Hi there ... sorry to hear bout your M I L  ... firstly I'd give McMillan a ring and ask where they may be able to help and they can give financial assistance advice to, on any benifits she can claim ...

They will also have local numbers you can use for help .. please reach out to everyone that may assist her ... before my cancer I volunteered for them and remember one lady I used to take for her chemo sessions and drive her home and make sure she was o.k ... so there is help out there ..

Give the number to your M I L and when she feels low or have down days  and she can call them to have a chat ... I did and it was a god send ... so go on McMillan site and get their number .. get things in place as soon as poss ... and don't forget a text message or call just saying how are you .. or I'm thinking of you will go a long way on those busy days you can't get there ... Chrissie x 

Hello Nicola, and thank you for posting.

It can be a lonely feeling when diagnosed with cancer, even if you have a house full of people . But I understand that you want to do what you can to support your mother in law. Coping with cancer is something that can affect every part of your life, I've put a link here which may be interesting for you or your mother in law.

At the hospital where she has been diagnosed and is having treatment there will be access to various support systems, but these are different in each hospital so I am unable to say specifically what might be there for her. Your mother in law may have already been given details of a specialist cancer nurse (CNS) who are a good source of information and support and are based at the hospital. Also she will be given contact details of the chemotherapy nurses once she starts treatment to contact in case she is feeling unwell during treatment.

If you are more concerned about physical care and support, this would come from her community team,GP, district nurses or social services. Her GP or social services would assess her needs and it would be taken from there if she needed help from social services.

Sometimes it is a matter of just having someone to talk things through with, she is of course welcome to call us anytime on our number below, or Macmillan who provide a support service with financial guidance too if you feel she needs this. I've provided the link here.

It can be a difficult position in trying to support someone you love who has cancer from a far, I've placed here a link to a page on our site which ay be useful.

You or your mother in law 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.

Take care,

Sarah