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Sometimes being diagnosed with any type of cancer, and in this
case particularly lung cancer, can be incredibly difficult for
the individual.
It was really quite a revelation, you know,
and it... sort of turned my life upside down as
to what I'd always known. And it was a bit like a death, I think, to the
extent that my whole life
had changed and gone and suddenly this new one was in its place.
Some of the ways that people have talked about coping with their
diagnosis have included simple things like remembering to have a cry,
have a laugh.
You're still a person.
You need to remember who you are.
Some of the other things that people have said are things like
focusing day to day on what you're doing and what you can achieve.
Perhaps set your limits around what you know you can do and what
you can't do. Do those things that you feel most comfortable doing.
If you are still well enough and you feel like working and you're able to
work, continue to do that.
Some of the things that are more challenging, perhaps they can be
put away to another day.
When our eldest son was killed,
people would cross the road so they didn't have to talk to you
about it. And I wanted to talk about it and
I think it's the same with cancer.
People don't want to talk about it because they're shy about it.
But they shouldn't, you should discuss it
and talk to your friends.
My family were more upset than I was.
Because I look at it this way, you've only got one life, so
you've really got to get on with it.
So I put my back to the wall and I thought,
well, I'm not going anywhere.
And they were more upset, so they got the message, they were not to worry,
that I was going to be all right and that's how I handled that.
When I was faced with the nasty, little chore of telling the kids,
it was something I didn't want to do because,
I mean, I sort of felt for them more that I felt for myself, I think.
Because it was, you know, it was going to be a burden for them.
And I knew it was going to be very upsetting as well.
Anyway, we went around there to my daughter's place.
And she made a cuppa, of course, as she always does.
And I said, "Yeah, I need this and you're going to need it, too.
I've got a bit of news for you."
Really, it was traumatic.
It's very hard emotionally.
And, you know, I think that was
probably one of the things I think has been one of the most emotional
trips that I've had in my life, really.