Finding out that you are dying
When you get such unwanted news that you only have a certain time to live, like a year or even a half a year, emotions that you feel are naturally quite confused. You might have an array of different feelings to cope with which is obviously not easy, to say the least. However, there are things that you, being terminally ill, need to take care of.
First reaction to unhappy news
There are many reactions that a person can feel, after hearing from doctors that the illness has progressed too much and can no longer be cured. Some people go silent, some get angry, some start crying. The dominating emotion though will be fear. It is scary to hear such news. Even if you suspected that this might happen, hearing doctor verbalize it to you is something shocking and really hard to bear.
Planning care
Knowing that the state of your health is such that you have a limited time to live, means that you need to plan your future care. You need to figure out for yourself whether you want to continue treatment or prefer to stop it completely and stay only on drugs that reduce pain. You can discuss it with your doctors and your loved ones, but the final decision is yours. Also, you might need to let the doctors and family know whether you want your heart to be restarted once it stopped beating. All this needs to be discussed and documented in advance, as at some point you might no longer be able to make adequate decisions by yourself or if you get unconscious.
Practical and emotional issues
Obviously, you will need to deal with practicalities such as writing a will, figuring out your finances and even deciding what type of funeral you would like to have. However, most important thing is to leave special, pleasant and unforgettable moments for your loved ones. It is the time for fixing problems with personal relationships, making memorable gifts to those that are important to you and spending quality time with them so that you are remembered at your best. It will not be easy, but your loved ones will treasure those precious moments when you are no longer with them.
Donation of body parts and saving lives
Since you know that your body will stop functioning soon, there is another psychological dilemma to deal with. You need to decide whether you would like to donate healthy organs of your body for research or for transplantation. This can save a life for some other people, and it probably might help you feel better, as you will know that you brought some goodness into this world.
Hearing that your illness is terminal is overwhelming. You probably had great plans and expectations for future as well as simply a huge desire to live. However, to the highest regret, our body is vulnerable and we can succumb to the disease. It is devastating to receive news of terminal illness, but at least you have an opportunity to get prepared and you are given a chance to do something that you always wanted to do but what was continuously put off.
We should not forget that there always must be a place for hope. Doctors do make mistakes, and if their diagnosis is devastating, still there is a chance that the days of your illness are not your final days. Don’t stop hoping and remember that miracles do happen.
