When I got confirmation in April that the secondary cancer in my liver was definitely back, I made an appointment with my solicitor to review and update my will, and also completed the forms to set up lasting power of attorney for my husband, son and daughter, both in relation to finances and property, and medical matters. I knew there was a backlog in processing these, but I have now received confirmation they are registered. I am hoping they won’t be needed for some time, but wanted the security of having them in place well before the point of need.
When people ask me what it’s like to have metastatic cancer, I often use the analogy of a train journey. I have got in the train, I know its final destination, but I do t know what route it is going to take or whether it is a fast or slow service. I hope it’s going to meander and spend time in sidings along the way. In the mean time, life goes on. I am heading out to France on Thursday for the first couple of weekends of the Rugby World Cup. Slightly more complicated than usual, as I had to arrange by trip around treatment (with the help of my oncologist), and also negotiate how to get insurance with metastatic cancer (quite easy as it turns out).
it's made me wonder what else I need to get in place. My financial affairs are extensive but they are well documented. I wound down my business during Covid. My most time consuming voluntary role comes to an end in October and the handover is well under way. Another non-Exec role could be vacated at short notice fairly easily.
The one thing that does trouble me is what the actual ending might be like. I have known a number of people who have died from their cancer, and for several of them, it has been a painful and messy process, with a loss of autonomy and dignity. I definitely support the idea of assisted dying, but am not sure I could make myself go prematurely to Switzerland, as you have to travel whilst you can still make the journey independently. Not to mention whether I would really want it to happen that far from home. I think most of us would want to be somewhere familiar, with family around us, but with pain under control and dignity intact. I have no faith, so am not expecting the end to be anything other than the end. At some point I will look into local hospices. But I have a lot of life to live before I reach that point.
