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Assisted: A doctor's story of assisting death and embracing life
A transformative and compassionate memoir by a leading pioneer in medically assisted dying who began her career in the maternity ward and now helps patients who are suffering explore and then fulfill their end of life choices.
'A tender and truthful look at the idea whose time has assisted dying.' - Andrew Denton
'They speak of their love for each other, of the wonderful years they have shared, mentioning a few cherished memories. I am silent as I sit by their bedside, watching this love scene unfolding in front of me. It takes my breath away.'
What if you could decide, at the end of your life, exactly when and where your death would happen? What if instead of dying alone, in the middle of the night, in a hospital bed, you could be at home at a time of your choosing? You could decide who would be in the room with you, holding your hand, or embracing you as you left this earth. And what if a doctor could help ensure that your death was comfortable, peaceful, and dignified? This option is now available to what does it look like in practice?
Dr Stefanie Green shares the most intimate moments of her first year as a doctor delivering medically assisted dying. She recounts the courageous stories of her patients and the tender, funny and sometimes absurd and confronting details of how our last days can unfold. This is also the story of her transition from assisting births to assisting deaths, and how she sustains herself in order to be able to assist others.
For anyone who wants to understand what it might be like to have an assisted death, and for health professionals considering working in this area, Dr Green's account offers a precious insight.
'This compelling book describes the journey of a compassionate doctor as she provides end-of-life control to her suffering patients.' - Dr Rodney Syme, Urologist, former president of Dying with Dignity, Victoria
'A tender and truthful look at the idea whose time has assisted dying.' - Andrew Denton
'They speak of their love for each other, of the wonderful years they have shared, mentioning a few cherished memories. I am silent as I sit by their bedside, watching this love scene unfolding in front of me. It takes my breath away.'
What if you could decide, at the end of your life, exactly when and where your death would happen? What if instead of dying alone, in the middle of the night, in a hospital bed, you could be at home at a time of your choosing? You could decide who would be in the room with you, holding your hand, or embracing you as you left this earth. And what if a doctor could help ensure that your death was comfortable, peaceful, and dignified? This option is now available to what does it look like in practice?
Dr Stefanie Green shares the most intimate moments of her first year as a doctor delivering medically assisted dying. She recounts the courageous stories of her patients and the tender, funny and sometimes absurd and confronting details of how our last days can unfold. This is also the story of her transition from assisting births to assisting deaths, and how she sustains herself in order to be able to assist others.
For anyone who wants to understand what it might be like to have an assisted death, and for health professionals considering working in this area, Dr Green's account offers a precious insight.
'This compelling book describes the journey of a compassionate doctor as she provides end-of-life control to her suffering patients.' - Dr Rodney Syme, Urologist, former president of Dying with Dignity, Victoria
- GenresNonfiction
Kindle Edition
Published March 29, 2022
3 people are currently reading
54 people want to read
About the author
Stefanie Green
4 books28 followersDr. Stefanie Green spent 10 years in general practice and another 12 years working exclusively in maternity and newborn care before changing her focus in 2016 to medical assistance in dying (MAiD). Dr. Green is the co-founder and President of the Canadian Association of MAiD Assessors and Providers (CAMAP). She is a medical advisor to the BC Ministry of Health MAiD oversight committee, moderator of CAMAP’s national online community of practice, and has hosted several national conferences on the topic. Beyond her clinical practice, she frequently speaks about MAiD to a wide range of audiences locally, nationally and internationally. Dr. Green is clinical faculty at the University of British Columbia and the University of Victoria. She lives in Victoria, British Columbia with her family. This is Assisted Dying is her first book.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 4, 2022
Death is a universal experience. It does not discriminate, and it is something that will touch every life. It can be traumatic, harrowing, sad, peaceful for all involved. So what if you had an opportunity to decide, at the end of your life, when and where, and with whom could share the experience with you? In Canada, Dr Stefanie Green led the way in physician-administered assisted dying in Canada. She began her career bring life into the world, and now helps people to find their way through its last dignified moments.
After I finished this book, I sat for a while before writing this review and contemplated my life, and the decisions I would be able to make if I knew that the quality of life I once had could no longer be maintained. The whole idea about medical assisted dying is about life: what is meaningful to a person in how they wish to live. The whole idea of a “good death” – a peaceful one that ends suffering for the person and their loved ones, and one that maintains dignity. In “Assisted: A doctor's story of assisting death and embracing life: Dr Stefanie Green allows us to share those very intimate moments in an assisted death where she explores what each person is going through, their suffering and whether they understand what is happening, or will happen to them. . There are so many beautiful stories and accounts of the last hours of the lives of her patients. This insight we are provided with is precious, heart-warming and heartbreaking.
