My best friend of many, many years is losing her battle with stage 4 bowel cancer. We’re just waiting to hear when she’ll be moved to a hospice. My mum also lost her battle with cancer so I have experience with it but this is hitting so much harder. My mum was elderly but my friend isn’t.
She was diagnosed in November after being fobbed off by her GP which I’m really angry about, she presented with all the signs that are on the tv advert but still he didn’t pick it up. I have to let that go. By the time she was diagnosed she was already at secondary stage and it was all too late. They’re saying she just has a few weeks left, she can’t eat, has a stomach drain in which is draining everything she drinks. She’s being supported at home by the nurses until she moves to the hospice.
How do I get through this? I’m so tearful at the moment but I want to get myself in check to be supposed of her.
Hi JCH187 and a warm welcome to the Macmillan Community but so sorry to hear about your best friend..
A cancer diagnosis like this can be such a challenging and stressful time but getting support from others who are dealing with the ‘exact same' support challenges can help you a lot.
The Community is actually divided into dedicated Support Groups (Discussion Rooms) and when it comes to the practical and emotional challenges of supporting your friend and indeed yourself you may benefit from joining and posting in our……
Supporting someone with incurable cancer
……. support groups where you will connect with a wide range of members 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 in the [Black - Click to Join - Banner] that appears at the bottom of the page 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.
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.
Do get back to me if you need further help navigating the community.
