Retired New York City police officer John Aris sat in my office recently waiting for the results of his latest CT scan.
Seven years earlier, I had removed part of his right lung because of cancer. Since then, every follow-up appointment has carried the same anxiety. Before I had even closed the examination room door behind me, I offered the words he had hoped to hear: “No cancer.”
He let out a long breath and settled back into his chair. As always, we lingered and talked about life, politics, and family.
