Table of Contents
Preface ix
1 The Vital Box 1
2 Becoming an Invalid 12
3 Awareness of Evanescence 21
4 Why Don't We Move to Assisted Living? 28
5 Retirement: The Precise Moment of Decision 35
6 Setbacks and Renewed Hopes 41
7 Staring at the Sun, Once Again 50
8 Whose Death Is This Anyway? 63
9 Facing Endings 67
10 Considering Physician-Assisted Suicide 73
11 A Tense Countdown to Thursday 79
12 A Complete Surprise 87
13 So Now You Know 92
14 Death Sentence 100
15 Farewell to Chemotherapy-and to Hope 106
16 From Palliative Care to Hospice 109
17 Hospice Care 120
18 A Soothing Illusion 124
19 French Books 127
20 The End Approaches 132
21 Death Arrives 137
22 The After-Death Experience 142
We Will Remember 149
23 Life as an Independent, Separate Adult 158
24 Home Alone 166
25 Sex and Grief 169
26 Unreality 174
27 Numbness 180
28 Help from Schopenhauer 184
29 Denial Revealed 190
30 Stepping Out 193
31 Indecisiveness 199
32 On Reading My Own Work 202
33 Seven Advanced Lessons in the Therapy of Grief 207
34 My Education Continues 211
35 Dear Marilyn 215