Illness, as a theme in phenomenology

Serious, life changing illness is a significant part of human life, and hence an important theme for phenomenology. Life-changing illness is, currently, unavoidable and only partially treatable; nearly all humans die of it. Most of us are, were, or will become ill during our life. For most of us, serious illness heralds the end of life and eventually, inevitably yet unpredictably propels us toward our individual, idiosyncratic, personally delivered death. It is thus an unassailable condition of human life and as such merits philosophical attention and phenomenological study. However, the relationship between phenomenology and illness is bilateral. Not only is phenomenology an essential method for studying the experience of illness, but illness is a useful phenomenological tool.