I'm very sorry you're in such a bad state, but trying to pretend everything is okay. That must be terribly stressful. If ignoring a threat helps you to cope, you can do that for awhile. Another option would be to talk about what's going on. For that, it's nice to have an old friend. Sometimes we just don't have the kind of friend we need, when we're in real need of a shoulder. So we're here for you, and we will listen and try to understand. You mentioned that some preparation might be in order. Sometimes even a little preparation is better than none at all. What were you thinking of doing, if you're up to sharing? I hope you regain some sense of control.