def checkFollowupInfo(allClinDict):

    print " "
    print " in checkFollowupInfo ... "

    # FIRST: if there is a days_to_last_known_alive, then check that it is
    # used consistently, otherwise create it

    zKey = findProperKey (allClinDict, "bcr_patient_barcode")
    aKey = findProperKey (allClinDict, "days_to_last_known_alive")
    bKey = findProperKey (allClinDict, "days_to_last_followup")
    cKey = findProperKey (allClinDict, "days_to_death")
    dKey = findProperKey (allClinDict, "vital_status")

    haveA = (aKey in allClinDict.keys())
    haveB = (bKey in allClinDict.keys())
    haveC = (cKey in allClinDict.keys())
    haveD = (dKey in allClinDict.keys())

    print " have flags A, B, C and D : ", haveA, haveB, haveC, haveD

    if ( not haveD ):
        print " skipping this function ... requires vital_status "
        return (allClinDict)

    ## print " allClinDict.keys() : "
    ## print allClinDict.keys()

    numClin = getNumPatients(allClinDict)

    # range of days_to_last_known_alive is typically something like [0,3196]
    for kk in range(numClin):
        if (str(allClinDict[dKey][kk]).upper() == "DEAD"):
            if (str(allClinDict[cKey][kk]).upper() == "NA"):
                print " ERROR !!! need to know when this person died !!! ", allClinDict[zKey][kk]
                print kk
                print aKey, allClinDict[aKey][kk]
                print bKey, allClinDict[bKey][kk]
                print cKey, allClinDict[cKey][kk]
                print dKey, allClinDict[dKey][kk]
                print " UPDATING vital_status to Alive ... "
                print " "
                ## because we do not have a days_to_death value, we are going to call this person "Alive"
                allClinDict[dKey][kk] = "Alive"

        if (str(allClinDict[dKey][kk]).upper() == "ALIVE"):
            if (str(allClinDict[aKey][kk]).upper() == "NA"):
                if (str(allClinDict[bKey][kk]).upper() == "NA"):
                    print " ERROR !!! no information about follow-up ??? ", allClinDict[zKey][kk]
                    print kk
                    print aKey, allClinDict[aKey][kk]
                    print bKey, allClinDict[bKey][kk]
                    print cKey, allClinDict[cKey][kk]
                    print dKey, allClinDict[dKey][kk]
                    print " UPDATING days_to_last_known_alive and days_to_last_followup to 0 "
                    print " "
                    allClinDict[aKey][kk] = 0
                    allClinDict[bKey][kk] = 0
                else:
                    print " ERROR in checkFollowupInfo ... how did we get here ??? "
                    sys.exit(-1)