Dad is scared, not sure if he is hiding information

Hi,

My dad was diagnosed with stage 4 stomach cancer last Wednesday. He told us at the time that he would have an appointment within a week to discuss how long he has and what options there are. He has promised that he would ask if I could be there when he gets this information. He is now saying this will be a telephone appointment. I feel like he is lying to me to protect me as I don't understand how they can tell you how long you have to live over the phone. Is this the case? I just want to be there for him.

Thanks

  • Hey BantamC, 

    I just wanted to offer you a very warm welcome to the Cancer Chat community, although I'm sorry to hear your dad's been diagnosed with stage 4 stomach cancer.

    Sometimes things can change at the last minute and due to the pandemic the way results are given and appointments take place can differ so your dad may be telling you the truth. If your dad has a speakerphone option on his phone then you could ask him if it's o.k to sit with him when he takes the call. Many of our members have found this really beneficial when having telephone appointments and hopefully some of them will be along soon to share their experiences and offer their advice.

    Our cancer nurses team may be able to help as well so if you'd like to talk this over with them you can contact them on 0808 800 4040, Monday - Friday between 9a.m - 5p.m.

    Kind regards,

    Steph, Cancer Chat Moderator