The Final Say

Trudy James was a death and dying expert, a dynamic and articulate speaker and--a close friend of Debra's.  But when facing her own death, Trudy didn't have much to say and Debra found it very difficult to interview her. But the experience was not without some insights about facing death and learning some things about every day life. 

All of us are on a train ride to death. Some of us are on the milk run which makes the trip pretty long.  Some of us are on an express run which shortens things a bit. And then there are those of us, like Julie Davis, who found herself on a bullet train. Here's how she's handling the ride. 

When he was kid, everyone thought Frank Marchand would go straight to jail as an adult. But things didn't turn out the way everyone expected--or the way Frank expected. 

Flamenco guitarist Ben Phipps explains how he finds meaning, purpose and joy in his life; the support of his family and friends and why he chose not to continue chemo for his brain cancer.

Debra was rattled at the unexpected death of her last guest. In this episode, she talks about why. 

Even people who work in the field of dying and death have a hard time talking about their own deaths. But Dr. Mark Goulston has found talking about it and being emotionally vulnerable has set him free. 

What to say and how to keep meaning and purpose in your life? Here's what matters: Just show up.  Bill Gardner has some wise thoughts on those challenges. 

Juliana Fodera has died twenty-one times. She tells us how she navigated those trips and we might experience. Her biggest piece of advice? "Stay curious!"

Cheryl Hauser watched her brother struggle with Alzheimer's. When she was diagnosed herself, she made the decision to voluntarily stop eating and drinking (VSED) when she no longer could enjoy life. 

Even though he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at age 76, Don Mallet felt that he was lucky and grateful to have made it to old age. Glass half empty or half full? Feed the Good Wolf or the Evil Wolf? Don tells us how he does it. 

Harlan was shocked to discover that his life-threatening illness brought him more joy than he could have imagined. Here's how he found it. 

Diane struggled with MSA for four years until she used the Death with Dignity law. She was excited about her "Lift Off" and was well-prepared for soaring out of her body. 

Bill Bailey tells a story of misunderstood last words; being scared to death and being scared by death. Also, how we can almost guarantee that will people speak kindly about us after we die.  

Genko Blackman, a Zen Buddhist priest, talks about inhabiting your life and what we can offer people facing death. Also, the Buddhist perspective on dying and death. 

What we experience today might be a memory we recall over and over in days to come. Bob talks about one that is precious to him. 

Susan Tower decided to "live like she's dying" since she was. Here's how she did it. 

Who gets to decide on a final visit? The dying person or the visitor? Hal Pelton made it very clear. 

An introduction to The Final Say: Conversations with People Facing Death. Different views from  different people.  Talking about facing death can help us understand how to face life!