r/CancerFamilySupport • • Nov 04 '25

Very helpful-what to do when a loved one receives a terminal diagnosis.

73 Upvotes

The question of what to do, logistically speaking, when your family member/friend is diagnosed with cancer is asked here very frequently. Our community member NegativeSea4435 came up with a great list of the most important tasks that need to be done before your loved one becomes gravely ill.

  1. Put every single important document of theirs in an organized folder. Loans, mortgage, bank info, car title, insurance information, credit cards, birth certificate, tax returns. Every single important document will probably be needed at some point or another. It might seem annoying to do this now but trust me, you do not want to do it after.

  2. Write down their passwords for everything you have; laptop, phone, email, banks, medical portal, etc. Include a list of subscriptions they are using that would need to be cancelled (like Netflix, Amazon, etc) and logins for those.

  3. ⁠Get a custom life story book and write down everything about their life up to now (if they can speak, you can write). Google something like “mom/dad I want to hear your story” it will come up, I suggest getting a few copies. This helps make sure your family will be able to tell their stories to your kids.

  4. ⁠Get a bottle of their cologne/ perfume for all close family. It can be very comforting for family members to have their loved ones smell. Scents get discontinued more than you think so maybe get a few.

  5. ⁠Help them write letters to family. I would recommend special ones for occasions they will miss. This could include special birthdays, weddings, kids, graduation, etc. This might be especially difficult for patients but it’s an amazing thing to have once they pass.

  6. ⁠Prepare your family - kids deserve to know what is happening just as much as adults. For young kids there is a book called “When Dinosaurs Die” that’s pretty popular for preparing kids for this. If your child has ever had a pet die or one of their friends lose a family member that can also help them understand the situation.

  7. ⁠Cancel subscriptions. Go ahead and cancel any subscriptions they aren't using instead of accidentally paying for months after their passing. This is also easier to do while they are still alive and takes something off your plate for after they pass.

  8. ⁠Gifts for family. Of course this is unique to your family but you can help them pick something of theirs the family member will have forever after the patient passes. It doesn’t need to be super fancy but it’s nice for them to have.

  9. ⁠Print or save all relevant medical records. Especially if their condition could be genetic, or just in general. Family may need it one day and it can be a pain to request after death.

  10. Pets. If they have any pets make sure it’s clear who will be taking care of them when your loved one passes. Designate someone to be in charge of collecting and caring for the pets right after the death so they don't get neglected. Your family member loved their pet and it's the right thing to do to honor that love by continuing to care for their pet(s).


r/CancerFamilySupport • • Jul 13 '23

For those struggling...I quote this often because I think it's a perfect description of grief.

646 Upvotes

As for grief, you’ll find it comes in waves. When the ship is first wrecked, you’re drowning, with wreckage all around you. Everything floating around you reminds you of the beauty and the magnificence of the ship that was, and is no more. And all you can do is float. You find some piece of the wreckage and you hang on for a while. Maybe it’s some physical thing. Maybe it’s a happy memory or a photograph. Maybe it’s a person who is also floating. For a while, all you can do is float. Stay alive.

In the beginning, the waves are 100 feet tall and crash over you without mercy. They come 10 seconds apart and don’t even give you time to catch your breath. All you can do is hang on and float. After a while, maybe weeks, maybe months, you’ll find the waves are still 100 feet tall, but they come further apart. When they come, they still crash all over you and wipe you out. But in between, you can breathe, you can function. You never know what’s going to trigger the grief. It might be a song, a picture, a street intersection, the smell of a cup of coffee. It can be just about anything…and the wave comes crashing. But in between waves, there is life.

Somewhere down the line, and it’s different for everybody, you find that the waves are only 80 feet tall. Or 50 feet tall. And while they still come, they come further apart. You can see them coming. An anniversary, a birthday, or Christmas, or landing at O’Hare. You can see it coming, for the most part, and prepare yourself. And when it washes over you, you know that somehow you will, again, come out the other side. Soaking wet, sputtering, still hanging on to some tiny piece of the wreckage, but you’ll come out.

Take it from an old guy. The waves never stop coming, and somehow you don’t really want them to. But you learn that you’ll survive them. And other waves will come. And you’ll survive them too. If you’re lucky, you’ll have lots of scars from lots of loves. And lots of shipwrecks.


r/CancerFamilySupport • • 6h ago

I’m burnt out???

7 Upvotes

I’m a f (29) and my dad was diagnosed suddenly with stage 4 colon cancer back in August when he completely collapsed. The cancer is very aggressive and has spread to his liver and pelvic bone so all he can receive is chemotherapy.He was never a happy person or an easy going guy, he was an alcoholic for a majority of my life and severely damaged emotionally. My mom left us when I was young and then died when I was a teen so it’s always been just him and I , our lives never separate even when at times they should’ve been.

I’m no different than him mentally but the only difference is I try to be better. Since his diagnosis he’s mentioned how he’s with god so he’s covered mentally … meanwhile he’s screaming at me, not eating , refusing to walk, refusing to sleep, calling me names and simply treating me like I’M THE CANCER! I do everything he tells me to a T because that’s what I’ve done my entire life but now that seems to not be good enough. I’m physically and mentally exhausted and the only time I have away from him is when I gotta go grocery shopping or pick up his meds, my social life is gone, I have no agency anymore. It’s all him or nothing. Psw and physio come to clean him and get him to exercise but the rest is all me 24/7 im not allowed to sleep sometimes because he wants me to watch him and if I don’t he’ll say “so you left me to die? Is that it?”

I’ve been taking care of him since he was discharged from hospital in September and I see people here who’ve been taking care of their loved ones for years and being exhausted and I’m thinking to myself that I might be a bit melodramatic but I genuinely don’t think I can do this. I’m running out of energy , money, ideas… everything. I’m sorry to say that I don’t want to do this forever. I can’t.

Mind you I’ve watched over him when he was a drunk for half of my life and now this…I was simply born to take care of him.


r/CancerFamilySupport • • 4h ago

I'm not sure how to process this.

