hello, my mum has just been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. My dad already has parkinsons, so having 2 parents with very bad illnesses is a lot for me to cope with. I am only 19, and struggling to come to terms with what is going to help me get through this difficult time. If anyone has any advice, or has had a similar experience as a young person, I would love to hear if you had anything which especially helped you :)
Hi and welcome to the Online Community although I am sorry to hear about your mum’s diagnosis and also to hear about your dad.
A cancer diagnosis in the family can be such a stressful and challenging time but I do hope you will find the community a safe place to get support and ask your questions.
It is an emotional time supporting family so you might find this Macmillan information your feelings when someone has cancer helpful as well as this link getting help with your emotions.
The Community is divided into support groups (discussion rooms) so can I suggest you consider joining our supportive Pancreatic cancer group. This is a safe place to talk to others who may have a similar diagnosis, treatment experience, to ask questions and get support from family on the same journey.
If you'd like to connect in with a group click on the Green (Bold) link(s) I have created above. Once the group page opens click on the black banner that says [click to join] at the bottom, or the [Join] button under "Group tools."
You can then introduce yourself by putting up a ‘new post’ by clicking in the box near the top right with + New or + (Depending on the device you are using) and you are ready to go. You could copy and paste the text from this post into your new post.
When it comes to the practical and emotional challenges of supporting family you may also benefit from joining our general Carers only and Supporting someone with incurable cancer groups where you will connect with others navigating the same challenges.
Macmillan have many support services so do check out the Macmillan Support Line is open 8am-8pm (timings may differ across services) 7 days a week on 0808 808 00 00. These services provide cancer information, practical information, emotional support, benefits/financial guidance or just a listening ear.
We also have our Ask an Expert section but do allow a few working days for a reply.
Talking to people face to face can be very helpful so do check to see if you have any Local Macmillan Support in your area, do also check for a local Maggie's Centre as these folks are amazing and aim to give support to all the family.
Please do get back to me if you need further help.
((hugs))
