| Summary: |
In this deeply personal memoir, passionate advocate for end-of-life care Hadley Vlahos shares moving stories of joy, wisdom, and redemption from her patients' final moments. Talking about death and dying is considered taboo in polite company, and even in the medical field. Our ideas about dying are confusing at best: Will our memories flash before our eyes? Will regrets consume our thoughts? Does a bright light appear at the end of a tunnel? For most people, dying will be a slower process, one that can be eased with preparedness, good humor, and a bit of faith. At the forefront of changing attitudes around palliative care is hospice nurse Hadley Vlahos, who shows here that end-of-life care can teach us just as much about how to live as it does about how we die. Vlahos was raised in a strict religious household, but began questioning her beliefs when she was still in high school, after the sudden death of a friend. Pregnant at nineteen and shunned by her community, Vlahos enrolled in nursing school to be able to support herself and her baby. But nursing soon became more than a job: When she focused on palliative care and hospice work, it became a calling. In The In-Between, Vlahos recounts the most impactful experiences she's had with the people she's worked with - from the woman who never once questioned her faith until she was close to death, to the older man seeing visions of his late daughter, to the young patient who laments that she spent too much of her short life worrying about what others thought of her - while also sharing her own fascinating journey. Written with profound insight, humility, and respect, The In-Between is a heartrending memoir that shows how caring for others can transform a life while also offering wisdom and comfort for those dealing with loss and providing inspiration for how to live now. -- |
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