2 Upvotes

Me (27F) found out a couple of hours ago that my dad has a tumor in his brain and it's not treatable. There's no treatment or surgery that can help him. They'll be giving him medication that he can take but of course it's not going to fix him. I'm not sure how long he has as we will be talking to a specialist tomorrow to discuss further. Maybe it's a few months or a few years, I'm not sure. I just know my dad is dying and I don't know what to do.

I'm not sure how to start preparing or what I'm supposed to do. My parents haven't ever started a will or plans for them after they passed. It's just me, I don't have another family that can help me through this. My mom has no idea what to do nor do I think she can handle it. I'm not sure if my dad is processing it all or if he's in denial. I'm so scared and lost that I can't even focus anymore.

I've had fights with my dad in the past and we never had a good father daughter relationship. So a part of me regrets everything that happened in the past. Maybe I should've spent more time with him or maybe I should've been better for him. Now that he's dying, I feel like I've wasted my time with him. I'm not sure how to emotionally process this, I feel like I should've spent be sadder but I feel more stress of the financial burden this might put us under. I have to start planning but no one has ever taught me what to do when one of my parents is going to die.

What do you do? How should I continue on? I'm scared and I feel like I'm about to burn up. I feel like a little kid again, wanting my mom and dad to hold me to make me feel better.


r/CancerFamilySupport • • 10h ago

How can I cope with my mom having cancer?

5 Upvotes

Hey, I just want to vent, I don't have anyone to talk to about this and I feel like I'm going to break. also english isn't my first language so sorry if I have any mistakes. I am 18, my mom is 55. My mom just got diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast caner. She had another kind of breast cancer back when I was an infant and she survived it, I recently found out she has it again. I am so devastated and I cant stop crying all the time......

I feel so bad because when I was 15-16, we used to fight all the time and I was a really bad daughter and now she has cancer and I feel so guilty. I don't want to lose my mom, I'm going to be so lost without her. She never stopped loving me even though I was a pain. She never stopped loving me even though I was acting mean and arguing all the time. She didn't give up on me even when I dropped out of highschool at 16. She always wanted me to be happy. Yesterday we were talking on the sofa and I started crying and hugged her and told her im so sorry abour those years and if I could take back everything, I would. She told me it is not my fault and that she forgives me. I just want to be a good daughter.

I just love her so much. I am trying to make things easier for her. I cook all the meals at home, I help around with everything I can around the house. My dad and my brother too. I'm just so worried and sad. I have never felt this stressed or sad in my life. I don't know what to do. my mom is such a good person, she lived such a hard life. She doesn't deserve this. I love her more than anything and I cant stop crying, i cant fall asleep. I just don't know what to do and how to feel and how to help.


r/CancerFamilySupport • • 20h ago

My mother was diagnosed with cancer yesterday.

15 Upvotes

My mother is a 53 year old woman who is really healthy and active. Recently she went in for pain on her right breast but it turned out to be fibrosis something she’s dealt with her whole life. The doctor however noticed a lump on her left side, extremely tiny. They recommended a biopsy immediately. This is Mexico so we pay out of pocket and she had an MRI , mammogram and biopsy done in one week. Results show a 0.7 cm size tumor contained but aggressive. Gynecologist is pushing for oncologist asap and get her in treatment already. They consider my mom extremely lucky, it’s tiny and caught so early. I am confused and anxious. This has never happened in our family ever. My mother is fine, she is optimistic and relieved it was caught so so early.

Best advice i’ve gotten is to just continue to follow the medical advice from her doctors and take it day by day. She is luckily not sick, she is will comtinue to go to the gym and live normally. I in the other hand continue to be in shock. My mind goes to the worse of the worse. How did you deal with this?


r/CancerFamilySupport • • 7h ago

¿Cómo se aprende a vivir cuando todo cambia de un día para otro?

1 Upvotes

Hace algunas semanas me diagnosticaron cáncer en la sangre (leucemia). Fue algo que pasó de un día para otro. Estaba trabajando normalmente cuando, de repente, comencé a sofocarme muy rápido e incluso a perder fuerza. Se me hizo extraño, así que decidí acudir al médico. Después de hacerme varios estudios, tuvieron que internarme de emergencia, donde he recibido transfusiones y muchos otros tratamientos.

La verdad, mi vida estaba yendo bastante bien. Sentía que iba por el camino que quería y que poco a poco estaba construyendo la vida que deseaba. Sin embargo, todo cambió de un momento a otro. Es como si, de repente, me hubieran arrebatado el control de mi propia vida.

Ahora me la paso yendo de mi casa al hospital, y, sinceramente, es frustrante. Me cuesta asimilar que todo haya cambiado tan rápido y que, de un día para otro, muchas de las cosas que hacía antes ya no sean posibles.


r/CancerFamilySupport • • 15h ago

Mother was just diagnosed

3 Upvotes

My (31F) mother (58F) was just diagnosed with mullerian carcinoma of the uterus. We don't know what stage it is yet, only that it has "likely spread" and are waiting for the results of her second biopsy and meeting with an oncologist to know the next steps. I've never had someone close to me diagnosed with cancer, especially not one as aggressive and rare as what my mother has. She may also have Lynch Syndrome, and if she does, I'll have to get tested as well, and possibly look at getting a hysterectomy of my own.

