Hi everyone,

I new to this but I am just looking for advice.

My mum has been diagnosed with breast cancer, we get the full staging and treatment plan info next week but we know its there, with lymph node involvement in the armpit and potentially the other breast.

My mum lives alone having lost her long term partner to pancreatic cancer 4 years ago. We have not always had a positive relationship, she has always been very up and down in her behaviour and has had drug and alcohol problems. I am a mum of 5 and there have been periods of time when she has been so verbally abusive to me and my children that I have had to take a step back from it all for my mental health and for their protection. Our relationship has been better the last 4 years but I still approach this with a level of caution. She has pretty much isolated herself from everyone and has named me as her support/next of kin and has asked me to be at appointments with her which I would do anyway without being asked!

Essentially, I am nervous as I have had Cervical cancer and I know the emotional and physical toll it takes on the patient and the carer and I am worried that she won't cope and I will become her emotional punch bag again. Could anyone advise me on support available as I want to be strong for her and my family but I know that this is going to be difficult.

Thank you in advance.