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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

I'm a bit stuck now with some bad news...

412 replies

JustaGirlTrying · 17/09/2025 17:41

Hi all.

Maybes a bit of a long post, so I do apologise.

I have just been given bad news by my ex boyfriend that he has cancer. He's only late 40s and we spent over a decade together and we're friends first. It was a bit of a turbulent relationship at times, but we had some good times, made memories and just couldn't deal with the world well, but we don't hold that against each other.

We properly spilt a few years ago, but remained friends and he helped me out a lot when I hurt my back and the most supportive person when my grandad died.

I am now in a new relationship, but it's a relationship I wish I had never gotten into and it's seems very hard to get out of. Hes a much older man, controlling, condescending and just basically won't get out of my life and I've asked him many times to. We do have nice days, but he is very teenage like, very argumentative and always has to be right. Sexually coercive and just a bit of a head do. I don't want to get the police involved and my parents are very close to removing him from house..... Anyways..... That will all be sorted out soon...

My ex and I are amicable, I do care for him and he's a nice lad, helps anyone with anything type of person. Now that I have been told this cancer news I am immediately wanting to help him. I see him for the first time in 9 months tomorrow at the hospital. He is going for chemo and whatever the hospital say, which is his choice.

He knows I am more holistic and says he will accept natural help after the chemo. He has a loving mother, he has a daughter I don't know of they are estranged still, and he has a sister he half gets on with. He's well known as a good lad around the area and has nice mates.

In my mind, (maybes it's panic), but I am thinking of asking him when he gets better from chemo if he wants to come and stay with me for a bit (nothing sexual) as I have moved out into the countryside. In my mind I am hoping to help him get his immune system back naturally and show him that it's ok to take time out to heal. He's a massive stickler for working and is constantly employed working hard. I live alone (technically) with our cat we got together 11 years ago.

He never looked after his health and I just feel he deserves a second chance hopefully in life to redeem himself and see a new outlook on life and cherish it. I am no way looking to have a couple relationship with him again, but he is a great friend.

When I found out this morning, I told my current partner (1 year) and he started trying to lecture me about cancer as he thinks I'm thick, and were both holistic so I dont know what he was trying to tell me. I told him I wasn't interested in what he had to say as I know what he was pushing and I shouted at him and he got pissy at me and we haven't spoken since. He's left to take his dog out, not even texted me to see if I'm ok. No emotional support at all.

I'm in bad health myself with my bad back and been in bed depressed all day in tears, having to contact old mutual friends and stuff. I've been helping out with trying to get my ex with pip and stuff like that, get the ball rolling until I see him face to face.

I'm literally sick of my current fella draining me like he does and he has his own place but chooses to live here with all his stuff clogging my house up just being lazy and making excuses.

I feel like my ex deserves my help so much more than this narcissist and maybe he will just leave anyways when he's not getting the attention.

I don't know what I'm writing here, I'm just getting stuff out, but do you think it's unreasonable or weird to ask my ex if he wants to stay on a bed downstairs to try and heal? He's been living with his mam for a year or so and she's getting on mid 70s now and wasn't well herself last year.

Obvs I will wait until I get this current one out of my house first!

Thanks for reading if you did, please go easy on me, I'm not after any negativity.

OP posts:
MasterPlaster · 20/09/2025 17:42

Fruitlips · 20/09/2025 16:51

No doubt because those who have suffered from cancer or have a loved one who has didn’t appreciate the very clear link the Op made between when he lived with her and had a healthy lifestyle and was cancer free”

Yes but she was harangued over and over, a woman also in an abusive relationship, until she left which did no good at all.

Fruitlips · 20/09/2025 18:00

MasterPlaster · 20/09/2025 17:42

Yes but she was harangued over and over, a woman also in an abusive relationship, until she left which did no good at all.

Cancer is a sensitive issue and poster will respond accordingly if they feel that an op is clearly linking him having a healthy lifestyle with being cancer free

and the op never ever conceded that. She just battled on and on.

MasterPlaster · 20/09/2025 18:10

Fruitlips · 20/09/2025 18:00

Cancer is a sensitive issue and poster will respond accordingly if they feel that an op is clearly linking him having a healthy lifestyle with being cancer free

and the op never ever conceded that. She just battled on and on.

