- Not Laughing in Washington
DEAR NOT LAUGHING: Your husband has a serious problem. If you love him at all, confront him and insist that he talk with a counselor and learn to strengthen his impulse control.
DEAR ABBY: A year and a half ago, I was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. I have excellent medical care, and my doctor is optimistic.
I have tried meeting men on the Internet or through groups I belong to. I explain on the first date about my health issues because I don't want anyone to think I'm dishonest. Unfortunately, several men I would have liked to see again told me flat-out that they "can't deal with the cancer thing."
I don't want to spend the rest of my life - however long it may be - alone. Should I wait to tell a man about my illness until we've seen each other a few times? Or should I continue as I have and hope I eventually find someone with enough compassion willing to take the chance?
-Healthy Now in Wisconsin
DEAR HEALTHY NOW: Compassion? How about someone intelligent enough to grasp that nobody has a guarantee about how long someone will live - including him? The appropriate time to discuss your medical history is after you have gotten to know someone well enough that you can talk frankly about it.
