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Grandparents dying, don't know what to do
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Both of my grandparents have been recently diagnosed with cancers.
My grandfather's is the most aggressive and fast-acting, already inflating half of his face with the aggressively face-paced tumour.
My grandmother refuses to touch on the topic of her cancer because she wants us to focus on our grandfather.
We're all really quite close. I guess I just don't really know what to do.
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Hi Kody
I'm really sorry to hear about your granparents' illnesses. I lost my mum to cancer earlier this year, so I can imagine something about how you might be feeling. I know that I often felt scared, sad, angry and overwhelmed throughout mum's journey.
I'm wondering if you have some support right now? I don't know how old you are but I'm hoping there are people in your life to help you through this challenging time.
Everybody will handle their cancer in their own way. I suggest you need to follow their lead. For example, my mum didn't want to talk about her cancer (unless we absolutely had to), so I kept our conversations light.
If they want to talk, listen. If they need distraction, try "remember when ..." conversations of happier days. Laughter is so good for the soul.
I'm sure that any practical support that you can provide (depending on your age, like attendance at medical appointments, cooking and running errands) will be greatly appreciated. Helping each of them to understand what the doctors are saying and what it means will also be important.
Most of all you just need to be there when you can. Hold their hand when they're scared. Try to allieviate their fears and worries. Hug them tight.
I'm not going to lie to you, there are some really tough times coming but it doesn't necessarily have to be all bad. You have an incredible opportunity to make this time count for all of you. And, when it gets tough, talking here will help and so will talking to your GP if you think your mental health is being impacted.
Courage
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