I'm 21 years old and my dad was diagnosed with Neuroendocrine Cancer over a year ago and has been receiving treatment in the form of injections which he has once a month. He is also on many many other medications to keep his sickness down, help him digest food and help him stay hydrated and as well as he possibly can be. He had various near death experiences just before he was diagnosed as he also suffered with pancreas issues due to past drinking issues which he's now worked through. He's been quite sick for 4 years now and the treatment he's had over that time has been terrible, they only really found out that he had cancer over a year ago so those other 3 years it felt as though he was just been given the run around. I've been finding it very hard from the start. My mum and dad aren't together and my dad has a new wife. I'm currently in my 3rd year of University so i'm currently not living at home which is really hard for me because I can't see my dad very often at all. The reason I feel the need to make a post is because the treatment he'd been having for the past year (injections once a month) haven't worked at all. He only found out after a scan he had last week that the tumours have actually "grown considerably" which is breaking my heart. He was so optimistic and he kept saying that he felt like the treatment was starting to work with his body as it wasn't making him vomit as much. (He can't really eat food so has lost a lot of weight too, I find it so hard seeing him look as thin as he does) I am just so sad because he really did believe the treatment was working and now it feels like we've been slapped in the face. I hate cancer more than anything. I wish I could trade places with him a lot because I feel like he's so much more special and important than I am. It is just so unfair and makes me cry uncontrollably a lot. I start back at University in a few weeks for my final year and I don't know how i'm going to cope with it very well. I know that I need to spend as much time with him as possible because his cancer is incurable. He told me that he met a woman once who had lived with NET for 15 years and had changed her lifestyle to fit around the cancer but was still happy and living the best life she could. This really helped me but I worry that he's so optimistic. He really tries to be optimistic about it but I don't know how I can be. He's been my best friend since I was born and we have everything in common. I just need some support because I don't know what to do. My best friend's dad died of cancer last year and I don't know if i'd be able to survive what she went through.
Thanks to anyone who reads this.
-Mollie
Hi Mollie and welcome to the online community
I'm very sorry to read all that you and your dad have been going through over the last few years. Despite what you think, you sound like a very strong person and I'm sure your dad treasures your support.
I can see that you've found and joined the Neuroendocrine cancer forum and I'm sure if you've got any questions regarding your dad's treatment the members of that group will be happy to help if they can.
I hope you don't mind me suggesting that you join and post in the Family and friends forum group as well, as it's a safe and supportive place to share your worries about your dad with others who have loved ones living with cancer. If you'd like to join the group just click on the link I've created and then choose 'click to join' on the page that opens. To save you typing your message out again you can just copy and paste it into a new post in the family and friends group.
Does your university know about your dad's situation as they may be able to help and support you?
x
"Never regret a day in your life, good days give you happiness, bad days give you experience"
