ABSTRACT
Death is frequently neither the most important nor the most difficult issue that troubles the fatally ill. They are confronted with the assault of disease on their lives, and their concerns are shaped by issues related to their deteriorating health. In the dizzying blur of tests, symptoms, procedures, and therapies, a patient often cannot see clearly the approach of his terminal moment. What he can see with clarity is how far he has come from his former state of well-being.
