Exit Strategies: Living Lessons from Dying People

A palliative care doctor’s surprising and heartwarming guide to dying well and living better.

End of life still has life in it. Tackle the difficult conversations with humor, understanding, and candor in this one-of-a-kind guide to end-of-life care.

From a cancer patient prioritizing their last sip of orange soda to surprising sexual innuendos from the dying, Exit Strategies shines a compassionate and hilarious light on end-of-life care and what we can learn from the dying. In the face of the difficult discussions loved ones and patients often avoid, seasoned hospice and palliative care expert Dr. Cynthia X. Pan shares a new perspective on the experiences that make us human.

Part practical guide, part heartwarming stories of wisdom, growth, and freedom, Exit Strategies equips readers with the lessons and tools to make end-of-life decisions with confidence and care. Covering topics from cultural customs, music, and the comfort of food, to understanding advanced directives and how to have the tough conversations, in this book you’ll find the light in what may seem to be the darkest times.

Discover:

• Intimate stories of patients facing end-of-life care, revealing how they found meaning, humor, and opportunities to help others even in their final days.
• Practical strategies for having difficult conversations about advance directives and final wishes with family members.
• An insider’s perspective of hospice care, including avenues for at-home care and the range of care options available.
• How to maintain dignity and quality of life during serious or terminal illness, including approaches to pain management, family meetings, sexuality, and spirituality that may surprise you.
• Eye-opening insights into how patients and families can reframe their end-of-life journey, including “live funerals,” creating personalized end-of-life celebrations, and ways to leave a legacy.

Exit Strategies is a road map for facing mortality with courage. Whether you’re a patient, caregiver, doctor, or nurse, Dr. Pan’s wisdom will help you approach end-of-life issues with greater peace of mind and an understanding that you’re not alone. Empower yourself to live fully, even when facing life’s final chapter.

Dr. Cynthia X. Pan is an expert in hospice and palliative care with decades of experience. As a Chinese American doctor who grew up in Latin America and now practices in Queens, New York, she brings a unique multicultural perspective to end-of-life care. Dr. Pan is a medical education leader who teaches healthcare professionals and advocates for patient-centered care, with family inclusion. She combines medical expertise with compassion and humor to help patients and families navigate difficult situations. A mother of two, Dr. Pan's personal experience with COVID-19 has deepened her understanding of serious illness from a patient's perspective.