With advanced non-small-cell lungcancer (NSCLC), it’s helpful to plan for your future. By making decisions today, you can streamline your care, finances, and choices about what comes next. These tips can get you started.
Get Your Paperwork in Order
Create a file or folder for all of your financial records and paperwork. Include your account numbers, credit cards, deeds, investments, loans, will, and other financial papers.
Be sure to keep all your files together in a safe, secure place.
Prepare for Expenses
Understanding expenses that may come up helps you prepare for them.
Expenses may include:
- Cost of treatments and care
- Transportation, accommodations, and food for distant care
- Regular expenses like rent or mortgage payments, car payments, food, and childcare
Note that you may lose income if you have to miss work because of treatment or side effects.
Talk to your cancer care team about what you can do to manage expenses. They may recommend a social worker or patient navigator to find resources to help with health care, food, lodging, and transportation costs.
You may qualify for disability programs like supplemental security income (SSI) or social security disability insurance (SSDI). Ask your medical team for guidance.
Decide If You Want to Keep Working
It’s up to you whether or not you keep working.
If you work, think about whether you want to tell your employer about your condition. If they know about your situation, they may give you reasonable accommodations to make it easier to do your job. For example, you can ask for special equipment, a flexible schedule, or a gradual return to work.
You don’t have to say anything if you prefer to keep it private.
Consider End-of-Life Care
Think about the care you’d like toward the end of your life.
Ask yourself:
- Do I want to be cared for in a hospital, a hospice center, or at home?
- At what point do I want to stop treatment?
- If necessary, do I want to be resuscitated?
- Do I prefer a natural death?
You may not know what’s going to happen later, but knowing what you want can make it easier on you, your family, and others involved in your care.
Create an Advance Directive
An advance directive is a legal document that outlines your end-of-life medical care choices. This may include where you’re cared for and when you want to stop treatment.
You can ask your doctor for an advance directive form. You can also ask your health care team for help as you make decisions.
Choose a Power of Attorney
You may need someone to make decisions if you can’t make them yourself. Someone with power of attorney can make medical and financial decisions for you.
Pick someone you trust. You can choose one person for both types of decisions or different people for different decisions.
Think About a Funeral or Memorial Service
Think about what type of service you may want. While you may prefer to leave it up to your family and friends, it may be helpful to make choices yourself. Especially if you feel strongly about them.
Things to consider:
- Whether or not you want a service
- If so, what type of service
- If you prefer burial or cremation
- Service location
- Guests to be invited
- Music, readings, and other additions
- Cultural or religious customs
Talk to your family or friends about what you prefer so they can carry out your decisions and feel better knowing they’re doing what you want.
Get Support
Not knowing what comes next can bring up a lot of emotions.
You may feel sad, depressed, and scared about the future. You might feel grief for what you wanted your life to be. Going through the grieving process may help you find peace with your diagnosis and help you thrive.
Your support system can allow you to work through your emotions and feel better. It may help to:
- Spend time with people close to you.
- Talk about your feelings with family or friends you trust.
- Join a support group online or in person. Try the Lung Cancer Survivors Community on Inspire.
- Get support from your religious or spiritual group.
- Talk to a professional therapist.
Be a Self-Advocate
You can’t control everything, but there are things you can do to feel better:
- Educate yourself. Learn more about advanced NSCLC and what your options are.
- Stay open to adjustments. It’s OK to change your mind about treatment.
- Talk openly with your treatment team.
- Keep your support system informed about how you’re doing.
Do Things That Feel Good
Now’s the time to do what makes you feel happy. Maybe it’s yoga every morning or taking a trip to a place you’ve always wanted to visit.
Try these feel-good tips:
Breathe. Try deep, slow breathing.
Sleep. Get the rest your body needs.
Eat well. Give your body what it needs to feel good.
Exercise. It’s a good stress reliever.
Visit. Spend time with loved ones.
Play. Take time for hobbies. Do activities that bring you joy.
Make Plans for Today
If you’ve been wanting to take a trip, now may be the right time. Taking a break from your day-to-day life may give you a mental health boost.
Plan ahead to make travel safe and smooth.
Talk to your care team to see if travel is safe for you. Ask your doctor if there’s anything you need to do while traveling.
Make sure that you pack enough medicine to last a few days beyond your trip, in case of delays. Carry your medication with you, not in a checked bag. Also, make sure it's in its original packaging. Always bring a note from your doctor for controlled drugs.
Show Sources
Photo Credit: Tetra Images/Getty Images
SOURCES:
American Cancer Society: “Programs and Resources to Help With Cancer-related Expenses.”
American Lung Association: “Coping with Emotions When You Have Lung Cancer,” “Planning for Life with Lung Cancer.”
Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation: “Planning for Future Care,” “Travelling with Lung Cancer,” “Working with Lung Cancer.”
