I’ve just joined as my partner was recently diagnosed with terminal cancer which is progressing fast. It has spread to his peritoneum and is untreatable. He has blood clots in his lungs that is caused by the cancer. He has been in denial but it now seems to be dawning on him. He has not wanted to talk about the diagnosis but has been referred to palliative care and is on opioids. He is having difficulty eating and is very constipated. Nothing seems to work and we are getting very little support . I have had to chase up everything including the actual diagnosis, The lack of healthcare funding is such that staff are so overworked. I don’t blame staff eg one person is now doing the job held previously by 4 full timers. it My main worry now is that he is so withdrawn and depressed. He won’t have visitors and I’m at a loss what to do. Would welcome any experiences or help in dealing with this. I have good family and friends, but it feels very lonely.
Hi Hallam and welcome to the Online Community but so sorry to hear about your partners diagnosis.
A cancer diagnosis like this in the family can be such a challenging and stressful time but getting support from others who are dealing with the ‘exact same' support challenges can help a lot.
The Community is actually divided into Support Groups (Discussion Rooms) and when it comes to the practical and emotional challenges of supporting family and friends you may benefit from joining and posting in our Carers only and Supporting someone with incurable cancer support groups where you will connect with others navigating the exact same support challenges.
To join a group first click on the “Bold Link” I have created above then once the group page opens click on “Click to Join” when the black banner appears or “Join” under “Group Tools” (this all depends on the device you are using)
You can then put up your own post when you’re ready by clicking “+new” or “+” in the top right next to the group title. You can copy and paste the text from this post into your new post. You can also scroll through other members posts and click “Reply” to get involved.
It’s a challenging time for you so you may want to use the Macmillan Support Line is open 8am-8pm (timings may differ across services) 7 days a week on 0808 808 00 00 or via Webchat and Email too. This service provides 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.
Do get back to me if you need further help navigating the community.
