A Life Worth Living or Testosterone Syndrome

A Life Worth Living: A Doctor's Reflections on Illness in a High-Tech Era

Author: Robert Martensen

Critical illness is a fact of life. Even those of us who enjoy decades of good health are touched by it eventually, either in our own lives or in those of our loved ones. And when this happens, we grapple with serious and often confusing choices about how best to live with our afflictions.  A Life Worth Living is a book for people facing these difficult decisions. Robert Martensen, a physician, historian, and ethicist, draws on decades of experience with patients and friends to explore the life cycle of serious illness, from diagnosis to end of life. He connects personal stories with reflections upon mortality, human agency, and the value of “cutting-edge” technology in caring for the critically ill. Timely questions emerge: To what extent should efforts to extend human life be made? What is the value of nontraditional medical treatment? How has the American health-care system affected treatment of the critically ill? And finally, what are our doctors’ responsibilities to us as patients, and where do those responsibilities end? Using poignant case studies, Martensen demonstrates how we and our loved ones can maintain dignity and resilience in the face of life’s most daunting circumstances.

Publishers Weekly

A physician, medical historian and bioethicist, Martensen pulls no punches: beyond the marvels of modern medical technology "lies a treacherous morass of ethical, moral and spiritual dilemmas most of us are not ready to even consider: whether to opt for aggressive treatments, when to stop them, and how to die "well." Too often the choice of aggressive treatment and heroic measures becomes an extended "death by intensive care"' in grim hospital units designed more like prisons than places of healing. Thoughtful and compassionate, Martensen narrates poignant case studies, such as that of Marguerite, who undergoes ineffective surgeries and drug trials for advanced breast cancer but has debilitating side effects. The author lays blame across the board, from patients with unrealistic expectations and doctors who don't explain treatment options fully, from profit-driven hospitals to an insurance bureaucracy that spurns routine health maintenance. Martensen makes his case with clear, compelling writing that never flinches from his conclusion that some things you just can't "win the battle against"; you can only hope for quality of life until the end. (Sept.)

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Dana Ladd - Library Journal

Martensen (The Brain Takes Shape: An Early History), a physician, medical historian, and medical ethicist, reflects upon how patients confront illness in a time when so many treatment choices are available, incorporating stories of real patients he has encountered. He discusses one patient with advanced breast cancer who chooses aggressive treatment and lives her final time with harsh side effects, while another patient with advanced cancer chooses a less aggressive approach, "freeing himself" from the medical system and focusing on quality of life at the end. While Martensen does not prescribe an approach, his reflections on experiences show readers that a combination of high expectations from patients, new high-tech medical technology, and a lack of communication with doctors can lead to patients believing that they can win a battle with an advanced disease with aggressive treatment; yet, they may be sacrificing a higher quality of life in their last days. While this is a worthy read for anyone faced with a difficult diagnosis, the level of writing may be too complex for the average reader, making it inaccessible to some patients. Even so, recommended for most larger public libraries.

Interesting textbook: The Business Judgment Rule or Effective Safety and Health Training

Testosterone Syndrome: The Critical Factor for Energy, Health and Sexuality - Reversing the Male Menopause

Author: Eugene Shippen

Testosterone therapy can improve the overall health and feeling of well-being of aging men, improving sex drive, mental functions, and energy levels and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.--Library Journal

Table of Contents:

	Preface	vii
Chapter 1	A Menopause for Men	1
Chapter 2	Things That Happen to Real People	13
Chapter 3	Are You in the Gray Zone Yet?	21
Chapter 4	The Hormone Universe	29
Chapter 5	Estrogen--The Culprit	45
Chapter 6	The Key to Male Sexuality	59
Chapter 7	Testosterone and Your Heart	79
Chapter 8	The Complicated Prostate	97
Chapter 9	Men, Women, and Bone	115
Chapter 10	Testosterone and Women	135
Chapter 11	The Power of Growth Hormone	157
Chapter 12	Medical Testing	167
Chapter 13	Treatment Plan for Male Menopause	177
Chapter 14	Conclusion	201
Appendix 1	Nonhormonal Approaches to Sexual Dysfunction	205
Appendix 2	Kegel Exercises	209
Appendix 3	Drug/Hormone Interactions	211
	Notes	213
	Index	221