The Unintended Consequences of Seeking Immortality

We have become a society that treats death as a medical problem rather than a natural ending to a mortal body. The treatment for death is never successful, for in fact, death is one-hundred percent fatal. But this simple truth does not keep us from trying. 

In our attempt to rescue the dying from death we often subject the patient to uncomfortable and sometimes tortuous instruments of “new and improved” modern instruments of medicine. 

Patients and families find themselves on a train gathering speed upon medical system tracks expecting to be delivered to some destination other than death. They huddle close with hopeful thoughts failing to notice the suffering of their fellow passengers or even their own. That is, until the train derails, and it always derails. 

Sometimes, we must rescue the dying from medicine. As a physician caring for patients for over thirty years, I became more aware of this nuanced role we must navigate with the dying and those who love them. We must carefully consider the weapons we use to fight death. Because we can, does not mean we should. The consequences are significant for the patient, their families, and ultimately, society. 

The High Cost of a Bad Death

There’s an uncomfortable truth most of us would rather not face, dying is expensive. Not just financially, though that’s a serious issue, but emotionally, spiritually, and physically. Without a plan, without a clear voice guiding those final decisions, many patients end up in sterile hospital rooms, subjected to medical interventions that do little more than extend suffering and leave families with extraordinary financial burdens.  

Clinicians should discuss with patients about completing an advance care plan (ACP). As patients and families, we should inquire about it if they don’t. We don’t have to be sick, or frail, or older to need an ACP, we just need to be breathing. 

Planning for the end-of-life is not about giving up. It’s about ensuring that our last days reflect what truly matters to us. It’s about knowing that we can shape the way we leave this world — with dignity, with clarity, and without burdening our loved ones with choices they shouldn’t have to make alone and debts they may never be able to repay.  

Dying in America is an expensive process. In the final year of life, medical costs skyrocket, averaging around $80,000 per patient. This crescendo of medical care is often the exclamation mark on healthcare costs that occur as we live longer than most of us expected. 

But here’s the hard truth: much of the financial and emotional burdens are avoidable. With clear end-of-life planning, patients can prepare for the life they want in their final chapters.  They can spare their families the agonizing decision of whether to authorize another round of chemotherapy, another surgery, or another resuscitation attempt that may bring back a heartbeat but not true life.  

A Plan Becomes a Gift for Those We Love

Advance care planning is one of the greatest gifts we can give our loved ones. It’s our autonomous voice speaking when we no longer can. It is the roadmap for doctors, family members, and caregivers to implement our wishes. It includes the components of a living will and choosing a healthcare proxy. I prefer to use the Five Wishes, often referred to as the plan with a heart and soul. Each wish addresses a practical or a meaningful desire for our end-of-life care. 

Do we want every possible treatment, or do we want to prioritize comfort and time with family? Do we want to die at home, surrounded by familiar voices and prayers, or in a hospital room full of machines?  What do we want our families to know about what we believe? All of these can be answered in this document. 

Studies reveal that people who engage in advance care planning are more likely to receive the kind of care they want. They are less likely to die in the ICU, less likely to undergo aggressive, unnecessary treatments, and more likely to enter hospice care when it’s appropriate.  

Death Has Lost Its Sting

As Christians, we should be the ones most prepared for death — not because we desire it, but because we know it’s not the end. If we truly believe in the hope of heaven, why wouldn’t we plan for our departure from this world with the same intentionality that we plan for our careers, our retirements, or even our vacations? 

We can live anticipating heaven and view death as a mere door we pass through to enter the eternity we are promised. 

“Christ overcame death by sharing flesh and blood, destroying the power of death, and freeing those who were held in slavery by the fear of death.” (Hebrews 2:14-15)

As a physician at the bedside of one preparing to enter that door, I have witnessed many beautiful sacred moments before the final goodbye sigh. I pray that as I go, I speak the words of the first Christian martyr, Stephen:

“Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” (Acts 7:56)

We Have a Choice

Living with the end in mind and planning accordingly ensures that the care we receive aligns with our beliefs and values. We are less likely to leave financial burdens to those we leave behind and more likely to leave the legacy we desire. It protects us from interventions that strip away dignity and peace when we and those we love need it most. We can’t choose the number of our days, but we can choose where we live them.