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My Brother lives alone in Spain but has terminal cancer

NigelMac
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Hello. Sorry if this is the wrong place for this. 

I live in UK but my brother lives in Spain. He’s been diagnosed with terminal lung & liver cancer. He has a carer & is due to start chemo next Monday. He’s always wanted to live alone but now he’s so scared. He’s been given 3-12 months & the chemo is only to delay not cure. 

He needs somebody he can talk with & not feel alone. It’s awful not being able to sit with him. 

When we talk in the phone it’s tears . 

I don’t really know what I’m asking here. I guess it’s wondering  if cancer councillors work in Spain too? I was out there with him 2 weeks ago but it’s progressing so quickly it seems. 

I hate him being lonely, nobody should be alone with this .

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    Hello and sorry to hear about your brother.  I am guessing here a bit but think that you are not of Spanish origin and maybe Spanish is not a language in which you are fluent (of course I may have got this totally wrong).  If my guess is remotely accurate you need to find a bilingual speaker of Spanish and English to find out what facilities are available in his part of Spain to help your brother through this.  I am guessing (again) that there will be similar facilities - hospices? and care nurses? - to those in the UK.  You need to move to ensure your brother is getting the help he needs.  If I have got this all totally wrong then forgive me.  Annie

  • Offline in reply to Annieliz

    Thank you Annie. You’re totally right I’m not Spanish. My brother is due to start chemo on Monday but he seems so week already. 

    I’m just trying to get through to next Monday where he’ll be under the care of the cancer team in the Spanish hospital to see what they say. 

    He’s full of scared dark thoughts & it’s hard to help him . 

  • Offline in reply to NigelMac

    I am sorry that your brother is not doing well - let us hope the chemo may help. Are you able to get a good translation of what is happening?    I hope he has friends in Spain who can visit and give friendship and help.    A very difficult situation.  I am sure you are doing what you can at this distance and hope you will come back and tell us how you are coping if you wish.  Annie

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    So sorry to hear about brother. May I ask what his symptoms were and what age he is? 

     

    I am currently in a+e right now. I have had a pinched nerve feeling in my lung for nerves which has more translated to a stabbing pain in my liver. 

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    So sorry for the situation, I sent you a friend request to see if I can help. I'm Spanish so I know for sure you will face problems with English, but not everything is lost. 

    First of all, there is the Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer (Spanish Association Against Cancer) that can provide different resources to your brother.

    Second, your brother's doctors have phone translators 24/7 in a lot of languages. I don't know if your brother knows a lot of Spanish, but regarding a delicate thing like cancer he will probably like information in his mother tongue.

    If you need something, send me a message. In Spain there is also a really good health system so he's in good hands.

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