My dad is not eating and has dropped a 3rd of his body mass

Hi there I'm so new to all of this but I need advice 

me and my mum are at our wits ends. My dad finished his radiotherapy after going daily for 6 weeks. In sept he had an operation to remove the cancer from his jaw mouth and neck. He had a rough time. My mum doesn't know what more to do. She went with him for his check up on Monday 4th Jan and he has been told that he will be admitted into hospital if he doesn't put a bit of weight on. My mum is messaging me daily saying he won't eat anything, he's been really horrible at times, and he has this habit of 3 mouthfuls then no more. I think it's like an OCD thing but may be wrong. Any advice would be massively appreciated as we are worried sick and I don't know how much my mum can cope with seeing my dad just waste away 

  • Hello Daughterworrying

    I'm sorry to hear about your Dad's situation. I know from posts here on the forum how harsh the treatment for oral cancers can be and many of our members here who have been through this will understand the problems associated with eating after radiotherapy. 

    Does your Dad have an allocated specialist nurse? If so I'd suggest you or your Mum give them a call in the first instance to let them know that the situation is not improving. It may be that they are able to offer some further support and advice and diet or it may be that your Dad's pain management needs assessing. 

    Alternatively you could give our team of nurses a call here at Cancer Research UK. I'm sure that they will be able to offer you some advice and guidance. They're available Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm on 0808 800 4040. 

    I hope that things improve soon. 

    Best wishes, 
    Jenn
    Cancer Chat moderator