| Hi, Carolyn: I was recently diagnosed with a very rare and incurable form of cancer. While I’m (somewhat) at peace with what’s happened, we are unsure of what to tell our family and friends, if anything at all. We’ve kept this mostly under wraps for months, but a recent stint in the hospital meant sharing more information than I was comfortable with. I don’t want to be a gossip topic among my friends or family, which I know I will be, and I have children whose feelings I’m trying to shield. At some point, I know we’re going to get the “Why didn’t you tell us?” from some of our more sensitive acquaintances. Mainly, I don’t want anyone treating me or my family unit any differently than usual, but I also want people to lighten up on us when we have to cancel plans or just remain tight-lipped about our situation. Any advice on how to navigate this, especially when it comes to the more aggressive folks in our camp? — Unsure | 
