Hi Col, It is very stressful when we hope a treatment is going to get us to a happy end but then we are told otherwise. The difficulty of people who have their loved ones diagnosed with cancer, is precisely dealing not only with the process but how to manage the informations for the whole family and friends. Telling a child someone he/she loves is ill and given a certains months to live is not an easy task. In my case I have not have this issue cause I have no children. But I would say that children are very sensible/sensitive for this things. I mean they can not only understand the situation but also feel it in the air. At age of eleven your son already has the judgment to evaluate the situation. Do not rush to tell everything at once unless you feel that he is prepared to. I think you should analyze the questions he will surely ask you about his grandfather during the this period and gradually pass on the information so that he can digest the little news that he receives and thus suffer less as the time approaches. You will have to suffer a little more so that your child suffers a little less. I wish you can gather all the strengh you can to cope with this. My heart and thoughts are with you and your family. Hope to hear from you, Joe

Thank you for your advice it is appriciated and yes I think maybe you are right by trying to give information alittle at a time so they can digest it and I will try to be prepared for the questions.

I guess the hardest bit might be staying strong and not completly breaking down but also not trying to be to strong so they feel like they have to be strong I've had a few months to digest this could be happening while he was having chemo and now a couple of weeks of the knowledge that the treatment did not work, I must try to remember as children they haven't thought about what if treatment didn't work and this news is the first time they have heard it.

As a parent or "grown up "  you feel you must protect childten but unfortunately I guess we as adults and parents are unable to do this all the time.

Thank you again

Best wishes

Thank you for your advice it is appriciated and yes I think maybe you are right by trying to give information alittle at a time so they can digest it and I will try to be prepared for the questions.

I guess the hardest bit might be staying strong and not completly breaking down but also not trying to be to strong so they feel like they have to be strong I've had a few months to digest this could be happening while he was having chemo and now a couple of weeks of the knowledge that the treatment did not work, I must try to remember as children they haven't thought about what if treatment didn't work and this news is the first time they have heard it.

As a parent or "grown up "  you feel you must protect childten but unfortunately I guess we as adults and parents are unable to do this all the time.

Thank you again

Best wishes