Hello James, 

I am so sorry to hear that your stepfather is in intensive care and that he has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. It's difficult to predict at the moment what might happen to your poor stepfather but perhaps the best thing to do to have an idea as to what to expect would be to get in touch with his medical team and ask them what they think might happen. They will be best placed to answer questions about prognosis and to tell your mum what the various options might be. They will also be able to tell you whether intensive care is common after this surgery. 

As for finding support for your mum, I think it is really nice of you to worry about her and to want to make sure that there is help at hand. We have very useful information on our website for friends, family and caregivers which will give you tips on how to best look after yourself when you are looking after a loved one with cancer and you will find that there are several organisations which can provide help for carers in the event that your stepfather goes home. Your mum could also talk to her GP about how she is feeling and the doctor will be able to guide her as whether she might benefit from counselling. It's always a good idea to talk about how this is affecting her rather than bottling things up. 

I thought I would also give you our nurses' number - you can give them a call on this free number 0808 800 4040 - their line is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm and they will be able to answer questions you might have or point you in the right direction. 

Best wishes, 

Lucie, Cancer Chat Moderator