No doubt this book will open up many conversations and may be confronting and not be a topic for everyone, or one that everyone agrees with. However, it is a personal choice, as explained in this book, of the patients that Dr Green sees. It is about their right to live the way they want until the very end.
After I finished this book, I sat for a while before writing this review and contemplated my life, and the decisions I would be able to make if I knew that the quality of life I once had could no longer be maintained. The whole idea about medical assisted dying is about life: what is meaningful to a person in how they wish to live. The whole idea of a “good death” – a peaceful one that ends suffering for the person and their loved ones, and one that maintains dignity. In “Assisted: A doctor's story of assisting death and embracing life: Dr Stefanie Green allows us to share those very intimate moments in an assisted death where she explores what each person is going through, their suffering and whether they understand what is happening, or will happen to them. . There are so many beautiful stories and accounts of the last hours of the lives of her patients. This insight we are provided with is precious, heart-warming and heartbreaking.
No doubt this book will open up many conversations and may be confronting and not be a topic for everyone, or one that everyone agrees with. However, it is a personal choice, as explained in this book, of the patients that Dr Green sees. It is about their right to live the way they want until the very end.
April 11, 2024
5/5 - A beautifully written and emotional book on assisted death in Canada and around the world.
This book definitely hit home for me. It was incredibly moving to read about the courageous humans that are coming to the end of their lives and choose to take death into their own hands. I truly believe more research and education should be done into creating rules and regulations around assisted dying so more people have access to that option if they wish.
I think everyone has the right to die with dignity and autonomy.
This book definitely hit home for me. It was incredibly moving to read about the courageous humans that are coming to the end of their lives and choose to take death into their own hands. I truly believe more research and education should be done into creating rules and regulations around assisted dying so more people have access to that option if they wish.
I think everyone has the right to die with dignity and autonomy.
January 31, 2023
What a read!!
Kudos to Dr. Green for this heartfelt memoir. I have always been a fan of medical memoirs but this takes the cake. You cannot ever read this book without a few tears in you eyes.
The idea of dying a dignified death surrounded by your loved ones, having given a chance to say everything you have ever wanted and so much more, great job! When you initially have the idea of becoming a doctor, right from childhood or your teens (for most people) it is the concept that you get to save someone and help bring them back to life that is the most inspiring about it.
For Dr Green having been a maternity doctor for the first part of her career where she brought new life into the world,this was a complete turn of events. But the grace with which she has detailed every thing, her inner most worries, the feeling of her own family and those that she helps is just too amazing for words! At the end of the day after every event she comes back drained and still finds it in her to help more people all the while learning how to handle the delicate situations that comes with it.
This is a must read for everyone just to know that there are options that are available and that endless suffering need not be the case and that there isn't going to be a certificate for endurance at the end of it all.
Lovely read and thank you for sharing it all.
Kudos to Dr. Green for this heartfelt memoir. I have always been a fan of medical memoirs but this takes the cake. You cannot ever read this book without a few tears in you eyes.
The idea of dying a dignified death surrounded by your loved ones, having given a chance to say everything you have ever wanted and so much more, great job! When you initially have the idea of becoming a doctor, right from childhood or your teens (for most people) it is the concept that you get to save someone and help bring them back to life that is the most inspiring about it.
For Dr Green having been a maternity doctor for the first part of her career where she brought new life into the world,this was a complete turn of events. But the grace with which she has detailed every thing, her inner most worries, the feeling of her own family and those that she helps is just too amazing for words! At the end of the day after every event she comes back drained and still finds it in her to help more people all the while learning how to handle the delicate situations that comes with it.
This is a must read for everyone just to know that there are options that are available and that endless suffering need not be the case and that there isn't going to be a certificate for endurance at the end of it all.
Lovely read and thank you for sharing it all.
September 16, 2025
Courageous work and beautifully written memoir recounting encounters with patients in need and helping them to end their suffering protecting their dignity. Farewelling family & friends the way they like when they can. Great reaf
March 12, 2023
If you can read this and not have a few (ok, a lot) of years, are you even human? Very eye opening and human. Well worth a read if you need a life affirming nudge.
November 24, 2024
Important book about an important topic.
January 2, 2025
Thoroughly enjoyed this book! I learnt a lot from Dr Green through her stories and experiences.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews