RT Journal
A1 Larson EB, King J
T1 “My mother was 67 . . . ”
JF Archives of Internal Medicine
JO Archives of Internal Medicine
YR 2012
FD August 13
VO 172
IS 15
SP 1132
OP 1132
DO 10.1001/archinternmed.2012.2568
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archinternmed.2012.2568
AB 
It is easy to focus on the physician's stark prediction about the urgent need for surgery. Making predictions like this is perilous and often humbling. This narrative especially speaks to the value of time and how we need to communicate with patients, find out about their preferences and values, find out how they interpret what we say. This is important for major surgery, of course, as in this example, but nowhere is this more important than for our older patients and their preferences for late life care.