I'm a little bit at a loss. I feel simultaneously sluggish and anxious. Like my head is full of a fog. I keep crying off and on, thinking about the possibility of losing her so soon. She's the person in my family I'm closest to, the person I'm the most similar to. Even our mannerisms are similar. I don't want her to die. I'm scared. She says she's okay, I can tell she's trying to stay positive, but I know that she's terrified, too. I don't know how to support her, either, in a way that doesn't feel like I've given up all hope. But the numbers and statistics for what she has don't look good. How do you hold statistics in your head and be realistic with yourself, and still keep hope up?


r/CancerFamilySupport • • 11h ago

The worst thing happened to me

1 Upvotes

My boyfriend has stage 4 cancer I’ve been caregiving for him for months. He lives with people who are very controlling they’re not even his relatives. It’s his friend and his friend and his friends dad and his girlfriend. I always had a bad feeling that it boyfriend and I weren’t going to last because of these people. He has to ask them permission to leave he’s not allowed to hang out with me all the time they make him balance hanging out with there son and me. His cancer got bad and has been really bad and I’ve been the only one there helping him. They haven’t lifted a finger. I’ve been hospitalized due to stress. I have been expierncing mental health issues. I’ve all around been so down right now. To top it off they told me they didn’t feel confortable with him there because his cancer was so bad and it was scaring him which made me go pick him up and take him to my house. He was so weak and couldn’t handle chemo I had to take him to the hospital I eventually told him that they didn’t want him back and he said he’d stay with me. He was finally discharged and tight away he went back with him. I went with him and they said they no longer want me there and I’m no longer allowed. And instead of my boyfriend fending for me he told me to go back home and he’ll stay there. We went back and fourth I said awful things to him. He ended up blocking me and treating me like a mental patient and told me he’s going to call the cops on me and dropped all my stuff and when I asked if he can talk he said “dueces” and gave me the peace sign. Everything I did for this man just to betray me like that. Those people got in his head and I’ve warned him about them. His friends dads girlfriend was trying to get power of attorney of him when he was drugged from the surgery at one point. I’m distraught I feel betrayed. He texted me saying “I can’t talk like this, I left all your stuff” should I block him? What should I do


r/CancerFamilySupport • • 13h ago

Mi madre tiene cáncer y mi padre ha decidido romper con ella.

1 Upvotes

Hola a todxs! Nunca pensé que escribiría aquí, pero bueno, aquí estamos.

Primero que nada, soy de España, tengo 25 años y acabo de aprobar unas oposiciones, para empezar con algo bonito. Por desgracia, mi madre tiene cáncer.

Mi madre ha tenido cáncer, desgraciadamente, en cuatro ocasiones a lo largo de mi vida, una cuando yo tenía 6 años, otra cuando tenía 17, otra con 22 y otra ahora. Todos han sido de mama, pero este último, a pesar de haberse quitado los dos pechos, ha sido el peor. Cáncer metastásico de grado IV que afecta a pulmones, cerebro, huesos e hígado. Por suerte, ahora está mucho mejor, los focos tumorales están en 14 y de momento está fuera de peligro mortal.

El día que nos enteramos de este último cáncer fue horrible. Mi madre tenía 4 litros de líquido en el pulmón izquierdo y según los propios médicos estuvo muy cerca de morir aquel día. Pero no lo hizo. Sin embargo, yo sé que desde ese día mi madre no es la misma. De aquello hace ya un año y 4 meses, aproximadamente. Durante este tiempo, mi padre y yo nos hemos hecho cargo de la casa, con mi padre centrándose más en mi madre, llevándola a médicos, pidiendo días libres, haciendo malabares para poder estar con ella... Decir que la anterior vez que tuvo cáncer, mi padre incluso cogió una excedencia y se quedaba en el hospital días enteros hasta que le podía hacer el relevo, porque yo estaba con las prácticas de la universidad y mi tiempo era muy limitado.

Siempre he chocado mucho con mi madre, mi padre dice que es porque somos iguales, pero sea cual sea el motivo, es cierto que es la única persona con la que discuto al menos una vez a la semana. Este último año he chocado con ella muchas veces porque nunca piensa en lo que dice, ella dice que es una escopeta sin seguro, y muchas veces hace daño con sus palabras, pero nada grave. Una vez les dije a mis padres, pocos meses después de que comenzara con este cáncer, que yo lo estaba llevando bien porque estaba acostumbrado a vivir en estas circunstancias. Mi madre se echó a llorar y mi padre me dijo que no era culpa de mi madre que yo estuviera mal, me echó una bronca enorme, y yo no entendía por qué. Después hablé con él y me dijo que yo tenía que entender que mi madre tenía una enfermedad terminal, y que él quería que ella viviera el tiempo que le quedara, fuese cual fuese, de la mejor manera posible.

Los meses pasaron, y mi madre iba cada vez a peor. No físicamente, todo apuntaba y sigue apuntando a que el cáncer está muy controlado, si bien no es curable, por lo visto, yo no entiendo. La cosa es que mi madre al principio bajaba a veces a la planta de abajo (vivimos en un chalet) a comer, cenar, salir al patio, regar las plantas... Pero poco a poco se quedó más y más en su habitación. Yo le decía que tenía que levantarse o quedar con sus amigas, pero ella siempre me decía que no le apetecía y que no quería que nadie la viese así, y mi padre simplemente se dedicaba a hacerle caso. Ella seguía diciendo comentarios hirientes, como que yo no hacía nada en casa o que tenía que organizarme porque no podía ser que me fuese con mi novia por ahí y volviese a que tantas los fines de semana, o que me despertaba demasiado tarde, que ella tenía la culpa de que no hiciera nada porque me lo ha permitido... En fin.

En noviembre del año pasado empecé a trabajar en la empresa de mi padre como administrativo, de 22 a 6, para hacer unos ahorrillos mientras estudiaba mi oposición. Por tanto me despertaba más tarde que antes, llegaba más tarde a casa y en general mi horario era completamente distinto. Hay que decir que aquí mi madre se relajó conmigo, porque entendía que mi horario estaba completamente girado. Pero por desgracia fue al poco de empezar a trabajar que empezaron los problemas serios.

Mi padre estaba más arisco, yo le notaba diferente, como si en lugar de mi padre a veces simplemente se comportase como mi jefe, a pesar de que, directamente, no era mi superior en la empresa ni nada. Y con las semanas y los meses mi relación con él era claramente peor, aunque yo siempre me he llevado absolutamente genial con mi padre.

Todo esto se sumó al empeoramiento psicológico de mi madre, cada vez más palpable, cada vez estaba más delgada y seguía sin salir de casa... Y entonces pasó el día que realmente comenzó con la peor etapa de mi vida.

