Terminal lymphoma

Hi LisaJ1 and welcome to the Online Community but I am so sorry to hear about your dad’s diagnosis and prognosis.

A cancer diagnosis like this in the family can be such a challenging and stressful time but it will help you to talk with others on the Dane journey.

As far as I know there are no group members walking this specific journey at the moment but can I recommend you join and post in our general Carers only and Supporting someone with incurable cancer support groups where you will connect with others dealing with the same challenges while supporting family.

The Macmillan Support Line is open from 8am-8pm (timings may differ across services) 7 days a week on 0808 808 00 00 where you can talk with someone about specific cancer and practical information, get emotional support, benefits/financial guidance or just connect with a listening ear. 

We also have our Ask an Expert section but do allow a few working days for a reply.

Talking to people face to face can be very helpful so do check to see if you have any Local Macmillan Support in your area, do also check for a local Maggie's Centre as these folks are amazing and aim to give support to all the family.

Please do get back to me if you need further help.

LisaJayne,

we are in the same boat- different variables and stages but as a family we are facing Dad passing from Hodgkin’s in a yet unknown period of time. Just waiting for post chemo scan to give us more of an idea.

we’re finding this hard too. You are not alone x

Hello LisaJayne and Kirtters  - I have taken a day to think about an adequate response and even now I feel I will fall very short of adequacy. But I didn't want to ignore you. I empathise with your plights from a completely different perspective -  as a dad with Hodgkins Lymphoma.

I am a (step)dad aged 77 and I have  2 (step) children and 3 g-children and 2 g-g children (with another one on the way) and been undergoing treatment with HL for 3 and a bit years. I am well and active at the moment - the operative word is moment. My oncologist said that most probably I will die with, or from, HL. My children's mum (Wendy) died of a brain tumour in 2009 having been diagnosed in 1992 therefore for the past 30 years, bloody bloody cancer and/or its effects has hung over us all! And I do feel for my kids.

So how have we faced up to the changing challenging situations? Wendy "taught" us to panic when we have to. And as far as is practical, life goes on as usual, but a different usual; chemo/immunotherapy can make me feel rough. And all the time- the medical reviews/meetings - the dread of receiving "news". And your dads are still your dads - enjoy/irritate/laugh with/argue/hug and love them.

May the future be  . . . I was going to write "gentle" . . but that word is wrong. So I hope you can cope and live through what will be an unknown, possibly anything but gentle, future.

Pete  (plus a long distance hug) X