If there's a hospital visit to be made, do a short one, never a long one. Now, this brings us, too, to the question of judgment. Let's say the issue is lung cancer brought on by smoking. Smoking is addictive and regrettable and your colleague should have stopped, clearly. But you don't make a huge thing about that.
Cool professionalism is what's wanted, a steady compassion, a reasoned compassion.
You're pacing yourself, doing what you can to be supportive, then moving on. If you find yourself puzzling over an awkward issue, be sure to let us know so we can consider it for coverage here in Corporate Class. Just use our handy submission form to talk to us. And thanks for sharing your concerns and ideas with us. You don't have to go overboard on these, they don't require the same compassion.