Yo me dedicaba sobre todo a seguir un registro de las entradas y las salidas del personal en la empresa. Un día mi padre me llamó para decirme que tenía que irse del trabajo antes y que no íbamos a coincidir (normalmente cuando llegaba yo, él se iba, para que mi madre no se quedase sola en ningún momento, ya que lo lleva fatal). Yo intenté llegar rápido al trabajo para verle, pero efectivamente no estaba cuando llegué. Le pregunté a un compañero que si se acababa de ir y me dijo que no, que se había marchado hacia mucho tiempo. No pude aguantarme y le miré el registro de fichaje, llevaba 2 horas y media fuera del trabajo, a pesar de que debía llevar, como mucho, media hora. A mí me dio un pequeño ataque de ansiedad y le empecé a llamar, pero él no me cogía. Al final, teniéndome lo peor, llamé a mi madre para preguntar si mi padre había llegado a casa, ella me dijo que no y le expliqué la situación. Los dos llegamos a la conclusión de que, quizás, estaba siendo infiel a mi madre. Realmente no sé por qué pensamos eso primeramente, pero así fue. Al final, un par de horas después mi padre llegó a casa y tuvo una conversación con mi madre, luego me llamó al trabajo y me dijo que no pasaba nada, pero que se sentía fatal porque pensásemos de él que había estado con otra mujer. Es verdad que él nunca ha dado razones para dudar, pero nunca nos había mentido antes tampoco, y digamos que su vida social es de todo menos extensa. Dijo que estaba con un amigo tomando algo y que necesitaba relajarse, pero mi madre no le creyó del todo.

Esas ideas crecieron en la cabeza de mi madre y se añadió a la mochila que ya llevaba. Por lo visto mi madre le decía cada dos por tres que estaba con otra, y mi padre lo negaba cada vez. Yo casi no convivía con ellos por el trabajo. Mi padre empezó a tener aún menos paciencia con mi madre, o quizás mi madre apretaba de más, seguramente fuese esto segundo. El caso es que a veces llegaba a casa o me despertaba por la tarde y había cosas tiradas por el suelo, simplemente porque mi padre había subido la comida a mi madre, se le había caído y se había enfadado. Mi padre nunca se enfadaba, nunca. Una vez vino mi novia a casa y él llegó muy enfadado, por algo que había pasado por la mañana con mi madre. Nos saludó muy seco y se cogió una cerveza de la nevera. Cuando la apoyó en la mesa se giró para coger una cosa y la cerveza se cayó al suelo. En lugar de recogerlo, le pegó dos patadas a la lata, que acabó mojando incluso las zapatillas de mi novia, y luego se sentó en la silla con todo el suelo y su pierna chorreando. Yo tenía que marcharme al trabajo, pero me quedé y limpié todo el charco. Él no me dijo ni una palabra mientras yo limpiaba.

Mi madre, por su parte, se dedicaba a llorar constantemente todos los días. Seguía sin salir ni levantarse casi nada de la cama. Y mi padre empezó a decirle comentarios como que no iba a irse de viaje con ella a ningún lado para hacer de enfermero, negaba llevarla a la peluquería e incluso se mostraba irascible cada vez que tenía que llevarla al médico o al psiquiatra (con el cual empezó hará cosa de dos meses por fin). El decía que estaba cansado de la situación, no de ella, pero a mi madre le dolía igual. Al final, cuando decidí que ya no iba a seguir en mi trabajo, le empecé a decir a mi madre que no se preocupara, que seguro que mi padre estaba quemado y necesitaba descansar, que cuando dejase el trabajo y me pusiera a estudiar (creía que las oposiciones no las había aprobado ni de coña), literalmente tres días antes de mi último día mi padre, después de que mi madre siguiera insistiendo en que había otra mujer, acabó diciendo a mi madre que había otra persona que le atraía, pero que quería a mi madre y quería cuidarla.

Al día siguiente le dijo literalmente que no la quería como mujer, que él la iba a cuidar, y cuando ella estuviera mejor, veían qué hacían. Mi madre, obviamente, pidió el divorcio justo después. Mi padre siguió subiéndole la comida la primera semana, a pesar de que dormía en la cama que pusimos en el salón para cuando vinieran mis abuelos que no tuvieran que subir escaleras. Mi madre nunca se comía nada de lo que él hacía, y en general, no aceptaba nada que viniese de él. Tiró cuadros, rompió fotos... Cualquier cosa que tuviera que ver con mi padre no era bienvenida. Evidentemente, me tocó a mí coger todo lo que hacía mi padre y añadirlo a las tareas que yo hacía ya.

Mi madre es muy, MUY dependiente. Al punto de que no es capaz de decidir qué es lo que va a comer o cenar. Pero al mismo tiempo es incapaz de aceptar sugerencias. Esto se convirtió muy rápido en una situación muy cansada para mí. Estoy sufriendo bastante e intento hacer lo que puedo por ella, pero la realidad es que mis padres se están divorciando, cada uno está mirando pisos, y mi madre me dice cosas muy hirientes. Ayer estuvo llorando sin parar desde las 15 hasta 23. Y mientras lloraba, conmigo delante, decía que mi padre era un hijo de puta, que quería que reventarse y ver las tripas volando, y un montón de comentarios por el estilo. Yo, de la ansiedad, me empecé a rascar el lóbulo de la oreja derecha, hasta que me hice sangre. Tengo una costra medio fea. Nunca jamás había hecho algo así, aunque por suerte fue la oreja, sigo preocupado por ello.

Hoy ha sido el último encontronazo que hemos tenido, porque han venido a tasar mi casa, y yo le he dicho al de la inmobiliaria que creo que mi padre no quería vender por el precio que nos había dicho. Mi madre entonces me ha dicho que llamase a mi padre, porque ella no lo iba a hacer, a pesar de que le he dicho que lo hiciera. Le he dicho a mi padre el asunto y me ha dicho que iba a pedir a otra inmobiliaria que se pasase por aquí para escuchar una segunda opinión, cuando le he comentado eso a mi madre, me ha dicho que aquí no iba a venir nadie, que se hiciese cargo él de sus visitas. Yo le he dicho que me podía hacer cargo yo, pero ha dicho que no, que no y que no. Yo ahí le he acabado diciendo que nada, que entonces pierda el depósito que había hecho (con dinero que me ha pedido prestado a mí, 5.000€), que había usado para la entrada de un piso. Ella me ha respondido llorando que muchas gracias por desearle que pierda el dinero y ahí he explotado. No he gritado, pero sí he elevado la voz y le he dicho que yo no le deseo nada a nadie. Ella me ha empezado a decir que le gritase a mi padre y que tenía que agarrarle de la pechera y estamparle contra la pared (todo esto mientras me agarraba ella de la pechera y me zarandeaba). También ha añadido que le estoy haciendo mucho daño y que le pregunte a mi padre qué hace por ahí con putas.

