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How long do I have to live, doc?
When a terminal cancer patient asks about her prognosis, the answer is a balance between clarity and compassion.
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Focus on what you can control, says the writer. No one can fully control the biology of cancer, but we can control how we live our days.
PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO
Valerie Shiwen Yang
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Mrs A, a 32-year-old woman with Stage IV uterine cancer, waited till her husband left my consultation room to take their three-year-old daughter to the restroom.
She then gingerly asked me: “How long do I have to live, Dr Val?” This has clearly been weighing heavily on her mind. Mrs A had decided that she was finally ready to hear the answer.
