Not every death is preceded by a devastating medical diagnosis, but the scenario is common enough that it’s worth considering. If possible, bring someone with you to the doctor’s office when learning about diagnosis and treatment details, especially if it seems to be getting serious.
If not, you might wind up like my friend Ellen. She wound up sitting alone in a small, dark room, listening to the oncologist matter-of-factly report that she had breast cancer. “The doctor immediately started discussing options, and I kept thinking, ‘This can’t be happening,’” she recalled. “Part of me just went numb.”
Historically, doctors were not trained in how to deliver bad news. For years, they relied on “it’s time to get your affairs in order” as a euphemism for “your time is up.” Thankfully, medical schools have begun to teach more compassionate methods.