Hi! My nan was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer last September and she went into hospital for 3 weeks with fluid on her lungs and had multiple tests/scans. My nan has been doing well mostly since staring her letrizole treatment,she can’t have chemo or an operation as it won’t help. She’s recently been told her markers have increased and has to have another scan,I’m worried this is a turning point in her diagnosis and things are going to rapidly get worse now. My mum isn’t coping well and has a somewhat strained relationship with my nan,my daughter who is 11 and very close to my nan is also struggling. This cancer has caused a strain on everyone and we are all having so many emotions. I’m not sure I’m ready for what’s next with my nans cancer or if I will be able to help her. I would like to be able to do the best for my nan.
Hi Bubbles39 and welcome to the Macmillan Community but so sorry to hear about your nan’s diagnosis and the challenges your are all having.
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 Family and friends and Supporting someone with incurable cancer support groups where you will connect with others navigating the exact same support challenges.
To connect with a group click on the “Bold Italic Links” 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.
The Macmillan Support Line is open 8am-8pm (timings may differ across services) 7 days a week on 0808 808 00 00. 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 and support all the family.
Do get back to me if you need further help navigating the community.
