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How to tell family about your diagnosis?
Just Want to Talk | Last Active: 4 days ago | Replies (14)Comment receiving replies
I don't have cancer, but my MGUS is ramping up. No symptoms yet. I did tell my sister because I needed to talk with someone other than my (supportive) husband about the possibilities that nip at our heels. If it does turn into MM in a few months or years then I'll tell friends once I'm obviously sick/immunocompromised and will minimize the impacts it has on me. It is great to have friends that one can share with, but when I got celiac disease 15 years ago I had to be careful when eating out (gluten), asking waitstaff if the food was safe to eat. Just dining out with friends irked them; one said "you don't have celiac, you have some gluten intolerance but mostly stresses and you need to stop getting on people's nerves". They still don't accept it. I suppose I need new friends but hard to find them when you are older. I'm 70 and fill the spaces with volunteer work.
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@kayabbott No sense in sharing your upcoming concerns to anyone until you feel ready to. Think ahead to what some might say or react, questions you might have asked to you. It might put you into a funk, or have you questioning your decision to say anything!
Like you, before sharing with family and friends about changes in my diagnoses, I was able to go to a sibling to "just talk", which seems to take the pressure off. Choosing someone who will not ask a lot but offer support is important. Then when you are ready, try doing a group email out, blind copying people if need be. Most recently, in July, that was the format I did, and it worked out well.
Ginger