I'm going to die and I'm petrified

[dewisant2020]

I'm not sure where to start really, I was diagnosed with lung cancer and today I went to see my specialist who's told me my prognosis is terminal.
My heads been all over the place, one minute im crying, the next laughing.
I am so afraid and keep having panic attacks.
Will I ever make peace with this I keep asking myself

I’m so sorry ❤️

So sorry to hear this! I hope you beat the odds however poor they may seem at the moment!

Feel however you need to feel right now!

I don't have any words that will make this better but just sitting here acknowledging how hard this is for you

I am so very, very sorry you are going through this. Please speak to your GP about getting a referral to a hospice service. You will need empathetic, understanding people as well as medication to help with anxiety and symptoms along the way. (And help dealing with well-meaning family and friends who try to help but get in the way with their best intentions.) Now is the time you need to absolutely LIVE. Surround yourself only with the people who pick you up, make you feel fabulous and allow you to feel what you’re really feeling. That means people who aren’t afraid of you cry, if you’re furious, resentful, etc. These are your soulmates. Your family may also be feeling the same things, so give them a bit of leeway too. Everyone will be in shock atm. Don’t be afraid to let people know you love them and don’t be afraid to let people love you either. They absolutely need to do this now.
I need to also let you know that what you are feeling now is not only understandable, but it is entirely normal.

I am so sorry you’re going through this. X

I'm so sorry, can't even begin to understand how hard this is for you x

Gosh words can’t describe how difficult and life changing this must be - please give yourself some time to process, talk to those around you when you feel ready and make sure you reach out and ask any professionals involved about the support available.

You’re not alone in this, there will be others going through the same thing and who understand the absolute anguish I can only imagine you’re going through

And in the meantime/until you’re ready, please know we’re here and message as you need. Sending lots of love and kind thoughts

My Dad who was in his mid-70s was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. This was more than 10 years ago. Looking at the stats, given his age and the stage of cancer, I thought he was going to die imminently. But he lived some 3.5 years from that point - responded really well to chemo and, my goodness, did he do some living in those 3.5 years including loads of travel (in between chemo sessions). He even started immunotherapy which was just beginning at the time but I think it came too late for him.
There are new medicines all the time becoming available. If you respond well to them, you could still have many years ahead of you.
I'm not minimizing this, I know this is terrifying and I would also be the same in your shoes. But you are here and you are alive and you still need to begin treatment. The doctors haven't yet said there is nothing they can do so right now it's about living with cancer rather than dying from it.

Op I was sorry to read of your diagnosis. No wonder you're frightened any of us would be on being told that. Hope you have family, friends you can talk to, cry to, be angry as well at the hand that you have been dealt. Good luck with any treatment you decide on.

I'm so sorry. I have the same diagnosis but I've known for a few months now. I'm using some inhibitor meds that are holding the tumours at bay for now and buying me time with my kids. I have only one lung as it is so my health is a bit compromised. I have no idea where my feelings and emotions will go with this, but I suggest that you sit with the news for a while and let yourself feel all the feelings.

Lung cancer is not the death sentence it once was. There are lots of treatments- and very successful ones- available. I speak from experience!

Sorry to read your situation is the same as op. That must have been hard for you to post and it was hopefully a bit of support for op, especially coming from someone who's going through the same ordeal. Good luck to you also with your treatment.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

I am so sorry. 💐 Sending love.

I am so sorry. I do hope you have some RL support.

I'm so sorry OP. But there are a small number of people who are now living a long time with terminal cancer diagnosis. I know of someone in my home town who was diagnosed as stage IV 20 years ago and is still alive and well (friend of a friend's mum). There are other stories like hers in the cancer groups I'm a member of on Facebook. I don't want to give false hope because I don't know your exact circumstances but these cases aren't as rare as you might think. There's a book called Radical Remission about them. The author went around and talked to loads of doctors and more or less every doctor she spoke to had seen at least one case of this kind. She documented quite a few of them to make the book. You could also check out Jane McLennan who had a stage IV diagnosis several decades ago and is now in remission. Ben A Williams also wrote a book about surviving terminal cancer (which he did). Again, I don't want to make out that these cases are unbelievably common but they are definitely becoming more common. I had cancer too. It was stage III in 2021 but with a high likelihood of progressing to stage IV within the next 5 years. I was terrified at first. But reading these books helped me. There are also some off-label drugs that seem to help and have some evidence behind them. I hope this is some help but please just ignore it if it's not for you. We all need different things at times like these. There is also a wealth of support on Facebook groups with loads of other people going through the same thing.

Sending love. x

So sorry

This OP. Please don't allow the medic to have 'pointed the bone'. Explore all options including 'crank' ones that have merit.

I’m so sorry, that is unimaginable :’(

Op lots of people are giving great ideas and hopeful stories
let us know what MacMillan offer and tell us about you
💐

Love this post, so positive and knowledgeable

Sending you strength 💐