Content Overview 
- Summary
- It Is Your Choice Whether To Keep Fighting, How Hard, And For How Longi
- Live Each Day To The Best You Can. Stay Hopeful.
- How To Get Your Affairs In Order
- Speak With Your Doctor About Your Wishes
- How To Cope With Emotional Issues
- How To Cope With Physical Issues
- How To Cope With Financial Issues
- Nutrition
- If You Have A Death Benefit On Your Credit Card
- Hospice Care
- How To Keep Control When You Cannot Speak
- Make Where You Live Comfortable
- If You Are Likely To Be Hospitalized
- Donating Organs Or Your Body
- If You Have A Partner Instead of A Spouse
- If Your Doctor Abandons You
- If You Choose To End Life Early
Colorectal Cancer: Nearing End Of LIfe
How To Get Your Affairs In Order
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Wills are important for everyone. Your health status makes it more urgent that you write one now. Wills are not expensive. You can even write one yourself.
If your Executor will need a road map to understand your finances, write one for him or her. Better yet, show the person where your financial papers are kept and describe complex arrangements.
If you are a business owner or self employed, consider who succeeds you and what information will be needed.
If you have minor children and no legal spouse, make sure personal and financial arrangements for their care are in place in case it reaches a point you are no longer able to take care of them.
- Check beneficiary designations on your life insurance and retirement plans to be sure they go to the people you want. Unless the documents list your estate as beneficiary, these funds are not controlled by what your Will says.
- Make arrangements for the personal items you care about to go to the people you want to have them.
- If you haven't already, discuss with your heirs how you are leaving your assets. It will assure your wishes are carried out. It also helps to prevent them from being unhappy over who got what, or battling each other over their inheritance.
- Make peace with people you care about - if not for them, for own peace of mind.
It may be difficult to think about, but it is also advisable to preplan your funeral. Making plans will assure you get a say in the matter. It will also save your heirs unnecessary expense and stress - particularly at a time when they are vulnerable.