is a story of medical trials and tribulations, of heartbreaking diagnoses and difficult medical decisions. Their story challenges both conventional wisdom and the doctor-patient relationship. In today’s episode, Dr. Robert Pearl’s reads a chapter from his critically acclaimed book, “Uncaring: How the Culture of Medicine Kills Doctors & Patients.” All profits from sales of the book go to Doctors Without Borders. This episode is part of season nine of Fixing Healthcare, which tackles the difficult topic of death, examining end-of-life issues from multiple angles. Tune in and join the conversation on social media. You can also learn more about this topic and the book of Uncaring via the links below. HELPFUL LINKS Kirkus starred review: ‘Uncaring’ (Kirkus Reviews) Learn more about the book ‘Uncaring’ (RobertPearlMD.com) Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (Robert Pearl’s newsletter) * * * Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of a book about medicine’s invisible yet highly influential physician culture. Check out “Uncaring: How Physician Culture Is Killing Doctors & Patients.” All profits from the book go to Doctors Without Borders. Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn. The post FHC #117: The Young and the Breathless appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.