Al final he acabado llamando a mi padre y le he dicho todo lo que me había dicho mi madre, le he dicho también que mañana voy a pedir un psicólogo porque voy a acabar horriblemente mal, me ha dicho que ni me preocupe, que él se apaña para todo esto y que esté tranquilo. Mi madre por su parte por primera vez ha decidido bajar sola dos veces las escaleras para coger su medicación y su cena, a pesar de que le había ofrecido ayuda.

Añadir que mi padre, cuando empezó todo esto, me dijo que no dejara que mi madre me hiciese lo mismo que le había hecho a él, que yo viviese mi vida y fuese feliz. Que mi madre era perfectamente capaz de bajar y subir su propia cena, y que no tenía que estar yo en casa para nada de eso.

Quería dejar constancia de todo lo que me está pasando, seguro que me he dejado algo, porque han sido unos meses y un año muy jodidos para mí y para todos... Pero bueno, lo dicho, esa es mi situación actualmente.


r/CancerFamilySupport • • 1d ago

not sure what to even say here

7 Upvotes

my dad was diagnosed with t3 extensive small cell lung cancer, as well as squamous carcinoma in his lung. the squamous has now spread to some of his lymph nodes. the VA has been taking its sweet time and it has now been over a month since his definitive sclc diagnosis and his treatment still hasn’t started. he has a doctor’s appointment with an oncologist tomorrow so i don’t know if that’s what they will be discussing or not. my dad survived colorectal and prostate cancer 14 years ago and it never came back. since then he has also suffered a TBI after being run over by a truck at work, had several heart attacks and heart surgery, and has circulation issues. he can walk (very short distances, like from his car into a restaurant, but it absolutely exhausts him now) and talk and even drive, but there is a part of his brain that is completely dead from the TBI. for a long time he didn’t even remember his own family. he had a 99% chance of not surviving his TBI when it happened because it was that bad. he still struggles with many things due to the part of his brain that is dead, but he has always been a miracle case with everything he has fought.

i guess i’m just giving some background and i don’t know what i’m looking to accomplish with this post. i don’t have a big support system and i can’t handle this. i’m absolutely heartbroken, devastated. i guess i’m reaching out because i don’t know what else to do or where else i can reach out. i’m not even sure this post gives much to respond to. i just don’t know what to do. i cannot imagine a life without my father. i’m just so lost.


r/CancerFamilySupport • • 1d ago

Any day now.

22 Upvotes

My mom is in the final stages of peritoneal cancer. Things were looking really good for her. Responding well to chemo and surgery helped a lot. Even got told she was in remission. Then there was a complication and a hospital stay, then more Dr visits, more surgeries, new chemo, then drain tubes, more hospital stays for even longer periods until a month ago when her oncologist told her that nothing was working anymore and that he was recommending hospice.

2 weeks ago she went to get a second opinion to see if there was anything she hadn't tried yet and got told that with her current vitals that if she didn't admit herself that day she wouldn't see tomorrow, so she did. None of the treatments they tried that night to get her stable worked and they told us to say our goodbyes, which we did. We sat up all night waiting for the end but it never came. The next day the hospital sent her home and told us she would need 24 hr care which is where we've been for 2 weeks now.

We all sat there and said our goodbyes and made our peace with things and she did too and the end never came. I'd never seen someone crying and asking why they were alive and wanting to know why they didn't die. And now, while her family is happy to have her still around, it means we now get to sit and watch her suffer and be in pain and lose whatever shred of dignity she had left. I thought losing my dad suddenly without a chance to say some things to him was the worst, until I learned that the alternative is to watch someone you've loved your entire life reduced to the same functionality as an infant and get to sit and listen to them praying and begging to die, asking you if you can help them go faster so they don't have to hurt anymore.

I don't even know what to do anymore. My whole life, she was the one I went to for guidance and direction. Now my life is lived hour by hour; either at my house waiting for a phone call or at her house waiting for breathing to stop. Every moment is a coiled spring knowing that when it's released, my whole life is different.


r/CancerFamilySupport • • 23h ago

Thymus Carcinoma.

1 Upvotes

Its horrible. Im absolutely devastated

My dad 51M was diagnosed with it last year. He had symptoms very similar to covid when we found out, he had a big surgery, Tumor was 8.3cm by 5.7 and it was right in bn his lung and heart. They did biopsy said stage 2b, “tumor has become cancerous but it has not spread”. 6 weeks of preventative chemo and radiation and Nothing showed up, he was cancer free.

Fast forward to august:

He started experiencing headaches and neck pain so he got an MRI, right inferior cerebellar lesion. 3 by 2.3 by 2.3 and after further pet scans, small tumors were found in his lungs. His Brain surgery went smoothly and he thankfully is awake now and is getting discharged today.

Throughout the process they (My dad and stepmom)
were never really transparent about what he had. India is where his surgical and oncology team is. They are good but i never got to ask questions. I don’t know if they do or if they know they should.

My question to you is, since he resides in Ethiopia, and the conversation of him taking medication (Chemo and possibly immuno)back home has been brought up, do you think it is something that is doable? And what are the right questions i can ask when i get to gather up his team in a scheduled zoom call?


r/CancerFamilySupport • • 1d ago

Everything is temporary

2 Upvotes

Few months ago my husband was diagnosed with Classic Hodgkins lymphoma, he has been in treatment (A AVD) and even though some days are better than others and the side effects can get very gnarly I was really feeling things were getting better.

