My Mum and Dad are fit, healthy, walk 8-10 miles a day, and have a fabulous life in Spain. They don't live there full time, they take long holidays as they are both retired.
At the end of September, my dad bent over and felt something "ping" in his thigh. he thought it was his hamstring.
By the end of October he was clearly in pain.
By the beginning of December he was in a great amount of pain, so he attended a Spanish hospital and after, MRI, PET scan he was told he had a very aggressive, rare tumour. It measured 16cm long and 14 cm wide.
After a biopsy he was told he had fibromyalgia, and was to be treated with Chemotherapy tablets. Despite this, he rapidly went down hill, he has lost an absolute load of weight, he didn't want to go out, and was really uptight and angry.
Mum and Dad flew home immediately and he has been referred to The Royal Marsden.
Unfortunately, he does have cancer, and it is rare and aggressive sarcoma. My dad is 71, fit healthy and looks 10 years younger than he is, he is a fighter.
He has to have 26 sessions of radiotherapy followed by an big operation, but only if the tumour has shrunk. It is actually pressing on his pelvic bone, so it's nearly impossible for him to walk. They will be staying at the Royal Marsden for the 6 weeks, as they live too far away to do the return journey everyday.
Tomorrow he is going for his tattoo and his mould, another MRI scan.
My issue is..... my dad has no positivity about him, no get up and go, no joy for life, no "I'm going to kick cancers arse" mentality.
He's very very angry, and as he's never been like that, it's difficult. My mum seems to be heading down the slippery slope of depression, and I have NO IDEA WHAT I CAN DO TO HELP.
I downloaded "You don't Own me" to be his theme tune and his song to Cancer!
My problem is, I feel totally and utterly useless......... Nothing I say or do seems to help and I have no idea what to do.
I know that I am not suffering like my Dad & Mum, but I am really struggling. Struggling at their lack of positivity.
Any help or advice would be welcome.
Sorry if this is garbled, my brain thinks faster than I can type!!
