Hi, I am new to the group.
My dad was diagnosed with Merkel cell carcinoma about 3 years ago. He has had 3 fairly big surgeries and did really well after each one. He declined radiotherapy as he was advised it would be 4-6 weeks of radiotherapy but given his age he was advised it would take about 6 months for him to recover. The surgeries were felt to be successful so not having radiotherapy didn't seem like a big deal.
About a month ago dad felt a lump on the side of his face in front of his ear/on his jaw line. The maxofacial team were great, I sent photos and they saw dad quickly and CT and MRI scans were arranged. We found out 2 weeks ago the merkel is back and surgery is not an option given dad's age (87) and recent heart problems.
We are due to see an oncologist in a couple of days as it has been suggested dad have palliative radiotherapy.
I'd like some advice about questions to ask. The one that I'd really like answered is how long do we have left with dad, and what is it going to be like for him with no surgery this time. But I'm sure there should be more helpful questions to ask.
All suggestions/advice very much appreciated.
Apologies for my first post being such a long one.
Thanks in advance for reading.
Take care, be kind to yourself x
Hi V. Concerned and a very warm welcome to the online community which I hope you'll find is both an informative and supportive place to be.
I'm sorry to read that your dad's Merle cell carcinoma has recurred and it's natural to have lots of questions.
As the online community is divided up into different support groups I'm going to recommend that you join the skin cancer group where you can ask questions and share experiences.
One thing that no one here will be able to answer is how long you have left with your dad as only the professionals who have access to your dad's records will be able to give you any idea. However, you may find that there are people in the group who haven't had surgery and who will be happy to share their experiences with you.
Another group which I think you might benefit from joining is the carers only group, if you are your dad's carer, or the family and friends group if you're not his carer. Both are safe and supportive places to discuss your worries and emotions with others who have a loved one living with cancer.
Clicking on the links I've created will take you to the groups where you can join and post in the same way as you did here. You can also join in with existing conversations by clicking on 'reply'.
It would be great if you could pop something about your dad's diagnosis and treatment into your profile as it really helps others when replying to you and also when looking for someone on a similar pathway. It also means that you don't have to keep repeating yourself. To do this click on your username and then select 'Profile'. You can amend it at any time and if you're not sure what to write you can take a look at mine by clicking on my username.
If you have any difficulty navigating the community just drop me a reply and I'll be pleased to help
x
"Never regret a day in your life, good days give you happiness, bad days give you experience"