2 weeks ago his mother was also diagnosed with cancer, today we got the differential result: clear cell endometrial carcinoma with a possibility of Lynch syndrome given the lost of MSH6 in the tumoral cells...

I'm the caretaker of both now, I love them with all my heart, but sometimes I feel like I'm drowning, I'm exhausted but I keep pushing forward, we all keep pushing forward, there is nothing else to do but to go on, and hopefully, this will be left behind us just as a dark chapter.


r/CancerFamilySupport • • 1d ago

TW: death, My mother just passed away from Stage 4 Lung cancer

37 Upvotes

My mom passed away two weeks ago, I am feeling immense grief so I have decided to write about her cancer journey.

My mother was such a strong person. In December 2022, my mom was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, I was 18, my siblings were 16, 14 and 11. My dad is the same age as my mom, and he is a doctor.

She had the ALK mutation, which meant that she could take targeted therapy drugs to combat her cancer. It went well for around 7 months, she was responding well to the treatment and we had so much hope. The night before my LNAT exam (I am currently a law student in the UK), I found out that my family was hiding from me that the targeted drugs had stopped working, and she was starting chemotherapy immediately. I became depressed and hopeless, and I refused to sleep that night. I ended up not finishing my LNAT exam, and missed out on my dream university.

Before she started chemotherapy, at least I could pretend that everything would be okay, she would keep taking the medication, her cancer would go into remission and she would be okay for years, decades. I could just be hopeful. But when I found out she would start chemotherapy, I broke down. I could not handle it. I knew that this meant her lifespan would be shortened, and it would be extremely painful for her to go through.

Around the end of 2023, my mother was going through chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy. She was so so strong through it. She gained a lot of body weight from the immunotherapy, her looks changed so much and it was hard for her to even move. Her self confidence went down a lot from her changed appearance. I remember spending a whole afternoon just massaging her legs because they had bloated a lot, it was to help her blood circulation. She would always tell me that it helped her movement and pain so much after I was done.

I gave her massages frequently throughout the years. It was usually before she went to sleep. She loved my massages. It was one of those moments of the day that she would be very relaxed, and we could just talk like normal. She would be in less pain and would be smiling and laughing during our conversations. I miss those moments so so so much.

There were also many close calls when she was going through immunotherapy. She passed out one night from fluid in her heart, and needed to have immediate surgery. We were all so so scared and were crying, we thought we had already lost her. It was the night before my flight back to college. I skipped my flight and stayed for another week to be with her. She fainted again the night after I went back to college.

In 2024, she slowly recovered from the side effects of treatment. She seemed fine, her cancer was not progressing, so I decided to pursue my dreams of studying law in the UK. I knew I would be very very far away from my family, but my family reassured me, and I went. In 2024 and 2025, I would come back for full summers and winters to take care of my mother and my family. She was doing well, we were creating a lot of memories, and everything seemed normal.

Fast forward to 2026, she started having pleural effusion (fluid in her lungs). I know that my family has been lucky, many people with stage 4 lung cancer have only days or months to live, but due to her specific ALK mutation, targeted therapy helped a lot and she managed to live on for four years. We even went on family trips. My family visited me in the UK, we also went to China together early this year.

After our China trip, we found out about her pleural effusion, and started regular drainage of her lungs. She also started becoming dependent on oxygen machines, needing oxygen concentrators to keep her blood-oxygen level up. At first she only needed it a few hours a day, but eventually she was using it 24/7. This became the new normal in our family. Despite being sick, she kept insisting on cooking for us every day. She was such a good cook. It was what she prided herself on. We all loved her cooking, she was so creative and intuitive about it. Our new normal was also carrying portable oxygen concentrators when we went outside. We would strap it at the back of her electric wheelchair, and she would just race around (she was a fast driver haha).

Eventually, besides becoming completely oxygen machine dependent, she also started getting weaker. There was no cancer progression, her right lung was completely fine (many people can live on healthily with just one lung), but she just slowly started feeling more out of breath. In July and August 2026, I started researching for further treatment of her pleural effusion. I read medical journals, talked to doctors and discussed them with my dad. My mother's quality of life had been severely affected by her oxygen dependency, and it had started making her feel hopeless. My research made her hopeful, and we regularly discussed different treatment options. We were so so hopeful.

One of her doctors, a lung cancer specialist, said we should not attempt treatment because it is not recommended for stage 4 lung cancer patients. We found out that he said this because he believes that the mortality rate of stage 4 lung cancer patients makes it pointless to try to solve her pleural effusion. In other words 'she's gonna die at any time so why stress it'. My mother was furious at this, I was too. So we wanted to get second opinion on this, and we ended up deciding to go through with the treatment.

However, we could not do the treatment because my mother was unfit to fly. Her lung capacity had deteriorated too much for her to fly for treatment. This was in September 2026. It was such a fast deterioriation because she had just flown in July 2026. Therefore, she had to start doing more breathing exercises and physical therapy to increase her lung capacity for her to be fit to fly and to do surgery.

Some of the doctors suggested an IPC (catheter). She did not want this because she said she would not feel 'human' with a bag attached to her chest every day. I helped her fight it, exploring other treatment options before I had to go back to the UK for my studies.

The day I went back to the UK, the day I saw her for the last time, she insisted on driving me to the airport. I remember hugging her and kissing her and telling her that I loved her. I also told myself that that would not be the last time I see her. She is fit enough to drive me to the airport, so surely her condition was not that bad.

A few days after I went back, my mother was driven to another town to install an IPC. The doctors had decided it was the best treatment option with the least risk. However, after installing the IPC, it felt like she had lost hope for life. They told her she would have to wear it for the rest of her life. I did not know this. I was also previously told that the IPC could be temporary, that it could just be used to temporarily drain fluid in her lungs until she got better, and then she could get permanent surgery.

So she lost hope for life and her condition deterioriated very fast. I really wanted to be there for her in her last days. She insisted that I do not come back to take care of her, and that she wanted me to focus on my studies, and that this would make her feel at peace. I did as she said, I studied and carried on with life. My dad also told me that she still has weeks or months to live, and that I should focus on university.

