After last night's support group meeting, an awareness floated over me that we should always be prepared. We have talked legal issues before and I know it is a hard bridge to cross when you are going through treatment but be prepared is as much for your family as yourself. How many times do we talk about updating our wills and never get around to it. When illness suddenly strikes whatever the future has in store, it becomes a taboo subject. Do you have power of attorney set up, do you have a living will, do you have an advance directive, is your obituary written, have you made your plans for what and where? This is not an easy area to discuss but it is vital and necessary. We all have to face our own mortality and if I can make it easier on my family and help them in the process, I want to do just that. We have talked about these things in the past at our Caregiver's support meeting and it always makes me nervous when people say that they have not even discussed it. As hard as it was at the time, we did make all those necessary arrangements before my father passed and it was such a relief at the time to not have to deal with that when theit actually happened. There was not the emotional decision making but we were more able to rationally process what we wanted and needed. When I was diagnosed, I made those arrangements. No, I was not giving up and no I was not planning to die but it was one thing in my control that I could do that would make a difference. It eased the burden from my mind and I knew when the day came, it would be of help to my family. Not an easy subject and many looked at me like I was purely crazy for doing it but in the end it was the right thing to do. I know that what I did that day,will make it a better day for my family at that time it is needed. So if you look back at my title and are scratching your head,-Girl Scout Motto (it might actually be Boy Scout) but what it means is be prepared, don't wait till you can't make decisions and unable to make your wishes known or puts your family with their hands tied behind their backs because nothing has been pre-determined. With that said, it is like the dirty closet you just keep looking at and never get too and it just continues to bare down on you until the day you finally do it and then you look back and say, that wasn't so bad and I am so relieved to have it done. I can look forward and make it a great day!.S
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AuthorMy name is Sue Kilburn and I am a clinical nurse breast cancer educator at the Yolanda G. Barco Oncology Institute in Meadville, Pennsylvania. Archives
March 2015
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