Prognosis

Thank you for getting in touch with us.  My name is Kenny and I’m one of the Cancer Information Nurses at Macmillan.

Finding out that you may be nearing the end of your life can be very difficult and distressing. You wife might find it hard to believe, even if you know her illness is getting worse. She may have strong and often overwhelming emotions that make it understandably difficult for her to think clearly. It’s also ok not to want to know, there is no right or wrong way to feel.

Some people find it easier to talk about their fears and worries with someone outside their family or friends. If you think this may help your wife, you can talk to your GP, cancer doctor, specialist nurse or social worker. MacMillan Cancer Support can also refer her to Bupa for an emotional support assessment if she can call our support line on 0808 808 0000 and ask about a Bupa referral. We are here 7 days a week 8am-8pm.

It’s common for relatives and friends to want to know how much longer their loved one might live for and when they might die.  What to say to someone with cancer can be very difficult.  If your wife has a Macmillan (Palliative care nurse) then they should be able to help you gain an insight into what is happening with your wife’s cancer.  If she doesn’t have this type of support, her GP can usually arrange this quite easily. This supporting someone link also explains how to get support at home as a carer. 

Some people ask about what to expect in the last day or two of life. This might be so that they can try to be prepared or so that they can put plans in place, like arranging for relatives to visit or moving the person to a different place. Our Guide for the End of Life has information that will be helpful when you feel ready to read it, often it’s useful to dip in and out of our booklets when you need to. Marie Curie also have some good resources on what to expect at the end of life.

You might also find the support from our online community helpful. The support from someone in the same situation can be invaluable. There is a carers only forum that is a safe place to share your worries and emotions.  The support from someone in the same situation can be invaluable. There is a forum specifically for people with an incurable diagnosis that is for patients only, which in time, your wife may find helpful too.

I really do hope this information is helpful. If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to get back in touch by email, webchat or phone.

The Macmillan Support Line offers practical, clinical, financial and emotional support. You can call us free from landlines and from most mobile phone networks* on 0808 808 00 00, 7 days a week, 8am – 8pm.

Best wishes,

Kenny

Ref:  KD/AMc

Kenny Duffy

Cancer Information Nurse Specialist

Support Line Services

Macmillan Cancer Support

Atrium Court

50 Waterloo Street

Glasgow

We are Macmillan. We do whatever it takes. With heart. With strength. With ambition.

We’re here to help everyone with cancer live life as fully as  
they can, providing physical, financial and emotional support.  
So whatever cancer throws your way, we’re right there with you.