Supporting my dad who is going though chemo & immu therapy. This last week or so he's been suffering terribly with fatigue, struggling to get out of bed some days, is this a common side effect? This is all new to us as we don't know anyone who's been through chemo. Any advice gratefully received, many thanks
Hi Wandering star44 and a warm welcome to the Macmillan Community but so sorry to hear about your dad.
Cancer Related Fatigue is indeed very common...... and can hit people in very different ways and this is often all down to the type of cancer and the treatments that are being used so getting support from others who are dealing with the ‘exact same' cancer or cancer support challenges can help a lot.
I had over 800hrs of chemo (plus other treatments) over a 2 year period for treating my 2 types of Lymphoma and the one thing that my Cancer Nurse Specialist (CNS) kept telling me..... and my wife was try and keep some regular activity going.... as the less I did the worse the fatigue would get and the recovery would take longer...... we have signs around our hospital that say 'for every week in bed...... is like physically and mentally aging 10 years'
This New to Community area is like our reception desk where we try to direct you to the best part of the Community for you to get support.
The Community is actually divided into dedicated Support Groups (Discussion Rooms)……… but you don’t say what type of cancer your dad has…….. but if you care to have a look through THIS LIST you will find all our dedicated cancer support groups listed…… it’s so important to get the right group as not all cancers react in the same way.
These groups are safe places to talk to others who may have a similar diagnosis, treatment experience, to ask questions and get support from family members who are navigating the same journey.
Have a look through the LIST above and once you find the support group for your………. cancer type....... click on the link and when the group page opens you will see a [Black - Click to Join - Banner] at the bottom of the page, click in this box and this will then confirm that you have joined the group.
When you are ready……. you can introduce yourself by putting up your very own post by clicking [+ Create new post] or [+] in the top right of the group page.
You can copy and paste the text from this post into your new post.
As for the practical and emotional challenges of supporting your dad and indeed yourself you may benefit from joining and posting in our……..
Carers only (if you are their caregiver)
Supporting someone with incurable cancer (if this is applicable)
……support groups where you will connect with others navigating the same support challenges.
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.
The Macmillan Support Line is open between 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.
Do get back to me if you need further help navigating the community ((hugs))
