Hi Sam

I am sorry to hear about your dad and what he's going through, it can be so hard when there is distance between you.

Because we are not involved in your dad's care I'm afraid we cannot tell you exactly how this will go.

I’m not sure whether your father has two different cancers or has the blood cancer affected his bone marrow. There are many forms of blood cancers;  such as leukaemia, myeloma and lymphoma.  Bone marrow involvement is very common in some types of blood cancers.

Your father’s prognosis would depend on his general health and fitness and how well he responds to treatment. His hospital specialist would be best placed to answer any questions on his prognosis.

If your father gives his medical team permission then they maybe willing to speak to you directly and keep you up to date on his treatment.

It also sounds like your dad needs to be assessed by his medical team to address some of his problems such as constipation and pain.

It may help to take a look at our information on treating cancer pain.

Your dad must inform his medical team about the intensity of his pain. They can then reassess him and, if necessary, refer him to the pain specialist team or palliative care team, who are experts in managing symptoms such as pain.

If your dad has a specialist nurse maybe she could refer him to the dietician to get diet and nutritional advice.

It does sound as if your parents could benefit with some support at home.

I’m not sure how advanced your mum’s dementia is or whether your dad is her carer.  It might help to speak to his GP about help at home. There are also the Admiral nurses who can give support and advice.

I hope this helps and you know more about your dad's situation soon.

Please get back to us if you need any more information or support.  You may find it helpful to talk things through with one of the nurses on our helpline.  The number to call is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open from 9am till 5pm Monday to Friday.

Kind regards,

Tina