What/when/how to tell my kids about a relatives diagnosis?

Hi all. This is my first post & first time thinking about joining something like this. So here goes..

Nearly 9 weeks ago my nan fell & broke her hip after her left leg stopped working weeks before, after having a ct scan, 8 weeks today she was told she has a brain tumor on the front right side of the brain, hence why her left leg isn't working. She was also told she had broke her collar bone horrifically (however the pain in shoulder started the saturday before the fall on the wednesday) She was told it was small but that is it. She isnt just my nan, she is my 2nd mum, she is my everything. 8 weeks down the line she has had a biopsy on her lung as they saw some shading on an xray & they say the brain is secondary so they need to find the primary. She also had to have an emergency dr app last Monday because horrifically bruising had come out all across her boobs & under her armpit & some swelling & this nurse that came in said it wasn't normal & it needs looking at so the dr sent my nan for an xray on the collar bone but he wasn't convinced it was from the broken collar bone so he wanted nan to have another mri scan of full body before this Wednesday as this Wednesday is the day the neurosurgeons/consultants/specilists from 3 different hospitals are meant to be getting together to discuss her biopsy results & everything together to see how they go fwd. However over this last week my nan has deteriorated so much... she has excruciating pain in lower back, in shoulder - the swelling has got worse & its rock hard & looks like a mass. She can't get out if bed because of the pain, she's got incontinence urinal & bowel. Its horrendous. The dr has uped her Zomorph from 60 to 80 baring in mind she was originally on 40 but it got put to 60 two weeks ago when pain began in back. My dad called the nurse today & she said that was a v high dose for her to still be in pain so he took her to a&e & they have admitted her tonight. They are doing a scan on her back tonight then hopefully mri tomorrow, they think she has fractured part of back!!!!! Us as a family think primary is in lungs & It has spread to bones. I have 3 young children - 11,  8 & 5, my 8 year old is really close to my nan & its upsetting him as it is knowing she is poorly & can't walk etc - I havent told them about the cancer diagnosis but I feel the way things are going & her deteriation it is a conversation I will have to have soon with them but I dont know if/when or even how to have the talk? I don't want to say anything until we know the full story. I've never had to go through this. Any advice would be appreciated. I feel really let down by the hosp, I feel like she's been forgotten about. We are no better off with our knowledge now than we were 8 weeks ago when we got told the devastating news. As well as my gramp & my auntie i have been looking after her & her home twice a week every week. Its mentally draining for me to see her like this.

  • Hi there ...

    So so sorry your going through this heartbraking time at the moment... and from lots of family expierance... this is what we do ... 

    Firstly every child is different... some just don't need to know ... others need gentle honesty ... some feel sad or angry or confused ... I know when I was young and lost my grandad,  everyone lied to me ... trying to save my feelings as a 7 year old ... but in doing that I still look back and feel angry they lied ... 

    When my mum passed away suddenly from a heart attack.... she was my son's best friend and adored them .. one was 7 and I sat him on my lap and told him nanny was really poorly and she's now up in heaven where she won't need her walking stick or tablets and she's now happy back with her family up there ... he came to the funeral ... I just said we were saying good bye to nanny ... think it was a good grounding for life .. my 16 year old ... I told him gently the truth on what happened and answered his questions truthfully ...

    When I got breast cancer ... as a grade 3 thought I needed to prepair my beautiful 5 year old granddaughter who is my world ... I told her I was very poorly ... and when she asked if I'd die ... I told her the Drs at the hospital was going to TRY to make me better ... but if not, I'd be the little star next to the bright one we always said was my mum ... I found answering truthfully but not over explaining is the way to go .. they will show you by either being o.k with the answer or asking more ...

    It's also good to share tears and if they cry or see you cry ... they know it's o.k to let feelings out ... it's all part of the grieving process... children are amazing ... they can cry and feel really sad ... then 10 minutes later go play or do something "normal" if only us adults could grieve that way ... 

    How you handle things now, will give them the grounding they will take through life ... they need to know they have honestly appropriate for their age .. and it's o.k to cry .. and it's o.k to act "normal"  

    I think McMillan do books you can buy that explain how to tell children or books you can show them .. l think if you put books to help children with someone with cancer .... think you will get help there .. there's no hard and fast way ... just talk from you heart ... hold their hands ... and know all of them may take it differently ... even now when my granddaughter finds a feather ... she says "look nanny , your mum's sent another feather for us"  

    Sending you a vertual hug.... Chrissie x

  • I'm sorry to hear of everything you have been through or going through yourself. Thank you for your reply.. it brought tears to my eyes. It was very helpful & I will look for those books & I will bear it all in mind when we get a better picture of everything that is going on, eventually.

    Best wishes - Emma x