My dad has been diagnosed with throat cancer this week. It's very very serious. He's being scheduled for surgery immediately to have his whole voice box removed. This is the only option.
I've been to visit them this weekend and he is just so poorly. Coughing and barely able to catch his breath. Grey. He's obviously in a lot of pain. And he's very frightened. It's only a month since I've seen him and he's changed so much. He hasn't even had any treatment yet- just a biopsy two weeks ago and then will have the surgery next week.
A really hard part is that he doesn't want any help. He is obviously miserable and scared. He doesn't want to talk about it, he doesn't want to take positive steps to prepare himself for rehabilitation. My mum is finding it so difficult because she is living with a man who is obviously so sick but she can't do anything. I don't know how to support either of them.
This surgery, if he survives, will obviously change him. He won't be able to talk or eat normally. He'll have to breath through a stoma. My instinct in difficult situations is to try and take positive steps to understand and prepare for what's going to happen. But he doesn't want to do that. He hasn't even found out what the surgery involves or what he will be like afterwards because he doesn't want to know.
How can someone so 'glass half empty' get through something like that without just sinking? How can I help my mum? She's just lost.
I don't know if he wants to survive the surgery. A part of me hopes he doesn't.
Please or to access all these features
Please
or
to access all these features
Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.
Life-limiting illness
How do I support someone who doesn't want support?
4 replies
GuybrushThreepwoodMP · 07/12/2014 04:49
OP posts:
BobbyBingoooo ·
09/12/2014 08:07
This reply has been deleted
Message withdrawn at poster's request.
Please create an account
To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.