Hi everyone,
My grandad has been diagnosed with both lung and throat cancer. He starts chemotherapy on Monday then will have radiotherapy.
I can tell both grandparents are completely overwhelmed and frightened. All our family are overseas so its down to me to help them/reassure them/everything really.
My grandad is insisting on taking himself to his first session - is this advisable? Will he really feel okay to drive? Im also concerned he may not understand what the nurses explain to him or any discussions about his medication going forward (he'll be taking the 2 tablets the 2 days after his first session) as my nan has always been his voice at appointments...
He understandably has lost his appetite already, half a slice of toast and 2 mouthfuls of spaghetti for the day. Hes so weak and tired and im trying to get him to eat to keep his strength up.
I know there are high calorie drinks etc he can have but how do we get our hands on these?
Im very overwhelmed myself and want to do eveything i can do help/make it easier for them.
Any advice welcome.
Thank you
Good evening TPJA, sorry to hear about your grandad, if he is going just for radiotherapy it is possible for him to go alone but i think because he is not eating and as you say because he is weak its better if someone goes with him if possible, are the tablets for chemo ?. Tell your grandparents not to be frightened as he will be in excellent hands, i had radio and chemo ( via a drip) and managed to get through it all reasonably well. He can get the high-calorie drink through his Dr or dietician on prescription as he needs to be getting plenty of calories and vitamins as it will help with his recovery, he certainly is not eating enough at the moment, drinking is also very important to keep himself hydrated. All my operations and treatment were done 12 years ago so treatments have improved through the years with good chances of recovery and im sure others will agree as they have been through similar. Hopefully, you will get more replies tomorrow. Wishing you all the best during this difficult period, try and steer clear of looking things up on google as they are very misleading and will just cause more worry and concern. Wishing you all the very best,take care.
Chris . x
Its sometimes not easy but its worth it !
Hi Chris,
Thank you for taking the time to reply.
My understanding is every 3rd Monday he has chemo via drip and the Tues and Weds he has it in tablet form. This is to target the lung cancer - he will then have radiotherapy to tackle his throat.
This is how my grandmother has explained it as due to covid i havent been able to go to the appointments.
He is very stubborn so i am working on getting him to allow me to go to his first session - to at least see how he feels afterwards.
I will get onto his Gp first thing Monday re the drinks. 
Again thank you and i hope you yourself are well x
Hi TPJA. Your grandparents are lucky to have you fighting their corner. I would certainly drive him to his first appointment. This treatment is quite brutal and he is likely to be quite ill and need support later on. I was 69 when I finished treatment and I got through but it was a struggle at times. Your grandads team should prescribe his drinks so do ask.
Best wishes and stick around. There’s lots of support here
Dani
Base of tongue cancer. T2N0M0 6 weeks Radiotherapy finished January 2019
