Last week I had my own little cancer scare; today a man comes in with the genuine article: cancer of the bladder. He was full of praise for my prompt referral.
"You've saved my life, doc!" he effused.
Of course I have done no such thing; indeed, he is currently in the deepest trouble imaginable. The urological surgeons removed the tumour from his bladder as best they could, and told him it had not extended beyond the bladder wall, but they are not so confident in themselves that they have not ordered a comprehensive array of chemotherapy for him, which currently is rendering him as sick as a dog.
"All this discomfort is guaranteeing you a longer life" I lie. The truth is much more grim. He stands a less than 50% chance of living for the next 5 years, which is code for no chance. But he's still clinging doggedly to life at present, and we'll all do our best to extend it as far as possible. And I will continue to be light on the facts, so as to preserve his morale. Once people lose hope they tend to
die quickly...
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