Apologies if I've ended up posting twice. I wrote a whole post last night and thought it had posted but I can't see it this morning!
My Mum had a diagnosis of SCLC in November 2022. She's 63 this year, and grandmother to 8 children between my sister and I.
I have tried to be practical and sanguine about my mothers diagnosis, but I'm finding thr positivity slipping away. It feels like everyone else around me (I mean my immediate family, husband etc) have forgotten about it, but it constantly intrudes my thoughts on a daily basis.
My Mum looks so different to how she did prior to the diagnosis, and it's frankly really frightening how unwell she seems.
She's had 2 rounds of chemo, and 10 days of radiotherapy, and is about to embark on another round of chemo.
The tumour grew after the second round of chemo. I'm terrified it has gotten larger again.
She has extensive aggressive stage, so I guess there isn't much hope, but no medical professionals seem to be telling us what the hope actually is.
I've also got so much else going on with some difficulties in our family (as in my household) at the moment that need my attention - that I'm feeling as though I don't do enough for my Mum to help. Because I have alot on she isn't asking me, which is thoughtful but also makes me feel helpless too.
Where is the best place to get support as a family member of someone with cancer?
Hi OverwhelmedTurtle and welcome to the Online Community but so sorry to hear about your mum’s diagnosis.
The community can be a little tricky to navigate at first but you will find that you will ‘get it’ and as a result connect with people who can help.
The Community is actually divided into support groups (discussion rooms) and when it comes to the practical and emotional challenges of supporting family you may benefit from joining our very supportive Carers only support group where you will connect with others navigating the same support challenges.
If you'd like to connect in with a group click on the Bold Group 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 just copy and paste the text from this post into your new post.
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 or just connect with a listening ear.
Please do get back to me if you need further help.
