Two to three years.

That's what the first doctor told me the average survival for multiple myeloma was.

Not long after my diagnosis, I was making a list of things I needed to take care of while I could and, for all practical purposes, starting to plan my own funeral.

Fortunately, my second doctor was more knowledgeable about multiple myeloma, and between him and a lot of Internet research, I've since come to realize overall survival varies considerably and depends on a variety of factors.

While many people still only survive less than three years, more and more are surviving much longer and it is not uncommon to read of people surviving ten years or more.

As much as we want to be optimistic though, the truth is that most of us will succumb to this disease sooner or later.

Knowing this, I believe we have a responsibility to do some planning ahead of time that will help our caregivers as our health gets worse or make it easier for those left behind when we die.

This hit home for me recently with my father's death last month.

He had made several preparations ahead of time that made it much easier for my sister and me to care for him as he approached end of life and to handle his estate after he died.  However, even with the planning he did, there were some things overlooked that are causing difficulties.

Given what I've learned through my father's passing and the planning my wife and I have already done, I thought I would pass along the following suggestions.

Make sure you have a will.  Name an executor for the will and identify beneficiaries.  Consider an alternate executor and beneficiaries in case not all are alive when you die.  Be clear on how your estate is to be divided and be careful not to leave things unaccounted for, particularly if one or more of the beneficiaries are not alive when you die.

Establish a financial power of attorney. This is a document that appoints someone to handle your financial affairs in case you are unable to.

Establish a medical power of attorney (sometimes called a healthcare proxy or living will).  This is a document that stipulates your medical wishes and authorizes someone to make medical decisions on your behalf if you are unable to.

Set up a trust or similar method for protecting your estate so it does not need to go through probate court, which can be time consuming and costly.  By putting your assets in a trust, the property in the trust shifts ownership to the named trustee(s) upon your death and avoids going through probate.

Make sure you have beneficiaries identified for life insurance, retirement accounts, bank accounts, safety deposit boxes, brokerage accounts, stocks, bonds, etc.  These are typically specified by transfer-on-death or payable-on-death designations.  Without these designations, these items are also subject to probate.

Provide directions for your funeral, including how your remains are to be handled, whether you want a viewing or a funeral service, where to be buried, etc.  Also arrange to cover the cost of the funeral and burial site so your survivors are not required to do so.

Pay off your debts if possible.  Otherwise, provide directions in your will as to how the estate should be used to settle debts or other final expenses.

Get rid of excess baggage.  Most all of us have collected a myriad of "stuff" in our lives over the years that should not be left for our survivors to deal with.

If you have pets, make sure you have arranged for their care following your death.

Keep all official documents someplace safe and leave clear instructions on where to find all the information your survivors will need in the event of your incapacity or death.  Consider providing copies of the documents to the appropriate people so they know your wishes and can act on your behalf accordingly.

Please note, I do not have a law degree or financial degree, so anything I mention here is from a layperson's perspective and you should consult someone with the appropriate expertise for your specific needs.  I'm also relating this as a U.S. citizen.  I am not familiar with how some of these topics apply to other countries, but I would expect there to be an equivalent in most cases.

Finally, consider consulting an estate planner to help with this process.  However, ask around first and find someone that comes well recommended.  If mistakes are made or items are overlooked, much of your planning can be for naught.

I realize this is one of those gloomy topics people typically try to avoid and don't like to discuss.  However, ignoring these considerations or pushing them off to later just runs the risk that your survivors, who will already be dealing with end-of-life decisions or your passing, will be stuck with the burden of handling these additional issues.

If there are other considerations you think would be useful, please share them.

Peace, and live for a cure.