I have personal experience and have lost family members and close friends to cancer. I hardly know anyone who hasn’t. I didn’t agree with her comments but she responded and was obviously doing her best, berating someone with an unrelenting pile on had entirely the opposite effect.

Fruitlips · 20/09/2025 19:13

MasterPlaster · 20/09/2025 18:10

I have personal experience and have lost family members and close friends to cancer. I hardly know anyone who hasn’t. I didn’t agree with her comments but she responded and was obviously doing her best, berating someone with an unrelenting pile on had entirely the opposite effect.

And that’s you and your experience of cancer

MasterPlaster · 20/09/2025 19:18

Fruitlips · 20/09/2025 19:13

And that’s you and your experience of cancer

Yes.

Fruitlips · 20/09/2025 20:08

MasterPlaster · 20/09/2025 19:18

Yes.

So will explain different responses

MasterPlaster · 20/09/2025 20:50

Fruitlips · 20/09/2025 20:08

So will explain different responses

Yes, I’m glad mine didn’t involve joining a pile-on onto a clearly vulnerable poster.

Fruitlips · 21/09/2025 06:19

MasterPlaster · 20/09/2025 20:50

Yes, I’m glad mine didn’t involve joining a pile-on onto a clearly vulnerable poster.

i didn’t see it as a pile on

I saw it as posters feeling impassioned on a deeply sensitive subject and an OP that appeared utterly oblivious to that fact.

MasterPlaster · 21/09/2025 06:34

Fruitlips · 21/09/2025 06:19

i didn’t see it as a pile on

I saw it as posters feeling impassioned on a deeply sensitive subject and an OP that appeared utterly oblivious to that fact.

Yes, your objective was met. It’s a shame, though, because I’ve seen threads where women in abusive relationships have been supported through the process of leaving. Instead, this OP was hounded off her thread.

Fruitlips · 21/09/2025 06:43

MasterPlaster · 21/09/2025 06:34

Yes, your objective was met. It’s a shame, though, because I’ve seen threads where women in abusive relationships have been supported through the process of leaving. Instead, this OP was hounded off her thread.

Bizarre
I am explaining why other posters were fired up and impassioned.

you see it as a pile on. I don’t. And that’s ok

Swandry · 21/09/2025 06:57

She doesn’t need to leave. She needs to get him to leave.

That’s easy. She puts him out and calls the police if he doesn’t leave.

but for some reason she didn’t want to do that.

This with her friend is a distraction activity. She didn’t want to see that either.

and as for her comments towards me - not just about redeeming myself and my health - but the ones where she said I would hunt down her address and seek her out touch her in the face? Well they weren’t exactly endearing.

Violetparis · 21/09/2025 07:16

You need to sort out getting rid of your current partner before you even think about becoming so involved with the care of an ex partner. Don't bring your ex into the mess of your current situation, he has enough to deal with at the moment.

ocelot3 · 21/09/2025 07:46

It sounds to me like unless you have resolved your domestic and health challenges first, you could in fact be introducing your ex to a pile of extra problems and stresses around him - about you and your life - rather than providing a safe and healthy environment for him. I would not present yourself and your home as a potential refuge for him as it sounds like this could in fact turn out to be the opposite for him.

Change2banon · 23/09/2025 14:24

MasterPlaster · 19/09/2025 21:13

She’s left the thread, so your mission is accomplished.

I had no mission. Actually defended OP from the start. Read posts throughly before accusing posters.

MasterPlaster · 23/09/2025 15:37

Change2banon · 23/09/2025 14:24

I had no mission. Actually defended OP from the start. Read posts throughly before accusing posters.

I’ve just reread your comments that I had responded to and…. really? If this is support I wouldn’t want to be on your wrong side 😆

ETA - never mind, I’ve read further down and it wasn’t easy to figure it out, but I see what you’re saying. Apologies.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 23/09/2025 19:28

MasterPlaster · 21/09/2025 06:34

Yes, your objective was met. It’s a shame, though, because I’ve seen threads where women in abusive relationships have been supported through the process of leaving. Instead, this OP was hounded off her thread.

