Newb

We are two weeks in to finding out my brother has brain bone lung and liver cancer. He is 33, married with a 2yr old and one due Nov 17th. Docs reckon he has had this for the last couple of years and he has been symptomless until headaches started last month and vision was impaired.

Brain cancer has been dna'd (is that right) and chemo tablets that deal with proteins been started...bit lost really as info isn't going in and staying put. Don't want to keep asking him over and over again to explain things to me....but would like to hear more about this type of chemo and cancer types that he has...it sounds so bleak! Help!

  • Hi there Zobes, welcome to the forum, but so sorry for why you are here. Your brother is so young to have been diagnosed with so much cancer and also that it wasn't even showing symptoms until recently. You say that your brother isn't able to explain a lot about the type of cancer that he has; that isn't unusual when one is first diagnosed. The initial reaction to a cancer diagnosis is usually shock, followed by disbelief and confusion as to how and why this has happened. Being so young makes it even harder to digest for your brother I'm sure. Add to all of this, he has a young child and another one on the way, so I'm sure his worries are all over the map. Does he have someone accompany him to apts. and treatments? Whoever is going with him can ask questions of his medical team as long as he is okay with that. His treatment team could also provide family members with printed material on the kind of cancer he has and also the treatment they are giving him. Perhaps you could go to his medical apts. with him if its' at all possible. He would have to agree with that however, but it would also be a support to him as well.

    The other thing you can do is contact the nurses on this site once you learn more about his disease and treatments. They are very good to answer questions and explain the different treatments.

    My heart goes out to your brother and his young family, as well as all of you, his siblings and parents.

    Come back on the forum and let us know how things go for your brother and also to get information and support for yourself as you go through this journey with your brother.

    Take care.

    Lorraine   

  • Thanks LorraineD, maybe i am being a bit rushed in wanting to know as much as i can now.

    Brother lives in the north east and i am in the south, but he has lots of other family around him, and his wife of course...i think because i live at the other end of the country, i am feeling a bit more lost.

    He has gone straight to black humour too which is fine for him but we are catching up, and its just plain horrible anyway.

    But thanks for your reply : D