I did as I was told, and I was going to fly back during reading week at the end of October to see my mother. I was still clinging on to the hope, that she would get better, she would get her lung capacity back and would fly for treatment. The week before she passed, I called her every single day to make sure she was doing her breathing exercises and eating well.

I received the call on October 14. Her condition was rapidly deterioriating and my dad told me she was going to die that day. I was completely devastated.

She was in a coma-like condition and she could not speak. She would move her eyes a bit when we were speaking, I think she was trying to tell us we could hear her. Before she passed, she even raised her arm and pat my sister on the back. I think she was trying to say goodbye and reassure us.

Sadly, I did not get to say goodbye to her. She passed away when I was at Heathrow Airport waiting for my flight. We were on video call. My other sister was on a flight back to her. My father and two siblings were hugging her as she passed. I spent the 10+ hours on the flight back crying and feeling completely empty.

It has been almost two weeks since my mother passed away. I miss her so so much. She was such a strong person, she was put through so much. I had watched her do endless surgeries and procedures and treatments. She did it all for us. For me, my siblings, my dad. She did not want to leave us. She wanted to see us grow up and flourish. She wanted to have more time with my dad, her high school sweetheart.

I am grateful for the (almost) four more years I had with her. The doctors and my dad made it happen. I just, wish I had more. I am 22, and I am grieving all the milestones I will miss with her. My graduation, my wedding, my first kid. I am so incredibly sad that she will not be there with me.

I also know how hopeful she was. I knew how much she wanted to live and be with us. Every time I think of how hopeless she must have felt at the end, I feel close to having a panic attack. They say she was at peace when she went, but I know better. I had so so many conversations with her during my summer break. We had so many plans, we had so much hope of her getting better, all those dreams died with her. And a big part of me died with her too.

I keep trying to tell myself that her pain is over, her struggle is over and she can finally be at peace. This is definitely true. But I still miss her. I miss her laugh, her stubbornness, her energy and her food. I miss massaging her feet and taking care of her. I miss hugging and kissing her goodnight every night. I wish I did all this one last time.

I know I was honouring her wish by staying in the UK and studying. But if I knew she would pass away this soon, I would never have went back to the UK and I would have stayed to be there for her one last time.

She frequently told me and my dad that I took care of her best. I listened to her needs, I was attentive and she felt heard and seen. This brings me a lot of peace. But it also brings me a lot of grief that I could not be the one there taking care of her during her last days. I know she was unhappy with the food my dad cooked and the way she was taken care of. I think she wishes I was there but she did not tell me because she wanted me to focus on my life. I can't help but feel like I will regret my decision not to fight and go back, for the rest of my life.

I really want to end this post on a more hopeful note.

Many people came to my mother's funeral. It spoke to the sheer amount of people she had touched during her life time. I found comfort in knowing that there are many people who are also grieving and missing her. Because 'what is grief, if not love persevering'? This means that there were many many people who loved and adored her.

For those of you that are experiencing the same thing, either as the patient or the family member, I hope you live a long and happy life. I hope you have loved ones with you that can be with you during this difficult time. I see you, and you are not alone.


r/CancerFamilySupport • • 1d ago

How to prepare my toddler

1 Upvotes

My father in law is terminally ill and in the final stages of his diagnosis. He has lived with us for over 5 years. My toddler 2.5 has always referred to home as mummy, daddy and poppy's house. He is obsessed with his poppy and they had many routines togther. His poppy has been rushed to hospital yesterday and is in and out of lucidity( not recognising people, extreme confusion). he would not want his grandson to see him this way so he will more than likely not be able to say goodbye. How do I prepare or explain to my toddler that poppy's gone and not coming home.... how do we prepare our family for his passing. Sorry for the post I am just at a loss


r/CancerFamilySupport • • 1d ago

Cancer won

16 Upvotes

I 19M lost my mother.

She had bileduct cancer (adenocarcinoma). She was diagnosed with cancer last year. I was so broke when I got the news. I cried so much knowing that she has 4-5 years only if it's surgically removable.

We moved to Mumbai for the best treatment. Doctor said the tumor hasn't spread to other organs but since it's not surgically removable it's between stage 3 - 4.

I knew I was fighting a losing battle. I will lose her but at least I have 4 years to spend with her. She went through 8 cycles of strong chemo of 6 hours duration. Later after the whole chemo cycle ended she went through radiation. She got really sick after all this treatment but her tumor size decreased really well. In her last ct scan report she got an excellent result with 90% decrement in cancer cell count. The doctor was happy they said it might become surgically removable after the next chemo cycle. They removed many of their chemo medicines and decreased the chemo duration from 6 hours to only ½ hours.

We were so happy. We thought it's gonna be a cake walk from that point and eventually she is going to beat cancer.

But god wrote different destiny. She was going through a lot of pain due to radiation and chemo but she was doing fine but on the 18th of October she started doing blood vomiting from the evening. We knew it was bad but couldn't get to our hospital due to traffic in the road for pujo. We waited till morning then we admitted her. But her situation wasn't good, she lost a lot of blood and bp was falling.

My heart knew I didn't have much time left. I cried so much on her lap on the 20th October evening visit asking forgiveness that I am a failure neither I could fulfill ur dreams nor I could crack JEE or NEET. The nurses threw me out after sometime saying that I shouldn't do it. But I knew I might not see her again.

On the 21st October at 12:40 PM noon she passed away due to cardiac arrest for having an extremely low bp. I lost my best friend and my life and everything that day. then I was done the most painful task of my life.

I m so done with this life. God showed us hope. Astrology showed no bad time or small life. It's all fake.

I lost. I don't want to live anymore.


r/CancerFamilySupport • • 1d ago

Advanced cancer — how can someone deteriorate so quickly?

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1 Upvotes

r/CancerFamilySupport • • 1d ago

Mum has stage 4 cancer and I’m struggling with all the uncertainty and guilt + what comes next. Anyone been through similar?

4 Upvotes

Long message incoming… Basically, Mum was first diagnosed with CUP (cancer unknown primary) and we were told she had weeks. It was so frantic/scary/traumatic for me and my sisters, as we were just scrambling to come to terms with the idea of actually losing her so soon.

