The Beginning of the Journey



The diagnosis of a life-limiting illness is usually a shock and the effects are profound. Initially you may feel that your life has been turned upside down. You might feel disorientated and numb. The process of absorbing the news takes time and is usually up and down rather than smooth.

Feelings of sadness, worry and maybe anger may come and go. You might worry about the people close to you and they may worry about you.

However, at some time you will probably find that you re-gain a sense of control and start to take charge again. Your strengths and skills will come back and your support system will come into play. This makes a great deal of difference to what may seem initially like a set of impossible tasks.

Many people build a support team around them and it is often a mixture of family, friends, various professionals and others in the same (or similar) situation. These people all have different skills. Some are old friends. Some are new.

Often family and friends want to help you but don’t know exactly what to do. Be honest with them. Be aware of their particular skills and ask them to do something specific. Children like to be involved too. Try to build in fun and special time with the people who matter to you. There may be busy times and quiet times.

Even a short time can be enough time to let people know what they mean to you and to attend to some practical matters – e.g. making a will, organising enduring power of attorney, expressing your wishes about treatment, and/or making funeral arrangements.

Work out what is most important for you and do these things first. The more you can talk about what is uppermost in your mind and heart, the easier it will be to deal with issues that may initially seem overwhelming.

Palliative care services in ACT