While laying out the facts about your illness, a doctor or other health worker may have told you that "there’s nothing more we can do." That may be true in the limited sense that there are no treatments that will restore physical health and stop the progress of the disease. But there are other goals beside cure that are both desirable and achievable. You, your family and your healthcare team all have roles to play in reaching them.
In fact, a lot can be done to relieve pain and other physical symptoms and to address suffering and emotional distress. You can learn about the problems you may face and the steps you can take to deal with them. And you can use that knowledge to find comfort and the freedom to live as fully as possible at the end of life.