What should you do when your supervisor is ill? While somewhat related to this recent question but this situation is different in that my supervisor has over the recent months had unspecified health issues. It has not overly effected our relationship other than a bit of a delay in some of our emails. Without knowing exactly what is wrong it was conveyed at one of our meeting that it was not overly serious. In the last email I received it was noted by my advisor that their health was poorly over the summer.

As someone who has previously had a prolonged serious bout of Crohn's, I can understand how poor health can impact on someone's life and would like to be able to make our professional relationship work in a mutually beneficial way. 

So in a way my question is two-fold.


Is it appropriate for me to sympathize/empathize with my supervisor about their health issue?
Should I ask them how they best wish to proceed when they may be ill in relation to submitting work etc.?
Since in a recent email your advisor has told you about the health issue, it is perfectly acceptable for you to sympathize/empathize with them and it would not be out of place to ask if you could do anything regarding your work to accommodate them. That said, if you feel uncomfortable raising the issue, you should be able to depend on your advisor being mature enough to tell you what he/she needs in terms of accommodations.

If your advisor had not mentioned anything to you and you wish to sympathize/empathize with them, then you need to be more delicate.