Hi all
My darling daddy (I'm a huge daddy's girl) was diagnosed with bowel cancer May 2023. He had surgery and chemotherapy and we thought that was all sorted. Sadly last week he's been diagnosed with Prostate cancer and needs to have a bone marrow biopsy so I also suspect he may have leukaemia.
I feel like I'm spiralling and have no idea how to support him. Trying to keep things as normal as possible. He's a very funny man so lots of laughter and being light-hearted but I feel like I'm breaking inside.
The thought that I could lose my Dad is unimaginable. He absolutely is my World. I have a son who also adores him. He's nearly three and the thought of him not remembering his Pop Pops is awful.
There's no support available for family. I tried accessing my Employee assistance program and was told my needs were 'too complex'. It's utterly ridiculous. They said to speak with my GP who we all know would be completely useless.
I feel so out of control and helpful. I can't even begin to imagine how my Dad is feeling.
If you are unwell, please can you share anything that has helped you please. I'm so sorry you're going through this but if you can share anything that can help me support my dad, I would appreciate it so much.
Hi BeckyM and welcome to the Macmillan Community but so sorry to hear about your dad and the challenges you are dealing with.
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 New to Community is like our reception desk where we look to direct you to the best part of the Community for you to get support. The Community is divided into dedicated Support Groups (Discussion Rooms) and when it comes to the practical and emotional challenges of supporting your dad and indeed yourself may benefit from joining and posting in our.......
....support group where you will connect with others navigating the exact same support challenges.
To connect with a group click on the “Bold Italic 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.
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.
You may find it helpful to call the Macmillan Support Line 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 3 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.
Please do get back to me if you need further help navigating the community.
I have been on my incurable cancer journey for over 23 years now and I know well the challenges that my wife has had to deal with while I was having my many treatments.
The community has many cancer specific support groups - if you look through THIS LIST you will find all our many dedicated cancer support groups listed….. these deal more with the practical challenges of having treatment but also do cover general support specific to each cancer type.
