Is this the start of the end?

Hi,

My dad is bed bound after having secondary cancer which had spread and is now compressing his spine, leaving him with a prognosis of 6 weeks min to up to 3 months. He has lost the ability to move his left arm and says it feels like pins and needles if it's touched. 

He has also started to feel tingling in his right arm and noticing a lot of weakness in his right arm/hand.

He's been eating less too which I know loss of appetite isn't always a normal thing.

I'm asking simply because, we've been positive since his initial prognosis last year but as times gone on and he's been getting worse and given less time, each time, I'm starting to worry it's coming now.

  • Hello and thanks for your post,

    I am sorry to hear about your dad. I can imagine that this must be very hard for the whole family.

    I am not sure what support you are getting for your dad at home. If your dad has a palliative care/Macmillan nurse then you are probably best asking them about long he may have as they are directly involved in your dad's care. The nurses are there to not only support the patient but also members of the family that are caring for your dad.

    If you don't have nurses that regularly visit it may be a good idea to let the doctor know that your dad is having tingling and weakness in his right arm and hand.

    We do have some information on our website about what happens in the last few days and weeks of someone's life, but it can be hard to read.

    I do hope that you are feeling supported by close friends and other members of the family.

    You are very welcome to ring and speak to one of the helpline nurses. The lines are open Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm and the number to ring is Freephone 0808 800 4040.

    Take care,

    Catherine