Hi Jenny4jam, 

Firstly, welcome to the forum, though sorry about your diagnosis. 

I am in a similar situation to you, though much further down the road. 

Telling family was undoubtedly one of the hardest things to do, and the way my partner and I managed this, was to process the news ourselves, hear what treatments were possible amd then go and explain all this to our families. 

Somehow, having all the information offered some sort of comfort and an element of 'control' if that makes sense? We also used waiting times to write down any questions about my condition /  treatments etc ready for the consultation. My partner has been able to attend every appointment with me and to have an extra pair of ears has proved invaluable. He even jotted notes, though usually, medical staff will copy you in to letters if you ask them. 

Please let us know how you get on, on Thursday and if you think i can help support you, please ask away. 

Sending a big hug, Jo xx

Hi Jenny,

Welcome to the forum, though I'm sorry to hear why you've joined us!
You're over one of the hardest bits if you've told your family about your condition.
Waiting for results is another hurdle to get over.

We all react differently to the diagnosis and we all eventually find different ways to cope. Give yourself and your family time to adjust to your new reality. It will take time.

Jo has already given you some good practical advice - always write your questions down beforehand and make notes of the responses you get s you get them. Research has shown that patients generally remember only about 40% of what they've been told when we are under stress. I've found myself sat in the hospital car park reading my notes and thinking "I don't remember being told THAT!".

For goodness sake DON'T Google excessively, be aware that much of the information on the Internet is out of date, stick to authoritative websites like CRUK and MacMillan and bear in mind that any survival rates or life expectancies you may read or be told are based on averages and ignore things like a patient's age or physical fitness - which have a real impact on outcomes. A lot of us do have better outcomes than expected - through a mixture of luck and goodness knows what else.

Finally - and this is the important bit - remember that it isn't over until till the fat lady sings. It is all too easy to give up all hope at an early stage and before you've explored whatever options are open to you. 

Good luck for Thursday.
Dave .