Perhaps predictably, the crucial visit to the doctor my mother and I made today was not crucial at all. Well, it was not crucial enough. It was not conclusive, that is. She will need another visit, another test, which will require more time, much more careful preparation, some suffering, and the like. Predictably, again, that test will most likely turn out not to be crucial enough. It will not be conclusive enough. Another test, another visit. And so on, and so forth, ad infinitum. Well, not exactly ad infinitum. In the end, there is one visit that will indeed be crucial. There is one test that will indeed be conclusive. As conclusive as tests get, that is. Our grim friend will mercifully see to that.