Americans have a tendency to fixate on what's commonly thought of of as "a good death" — a peaceful, quiet passing that looks like falling asleep. But physician Joel B. Zivot and medical philosopher Ira Bedzow are cautious about how this preoccupation can shield people from the reality of death. When they read a recent report in JAMA on using medication to eliminate the "death rattle" — a soft moan or gargling sound sometimes made by people when death is near — they knew they needed to write about the dangers of curating death for the witnesses rather than focusing on those who are dying. This culture extends to state executions, in which people often injected with paralytics when they put to death. That makes these deaths easier for the witnesses, but not for those being executed.

Episode 37: A physician and philosopher on the dangers of 'curating' natural deaths and executions

Drug shortages are a growing problem in the U.S., and a shortage of live-saving cancer drugs has reached crisis levels. Oncologist Kristen Rice explains that drug shortages have been happening for several years but have been getting progressively worse in the last few months. Oncologists are facing critical shortages of common, generic cancer medications and have even begun to ration care for certain patients who are able to delay treatment, according to Rice.

79: Cancer drug shortages should be causing more outrage

Physician and professor Jason Karlawish argues that new promising drugs like lecanemab, an anti-amyloid antibody expected to be approved by the FDA July 6, will introduce complicated issues into the field of Alzheimer's care. These medications require a great deal of testing and patient monitoring, trained physicians, and other resources in a system that is already stretched thin.

80: Is the medical system ready for Alzheimer's drugs that work?

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a devastating disease and, until very recently, was one without much hope. When Hawken Miller was diagnosed at age 5, the physician told his parents to enjoy the time they had with him, as there wouldn't be much. Over 20 years later, Miller is a journalist and content strategist for CureDuchenne, an organization started by his mother when he was diagnosed, and new treatment is on the horizon. Last month, the FDA approved a new gene therapy from Sarepta Therapeutics that will provide hope for many patients and families. The new drug, however, has its limitations — it's only approved for children age 4-5, for example. Miller joined the podcast to discuss how this drug may change lives, what more needs to happen, and what his personal experience has been living with Duchenne.

81: One Duchenne patient's bittersweet hope for new treatment

"You can't pour from an empty cup" is what registered nurse Tara Rynders learned the hard way after two decades of work and one heartbreaking, life-threatening experience of being a critical care patient herself. Before that experience, she'd always found found that dance, play, and other types of movement helped her express and heal from the trauma she encountered and held in her body every day. After recovering from her experience as a patient, she brought that to several other nurses in a workshop.

82: How dance helped one nurse heal from trauma, and help others

Stephanie W. Edmonds and Ginny L. Ryan are both doctors. Edmonds, a registered nurse, has a Ph.D., while Ryan is a traditional M.D. But as part of a fight over “scope creep” in health care, many medical doctors might bristle at the idea of calling Edmonds “doctor.” In the last episode of the season, Edmonds and Ryan speak about the health care hierarchy, why calling health care workers by their first names might help patients, the tendency for physicians to mock "noctors," and much more.

83: Why physicians should let patients call them by their first names

From our colleagues at Globe Opinion comes a new podcast: Say More. Say More, hosted by Globe columnist Shirley Leung, is all about exploring our backyard for the cultural trends, scientific discoveries, and breakthrough startups that are shaping the nation.

Introducing: Say More, from Globe Opinion

Physicians Alison Block and Nikki Zite knew what they were getting into when they became abortion providers early in their medical training. Family planning has long been a politicized, divisive area of medicine. And even though they knew that Roe v. Wade — the 1973 Supreme Court case that protected abortion access across the country — was being threatened, it still hit them hard when that ruling was actually overturned in June 2022.

84: How two abortion providers grapple with their post-Roe reality

We're popping into your feed on a Sunday because we wanted to share an episode of The Nocturnists: Post-Roe America. You may have already heard the First Opinion Podcast interview with Ali Block, an abortion provider and executive producer of The Nocturnists, and Nikki Zite, an OB/GYN in Tennessee. (If you haven't listened yet, please do!)

On this episode of The Nocturnists, you'll hear more from Nikki, Ali, and other doctors trying to navigate reproductive health landscape after the end of Roe.

Introducing: The Nocturnists: Post-Roe America

After physically debilitating cancer treatment, Laurie Brunner encountered another medical hurdle: She had developed lymphedema that required surgery, but her BMI was over the cutoff. To receive the necessary treatment, she would have to lose weight. I spoke with Laurie and her physician Jody Dushay about how the ongoing shortages of GLP-1 medications are creating logistical and medical problems. Our conversation was based on Jody’s recent First Opinion essay, “How the Wegovy shortage is making life impossible for my patients — and for me.”

85: How the Wegovy shortage is hurting one patient's health

Since the early days of the pandemic, long Covid has haunted us: Even a mild acute infection might leave you with life-altering consequences. While research suggests long Covid rates are falling, it still affects millions. But what if long Covid isn’t the right way to think about what those people are going through? This week, Torie spoke with Steven Phillips and Michelle A. Williams, authors of a recent First Opinion essay titled, “Long Covid is a new name for an old syndrome.” They discuss the history of post-infectious disease syndrome, what rethinking long Covid might mean for research, and the ways the health care system fails chronically ill patients.

86: Why long Covid might predate the pandemic

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Episode 37: A physician and philosopher on the dangers of 'curating' natural deaths and executions

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