If they were suggesting what would be interpreted by a violent/abusive partner as kicking him out/dumping to move another man in, let alone an ex, they would be significantly stronger worded in saying it was a really, really, really bad idea.

MasterPlaster · 23/09/2025 21:39

NeverDropYourMooncup · 23/09/2025 19:28

If they were suggesting what would be interpreted by a violent/abusive partner as kicking him out/dumping to move another man in, let alone an ex, they would be significantly stronger worded in saying it was a really, really, really bad idea.

Sorry, I’m not sure what you mean. My point is that while she may not have had views that I agreed on and were clumsily worded in her OP, the resulting pile-on was so unrelenting that she left and therefore any ongoing advice about her abusive relationship could not be accessed.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 24/09/2025 06:57

MasterPlaster · 23/09/2025 21:39

Sorry, I’m not sure what you mean. My point is that while she may not have had views that I agreed on and were clumsily worded in her OP, the resulting pile-on was so unrelenting that she left and therefore any ongoing advice about her abusive relationship could not be accessed.

You're going on about how mean people were when, had it not been for curing/healing bit distracting them, the posts would have been more like 'what the fuck are you thinking of moving another man in', 'how long have you been having an emotional affair with your ex', 'read up on enmeshment' and suchlike.

Ellebelieve · 24/09/2025 10:37

MasterPlaster · 23/09/2025 21:39

Sorry, I’m not sure what you mean. My point is that while she may not have had views that I agreed on and were clumsily worded in her OP, the resulting pile-on was so unrelenting that she left and therefore any ongoing advice about her abusive relationship could not be accessed.

Doesn’t look like a pile on to me

A number of posters pointing that that making a link between when he lived with the op was was “cancer free” is an appalling and offensive comment, and the OP gave as good as she got!

MasterPlaster · 24/09/2025 11:08

NeverDropYourMooncup · 24/09/2025 06:57

You're going on about how mean people were when, had it not been for curing/healing bit distracting them, the posts would have been more like 'what the fuck are you thinking of moving another man in', 'how long have you been having an emotional affair with your ex', 'read up on enmeshment' and suchlike.

Ok.

Change2banon · 24/09/2025 11:23

MasterPlaster · 23/09/2025 15:37

I’ve just reread your comments that I had responded to and…. really? If this is support I wouldn’t want to be on your wrong side 😆

ETA - never mind, I’ve read further down and it wasn’t easy to figure it out, but I see what you’re saying. Apologies.

Edited

Apology was definitely warranted. Honestly it’s about time you learned to read - if anything in my posts was difficult to figure out, then you’re in trouble. Maybe just quit while you’re behind.

Falseknock · 24/09/2025 14:23

NeverDropYourMooncup · 24/09/2025 06:57

You're going on about how mean people were when, had it not been for curing/healing bit distracting them, the posts would have been more like 'what the fuck are you thinking of moving another man in', 'how long have you been having an emotional affair with your ex', 'read up on enmeshment' and suchlike.

This sounds too involved.

Falseknock · 24/09/2025 14:29

Ellebelieve · 24/09/2025 10:37

Doesn’t look like a pile on to me

A number of posters pointing that that making a link between when he lived with the op was was “cancer free” is an appalling and offensive comment, and the OP gave as good as she got!

Picking on a vulnerable woman, you're not on the receiving end of any abuse. The op is abused by her boyfriend and then anonymous keyboard warriors. I hope she's okay and got rid of the boyfriend.

MasterPlaster · 24/09/2025 14:39

Change2banon · 24/09/2025 11:23

Apology was definitely warranted. Honestly it’s about time you learned to read - if anything in my posts was difficult to figure out, then you’re in trouble. Maybe just quit while you’re behind.

You know what, I can read, It wasn’t that obvious. I’m not exactly prostrating myself here, I was being generous and am regretting it somewhat after reading your response.

MasterPlaster · 24/09/2025 14:41

Falseknock · 24/09/2025 14:29

Picking on a vulnerable woman, you're not on the receiving end of any abuse. The op is abused by her boyfriend and then anonymous keyboard warriors. I hope she's okay and got rid of the boyfriend.

Edited

It’s interesting, because I get that some people were definitely hurt by what she said, but there were certainly a few self-righteously enjoying themselves.

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