First post - don't even know if this will become a blog or not.  Wanted to get some feedback about my 3-pronged philosophy  to dealing with being told you have inoperable cancer, with less than a year to go.  Here goes:

1 Acceptance.  Accept that there is a real chance that this diagnosis is for real. By this I mean get your head around the idea of mortality, and make some practical arrangements.  Think about wills, tell next of kin about the secret stash of cash, end any grudges, select funeral music,  tell close friends where you're at, and maybe think about a bucket list.  OK?  Give this phase 2 weeks at most.

2 Non-Acceptance.  Having accepted the possibility that the doc's diagnosis may be right ... now don't accept it.  By which I mean, start thye fight back.  The doc's crystal ball might be wrong.  And remember - docs tend to have tunnel vision when it comes to serious illness.  If they don't have a magic cure from some major drug company, they tend to have no hope.  So get researching alternative and complementary treatments - especially food.  In my case, this means giving up meat (of all colours), dairy, sugar, and bad fats, and staring to juice raw vegetables. Not so hard actually ... spicey dahl & rice is as satisfying as any meat curry I've ever had.  My weak spot is the odd cupcake & coffee.

3 Live Now.  So, you have a terminal diagnosis.  Know anybody that hasn't? For mist people, the condition is just 'life'. At least by now you will have some undersatanding that life can be short or at least unpredictable, and that every day is precious.  Don't count the days, live them to the full.  Make these days 20 times better than you used to.  That way you come out on top ... you can even end up feeling sorry for those with long lives ahead of them, who are just plodding through the motions. Ever heard of the term 'mindfullness' ... I only did since my diagnosis - someone gave me a book.  Anyway - it probably describes part of what I mean by living 'now' .. .not being overly concerned with either the past (which has passed).. or the imaginary future (which doesn't actually exist, yet).

Some of this might even makes sense whether or not there's a hooded man with a sickle following you around!