My dad has been recently (unofficially) diagnosed with cancer and is awaiting the biopsy results in a few weeks’ time, although the surgeon is certain it is cancer.
Dad also has lost functioning of his bladder and one kidney due to the cancer.
He is yet to undergo further surgery for the kidney/bladder issue and will hopefully be discharged home, until the hospital decide what to do in regards to the cancer.
We all feel so lost and don’t know what to do in terms of emotional, practical and financial support. Could anyone please advise what is the best way to tackle this to support our dad?
Hi Abbie888 and a very warm welcome to the online community which I hope you'll find is both an informative and supportive place to be.
I’m sorry to read that it is likely that your dad is going to get a diagnosis of bladder cancer and I know what a hard time waiting for results and a treatment plan can be.
The online community is divided into different support groups so I'm going to recommend that you join the bladder cancer group, which is a great place to ask questions and share experiences.
It's natural to feel lost and unsure at this stage so you might also want to join either the carers only group, if you are your dad's carer, or the family and friends group if you're not his carer. Both groups are supportive places to share your emotions, discuss your worries and talk to others about ways to support your dad.
To join, just click on the links I've created and, once you've joined, you can start a new post in the same way as you did here and join in with existing conversations by clicking on 'reply'.
When you say you "don't know what to do in terms of financial support" I presume you're talking about benefits if your dad is unable to work. Macmillan has this information on understanding benefits and your dad could also speak to the Macmillan Money Advice Team by phoning 0808 808 0000. It's free to call and the advisers are available from Monday to Friday between 8am and 6pm.
It would be great if you could put something about your dad's diagnosis and proposed treatment into your profile as it really helps others when replying to you and also when looking for someone on a similar pathway. It also means that you don't have to keep repeating yourself. To do this click on your username and then select 'Profile'. You can amend it at any time and if you're not sure what to write you can take a look at mine by clicking on my username.
"Never regret a day in your life, good days give you happiness, bad days give you experience"
