Book Title: Live Happily, Die Happily: A Modern Physician's Guide to Choosing a Good Death and Refusing Life-Prolonging Care

Book Description:

Medicine merely keeps people from dying, but it doesn't necessarily bring health and happiness—the cruel truth hidden beneath longevity statistics!

Advances in medicine have fulfilled humanity's dream of longevity. In Japan, the world's longest-living nation, the average life expectancy has reached 84 years, while in Taiwan, it is nearing 80. But did you know? Among Japan's 50,000 centenarians, up to 65% are bedridden. In Taiwan, people spend an average of over six years unable to care for themselves, relying entirely on others. Is this the longevity we truly desire?

Medicine merely keeps people from dying, but it doesn't guarantee happiness!

What price are we willing to pay to live just a few days longer? Most modern people endure the torture of life-prolonging treatments simply to eke out a few more days, only to leave this world in pain and regret. Dr. Akira Kawashima, who has treated countless terminal cancer patients, profoundly realized after witnessing the absurdities and contradictions of modern medicine: it sometimes merely keeps people from dying without making them healthy or happy. Consequently, over a decade ago, he began practicing "integrative medicine" and compiled his clinical experiences and insights into this book, hoping to help everyone in this super-aged society live and die happily.

Only by contemplating death can we achieve a "healthy life expectancy"!

To realize the wish of a "fully happy life," one must first "set a personal lifespan goal" and consider what needs to be accomplished before the end comes. By designating one day each year as a "Day of Contemplating Death," subtle changes occur in our lives. We begin to think not only about our "healthy life expectancy" but also about the "Quality of Death" (QOD). This provides greater motivation to fulfill our goals and improve our quality of life.

Refuse inappropriate life-prolonging treatment to enhance the "Quality of Death"!

Secondly, one must be an informed patient and choose their own treatment rather than blindly following a doctor's orders. Modern people are accustomed to fully handing over their health decisions to doctors. However, Western medicine cannot cure diseases of unknown origin, and health check numbers can sometimes be misleading. Therefore, we must cultivate the concept that "our health is our own responsibility" and learn to be the masters of our own bodies. When life hangs in the balance, whether to receive life-prolonging treatment should be our own choice. From a professional physician's perspective, the author teaches readers how to refuse life-prolonging treatments to improve their QOD. He provides an in-depth analysis of common life-prolonging interventions—such as CPR, gastrostomy (feeding tubes), ventilators, and dialysis—weighing their pros, cons, and potential complications.

Decide on end-of-life care in advance to walk toward a regret-free life!

Maintaining a healthy life expectancy in our daily lives naturally lays the foundation for a good death. Yet, to attain a life free of regrets, we must properly arrange our end-of-life plans, making advanced decisions regarding inheritance and funeral arrangements. When we prepare for death, we not only cherish every single day we are alive but can also walk the final stretch of life's journey with peace of mind and ease.

About the Authors:

Author: Akira Kawashima

Translator: Lin Ya-Hui

• Born in Tokyo in 1957.

• Director and Associate Professor at the Aoyama Natural Medicine Research Institute Clinic, Tokyo Women's Medical University; M.D. and Ph.D. He also serves as a Director of the Japanese Society for Integrative Medicine and a Board Member of the Japan Society of Anti-Aging Medicine.

• After graduating from the School of Medicine at Hokkaido University, he worked at the Graduate School of Medicine at Tokyo Women's Medical University and at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School.

• Expert in Eastern medicine; his clinic integrates various alternative therapies through an integrative medicine approach.

• A nephrologist specializing in kidney disease, collagen disease, and hypertension.

• Graduated from the Department of Japanese at Fu Jen Catholic University. A veteran Japanese-to-Chinese translator with a wide range of translated works.

• Her translated works include medical and health books such as The Latest Therapies for Total Blood Sugar Control, Eat Right to Eliminate Body Odor!, and The Miracle Longevity and Health Exercises.