Hi everyone,
I’ve just joined Macmillian. I’m 17 and my Dad (40) has been diagnosed with Bowel cancer since May. He’s been going for his chemo up until a few weeks ago where he’s just had his major operation. He’s had to stay in hospital for over a week now and has to stay for a week longer. The surgery was quite complicated and so he had to go to Guys & St. Thomas’ hospital in London which is 2 hours away from where we live. So far, neither myself or my sisters have been allowed to see him since he’s in such a bad state.
I was wondering if anyone had any positive comments on after the operation. I’m so scared that he’s not going to make it out of the hospital or if something is going wrong because he has to stay in the hospital longer since he can’t eat.
Any comments would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you so much.
Hi itsgoingtobeok and welcome to the Online Community but so sorry to hear about your dad’s diagnosis.
A cancer diagnosis in the family can be such a challenging and stressful time but I do hope you will find the Community a safe place to get support and to ask your questions.
The Community is divided into support groups (discussion rooms) so can I recommend you join and post in our supportive Bowel (colon and rectum) cancer support group. This is a safe place to talk to others who may have a similar diagnosis and treatment experience, to ask questions and get support from family members who are navigating the same journey.
If you'd like to connect in with a group click on the Green (Bold) link 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 Family and friends support group where you will connect with others navigating the same support challenges.
The Macmillan Support Line is open from 8am-8pm (timings may differ across services) 7 days a week on 0808 808 00 00 where you can talk with someone about specific cancer and practical information, get emotional support, benefits/financial guidance or just connect with 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.