Eventually, the docs (who have been incredible!) figured out it was stage 4 breast cancer which had spread to her bones. So still terminal but the prognosis went from weeks to maybe years because they could work out a treatment/pain management plan, which was obviously a huge relief but still strange as we’d all been mentally preparing for her dying quite quickly.

Fast forward to now and it’s all getting really difficult. She’s on 10+ different meds a day, gained a lot of weight and has severe lymphoedema in her legs, meaning she can no longer really walk. It’s heartbreaking seeing her basically deteriorating day by day.

She lives on her own in Portsmouth, my two sisters are close by but I live in London, about two hours away, so getting back and forth isn’t always easy.

I’m trying to spend as much time with her as possible, but juggling work and my marriage/life in London is tough. I often feel guilty that I’m not there more, but equally I know I can’t put my life completely on hold (or maybe I should!?).

I think the hardest bit is the uncertainty where we went from thinking we had weeks, to then maybe years, and now I’m always worried about what’s next, like hospice care..

It’s also strange trying to carry on with normal life when you’ve got something like this hanging over you. Some days I’m sort of fine, and others I find myself just being shit scared about everything and struggling to focus and I just want to jump in the car and go sit with her watching all her daytime TV shows like Bargain Hunt lol.

Not looking for medical advice, just thoughts / ideas from people who’ve been through similar where the prognosis changed - how did you manage/cope and looking back is there anything you’d do differently? I am seeing a therapist who’s great but felt the trusted Reddit gang would be needed here. 🙏


r/CancerFamilySupport • • 2d ago

Losing my mom

7 Upvotes

How do you deal with the news that your mom is going to pass soon from cancer? My mom is the most caring, positive, helpful, and kind person who always put others before herself. Cancer is so unfair. She has metastatic Cholangiocarcinoma.

I love my mom so much and she is my #1 supporter. What will I do without her? She has always been there for me when I needed her. She stayed by my side through 4 days of labor. She has been a huge part of my 6 month old’s life. It hurts to know my child won’t remember her Grandmom who she loves so much. My mom was watching my child during my work days after maternity leave and they both were loving it.

I’m in so much pain. This cancer came out of nowhere and spread too fast. I keep wondering if there was something I could have done sooner. Her first oncologist was horrible so I found a new one 2 or 3 weeks later and I kept wondering if the outcome could have been any different if we switched immediately. My mom was in perfect health until she felt a bit off and suddenly there was cancer everywhere. I don’t want her to go. This is a pain I’ve never felt before. How do I handle this? How can I help her?


r/CancerFamilySupport • • 2d ago

My mom may have lung cancer and I feel completely overwhelmed

9 Upvotes

I’m 30F and an only child, and I’m really struggling with everything happening right now.

My mom has a suspicious lung nodule and is having a biopsy tomorrow. Based on the evaluation we were given, there is an estimated 84% probability that the nodule is malignant, so while I know we don’t have a diagnosis yet, it’s really hard not to prepare myself for the possibility that she has cancer.

My dad died in 2020, so my mom is my only remaining parent. I think that’s what is making this so terrifying for me. My mind keeps going to the possibility of losing her too and what it would mean to have neither of my parents anymore.

To make everything worse, I also got dumped this weekend by someone I cared about deeply. He had been one of the main people supporting me through everything going on with my mom, so losing that relationship right before her biopsy has made me feel even more alone and emotionally overwhelmed.

I know the biopsy could still bring better news than I’m expecting, and I’m trying not to get too far ahead of myself. But with the malignancy estimate being that high, it’s hard not to spiral.

I feel scared, exhausted, and honestly pretty lost. I’m not really sure what I’m looking for other than hearing from people who have been through the waiting, the uncertainty, or having a parent diagnosed with cancer.

How did you cope with the period before you had definite answers?


r/CancerFamilySupport • • 2d ago

87 year old dad - esophogeal cancer

2 Upvotes

There's a lot to this story but my question is around how to help an elderly loved one tackle the realities of this new diagnosis. We still haven't recieved official biopsy results, but everyone is proceeding as if it's esophogus cancer. Currently no sign of spread, and he appears to be a candidate for an esophagectomy. I'm not so sure it's a good idea, and neither is he. He has a track record of not being able to tolerate distress or discomfort, and has an attitude of feeling unlucky. Initially he wanted to do everything possible to live, but now that it's getting down to gritty details, fear and overwhelm is taking over (understandably).

His main concerns are dealing with a feeding tube, and loss of independance and change to quality of life. Also I should add, he's one of the healthiest 87 yr olds out there... Other than the cancer. But that doesn't guarantee a good outcome. Also he lives alone, is very prideful and hates being vulnerable and asking for help, and is extremely low on financial resources (Canada though).

If anyone has experience with an older adult in this predicament, or experience dealing with a parent like this... I'd love to hear it.

Also obviously this has been horrendous for me so far, although I'm glad I got him to the hospital in the first place, and our time together through this has been meaningful.


r/CancerFamilySupport • • 2d ago

Advice on gift for child with cancer?

2 Upvotes

I need ideas on a small gift I could give a 13 yr old child with aggressive cancer. I do not know the child well but am an acquaintance of the mother. I would also like to give something to the sibling as well, they are a couple yrs younger.
Thank you in advance!


r/CancerFamilySupport • • 2d ago

Dad refuses to seek cancer treatment.

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2 Upvotes

r/CancerFamilySupport • • 2d ago

advice

2 Upvotes

my dad was stage 4 pancreatic cancer over a year ago. he completed chemo and radiation treatment and the tumor stayed the same, and the cancer didn’t spread. but recently his stomach has been killing him. he can’t drink water because it hurts, and the same thing with solids. on good days, he can eat mashed potatoes and oatmeal. he went to his primary the other day to get bloodwork done, and the results showed nothing. he’s been off treatment for over 8 months. we contacted his oncologist and we’re currently waiting to know when he’s available.

does anyone know what this might be? or anything that can help him soothe the pain. we’ve tried tums, garlic candy, and ensure. i’ll be happy with any advice. thank you for reading