Pneumonia kills millions every year, often because people wait too long to get help. We talk about why denial can be deadly, how to spot the warning signs early, and what you can do to protect yourself and the people you love.
In This Episode:
- 01:40 – Avoiding Falls – Kiss Guitarist Ace Frehley Had Fatal Fall in His Home
- 03:49 – Road Trip to Wyoming and Cowboy Cookies
- 04:43 – Diane Keaton, Died From Pneumonia, Produced a Documentary Called “Heaven”
- 13:36 – Pneumonia-the Silent Global Killer
- 17:01 – What Exactly is Pneumonia?
- 21:05 – How to Avoid a Premature Death from Pneumonia
- 26:00 – When Is It Time to Seek Help for Possible Pneumonia?
- 27:02 – Pneumonia Summary
- 29:03 – Ticus Poetry from his book WHAT’S LEFT OF ME: Poems of a dead soul
- 30:03 – Outro
Related Episodes:
- S5E27: Preventable Death – Learn the Factors to Better Your Odds
- S5E23: Slow Ride…Taking the Longer Road to Death
References:
- Diane Keaton’s Only Documentary Was About the Afterlife – The New York Times
- WHAT’S LEFT OF ME: Poems of a dead soul: Poetry, Ticus: 9798300150860: Amazon.com: Books
- Bacterial Pneumonia | Treatment & Management | Point of Care
- Typical Bacterial Pneumonia – StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf
- Pneumococcal Vaccine – StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf
Resources:
- What Is Pneumonia & Who Is at Risk? | American Lung Association
- Pneumococcal Vaccination | Pneumococcal | CDC
- Pneumococcal Disease in Adults and Vaccines to Prevent It | Pneumococcal | CDC
Diane Keaton’s Only Documentary: Heaven
The Oscar-winning actress Diane Keaton died on October 11, 2025, at age 79 from pneumonia caused by a bacterial infection of the lungs.
In addition to acting, producing, writing, and a passionate renovator of unique homes, she also directed, including a documentary in 1987 called Heaven, in which people discuss their afterlife beliefs in filmed interviews with unusual backgrounds, mixed with classic movie scenes and stock footage. See an interview with Letterman just before its release below.
Charlie read several segments from Heaven.
Avoiding Falls
Ace Frehley, the founding lead guitarist and a founding member of KISS had a tragic fall in his home studio in late September 2025. He suffered a brain bleed from the fall which led him to being placed on a ventilator; his family eventually decided to take him off life support and he died in October 16, 2025 at age 74.
Charlie shared this as a good reminder to safeguard our homes from falls. We talked about what you can do in S5E34: How to Avoid Falls, the Leading Cause of Death for Older Adults.
Recipe of the Week
We take a road trip to Wyoming this week, and while taking a trail ride had to nibble on these killer Cowboy Cookies. Head to Cooking and Beer for the recipe.
https://blog.feedspot.com/palliative_care_podcasts/
Everyone Dies: and yes, it is normal!
Everyone Dies (and yes, it is normal) is a story about a young boy named Jax who finds something special on the beach where he and his grandpa Pops are enjoying a wonderful day. Pops helps Jax understand that death is a normal part of life. This book provides an age appropriate, non-scary, comfortable way to introduce the important topic of mortality to a preschool child. Its simple explanation will last a lifetime. Autographed copies for sale at: www.everyonediesthebook.com. Also available at Amazon
Mourning Jewelry
We offer a way to memorialize your loved one or treasured pet with a piece of handmade jewelry. When people comment on it and the wearer can say for example “I received this when my mother died” which opens the conversation about this loss. All our jewelry is made with semi-precious stones and beads, vintage beads, and pearls. You can choose between earrings or bracelets and the color family. Learn More
