This paper is an account of the author's experience when he was diagnosed first with a brain tumour and then with a lung tumour. It concentrates on his fear and the way in which he has found little in the sociological work on death and dying to help him understand this. Instead he returned to the work of Becker and Kierkegaard to make sense of his experiences. He argues that the lack of concern with fear can undermine sociological studies of death and dying, although this can be moderated through an awareness of feelings of loss and grief. This is illustrated through a discussion of the work of Seale and Young and Cullen.