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Connie Johnson: 'I'd be surprised if I'm still around at Christmas'

Connie Johnson has opened up about the difficult conversations she’s had to have with her two young sons as she nears the end of her battle with terminal cancer.

After moving into hospice care last month, the sister of actor Samuel Johnson doesn’t think she’ll see another Christmas, but is fighting to make it to her youngest son’s tenth birthday.

Connie hopes to see her son's tenth birthday. Source: Love Your Sister Facebook
Connie hopes to see her son's tenth birthday. Source: Love Your Sister Facebook

“I would be very surprised if I was still around at Christmas,” she told The Age.

“I'm just hoping against hope that I'm still around for Hammie's (Hamilton’s) birthday on September 26.”

She went on to explain how she’s tried to explain her diagnosis to sons Hamilton, nine, and Willoughby, 11, and help them prepare for her no longer being with them.

Connie's sons are nine and 11.
Connie's sons are nine and 11.

“The conversation has had to change from, ‘We're still working, there's still options’ to ‘There's no options left and we have to come to terms with the fact mummy's going to die’,” she said.

In spite of everything, Connie - who has been battling cancer for most of her life - is determined to continue to find positives, and in an emotion-filled post on her charity’s Facebook page, she reflected on how “wonderfully happy” she is that she can still hug her children and have “lovely” conversations with friends.

“Lately it’s been hard for me to find the positives. I have been mourning the loss of lots of my bodily function,” Connie began the post.

She's been preparing her sons for the day she'll no longer be with them. Photo: Facebook
She's been preparing her sons for the day she'll no longer be with them. Photo: Facebook

“I can’t walk anymore. Breathing has become difficult with the swelling of the liver. Sitting up is difficult with the swollen abdomen.”

Connie explained that eating has “become a bit of a chore rather than something pleasurable” and revealed she feels cheated out of those normal daily experiences.

However she turned the post around, saying she’s thankful she has her wonderful family and friends around her.

She's trying to stay positive. Photo: Facebook
She's trying to stay positive. Photo: Facebook

“But today I realised that I still have my mind, there's no cancer there,” she said.

“I still have my hands and my arms for hugging my children, I still have eyesight for seeing my friends, I still have my hearing for lovely conversations and music.”

“I still have a couple of hours a day when I can do my craft. These are things to celebrate, I just feel so wonderfully happy!”

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