Hi,
My mum has recently been diagnosed with secondary breast cancer. It was a sudden diagnosis as she had a mammogram back in March that was clear (they even went to look again to make sure) she went on holiday and got sick while she was there with a chest infection and thats when it was found. She is currently in hospital having a blood transfusion and a platelet transfusion as her hemoglobin is low, they are also giving her the first round of chemo whilst she is in. I am 18 weeks pregnant and i don't know what I can and can't do when it comes to caring for my mum, I have 5 brothers and sisters and my dad so there are plenty of people to help but I just feel so lost.
I would greatly appreciate any advice on how to cope with these feelings or how I can be there for my mum
Thank you for reading
Hi ArmouredPotion and a warm welcome to the Macmillan Community but I am sorry to hear about your mum.
Navigating this journey can be such a stressful and challenging time but talking with and getting support from people who have walked or are walking the ‘exact same' treatment journey, be it as a patient or caregiver can help a lot.
The Community is actually divided into dedicated Support Groups (Discussion Rooms) so can I recommend you look to join and post in our dedicated…….
……. support group.
This group is a safe place 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 support journey.
As for the practical and emotional challenges of supporting your mum and indeed yourself and the rest of the family you may benefit from joining and posting in our general cancer……
Carers only (if you are her caregiver)
……. support grouos 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 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.
As always 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 and financial guidance or just a listening ear.
Talking to people ‘face to face’ can be very helpful so do check to see if you have any Local Support in your area, do also check for a local Maggie's Centre as these folks are amazing.
Do get back to me if you need further help navigating the community.
