Beautiful Benediction

She was a beautiful woman in her early 50's, with long blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes.

She had come to see me for routine follow-up assessment six months after unilateral mastectomy and radiotherapy for breast carcinoma.

I remembered her from her previous post-op examination, which had shown no evidence of tumour recurrence or metastases.

 

It was lovely to see her again, but she looked tired.
My examination revealed secondary cancer deposits in her liver.

                                               *******

At that time, I had been working in clinical medicine for more than 20 years, with a significant portion of my professional life being involved in supporting patients with dire prognoses. 
But, on this occasion, I was unexpectedly devastated. 

I believed that it was important to answer her questions honestly, but in a way that didn't totally exclude hope. I believed that she deserved time to come to terms with the reality her truncated future.
But I was unable to give her the usual anodyne words of support.

I had nothing, and my despair must have been apparent to her.
She whispered "Don't worry, it's alright", and kissed me gently on the cheek.

This wonderfully brave woman was more concerned about me than the reality of her cruelly truncated future.

                                

May we all have the strength and courage to face devastation with her courage and dignity.