Part 3.Dealing with a Terminal Stage 4 Cancer Diagnosis

 

Dealing with the shock and panic after being told you're going to Die!

Nine years ago I received the "You have Less than 6 months to Live" statement and still, it chills my soul and I get nervous twitters.

The Shock was extreme and bewildered at the suddenness of it and what was ahead of me. Then I was so sad and angry at the way the GP  just dropped that statement on my wife (who had lost her first husband to Cancer) and myself without easing the news to us. I have often thought to have rung him back but the rollercoaster had begun setting things in motion-my future was NOW.

1/Discussing with my wife what we had to put in place for after I'm gone. This was one of the most harrowing experiences of my life. Talking in the "second person" about me "in the first person" about how to plan for my death!

Reality hits home like I said my future was Now and the clock was ticking, so it HAD to be addressed.

A/ What money did we have? Would it be enough? What property do we own should we sell it?

So there we were planning a life for one (reality). Consolidate,

**B/Check superannuation amounts( which you can accessed regardless of age with a terminal diagnosis)

**Check to see if a Life Insurance Policy is attached to your super(i didn't know until i asked)

C. Centrelink (as I thought I would never work again)

D. Advise my employer

E. Check my Will is up to date.

F. Apply for Qld Govt Travel Subsidy Scheme (also didn't know)        Link Here

 2. The worst Part breaking the news to the family.

Have you ever asked yourself this question? This was a grueling experience I thought I had prepared myself for this task-Answer Hopeless!

I thought I couldn't tell the story multiple times so I arranged a conference call to my 3 brothers and 1 sister, a separate one to my daughter, and one to my Dad -my dear Mother had passed.

Took the one I thought easiest first my siblings. It started out OK considering, then the explosion of all my emotions and thoughts erupted. Took a long while before I settled down and then I was able to discuss moving forward.

Well, I thought so much about preparedness!

Then the inevitable-telling my daughter and father.

How do I break the news (especially after the doctor's callous blunt statement)

The best I could was to gently word my conversation and slowly work through it.

My dad was the worst for me in such that because of his age and after losing mum I was worried that the shock might be too much for him.

Now that was done, the next stage off to the Specialist.

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