When you have been diagnosed with a chronic or terminal disease you will be confused and in shock as to what the doctor just told you and what exactly that means to you. There are so many different things running through your head that it is really hard to make sense of anything. Once you have had time to digest the diagnosis you will need to give consideration as to what you want to share with your family and friends. Do you tell your family the honest truth, the worst case scenario?
I have been on both sides of this situation. My Dad did not tell me the reality of how severe his cancer was and this was 20 years ago and I did not have the internet to search for severity of the situation. When my Dad died I knew he was sick, I just did not know how sick he was. When I got the cancer diagnosis I was only focused on the survival rate, I did tell my immediate family the reality of how worried I was, but I did not tell my three little kids anything other than Mommy had Boo Boo Boobies and had to have medicine that would make my hair fall out. I was not ready to tell them everything, if the situation got worst that would be when I had to tell them the truth. They were little and I did not want them to worry that Mommy was going to die.
If your family includes adults you need to be honest with them. You need to tell them the worst case scenario, you need to share your concerns and let them be there for you. Being sick is hard and you need the support of those that love you. Look I get it; you don’t want everyone to always think of you like you are dying. You don’t want pity; you don’t want people treating you differently. If someone did not like you before you got sick you don’t want them to all of a sudden be your BFF.
When you are not honest with those that love you, you deprive your loved ones time to adjust to the seriousness of your illness.