It’s hard to know what you’re supposed to feel when someone tells you they have a terminal illness. You might be numb at first, unable to take in the news or make sense out of anything; alternatively calm and matter-of-fact about your impending death.
The best thing we can say is that no two people will react exactly like–it depends on how much time each has left as well as other factors such as personal outlooks (i.e., do I suffer from depression?) Whether there are children who rely heavily upon this grown-ass human being to crash into denial before reality sinks its teeth into them.
People offered many different types of advice to other patients, based on their experiences at different stages in the illness process. Everyone has a unique story and therefore what works for one person might not work for someone else- but here’s my best shot.
Your diagnosis can leave you feeling completely overwhelmed so it is important that when faced with this new reality – go home, have a stiff drink (or whatever makes drinking feel good), find out as much information related directly to how your condition presents itself or impacts daily life.
Time seems to freeze when you learn that your loved one has a life-threatening illness. Maybe they instinctively pushed the news away, or perhaps tears streamed down their face as soon as it hit them hard? No matter what happened on the day of diagnosis – time and these days go by no matter how much we may feel ready for this new reality in our homes with those who are sick.
The death of a loved one is an emotional time for the whole family. There are many things to take care of, but it can be easier if you have someone by your side who knows what they’re doing – like me! I’m here with tips on how to plan ahead so that no matter what happens during these difficult days or weeks after losing our parents/spouses/partners we will still feel prepared when their lives end peacefully in whatever way best suits them at this stage.
Grief is something that we all experience. It’s natural to feel anticipatory grief when someone close to us becomes ill, but it can also happen before they’re terminally ill and even during their diagnosis process (Anticipatory Grieves). Blows of loss come in many forms: physical limitations on a person’s ability to do things like work or live independently; relationships being impacted by death/disability etc.; truncated visions about what could have been if this life is cut short.
You might be occupied with your own thoughts about living or dying but it’s important not to forget those around you. Your family and friends will also experience a wide range of emotions as they cope, from awkwardness in the front of a company when talking about how much things have changed because now one person doesn’t seem enough anymore for all these responsibilities–to feel guilt over the practicalities that come up without even noticing until after mentioning them aloud at home: childcare options, future financial support the list goes on.
