Dear all

Thank you for the brilliant support you have given me. I wonder if anyone is able to help me further, my middle son who is 15 is struggling to cope with my illness and (school),so much so he ended up in hospital last week. Is there a support group for younger people so that he can talk about his anxieties and worries.

My other two children seem to be doing ok they are 18 and 8 and seem to have a much more optimistic out look on life, but they to might benefit from a web site which is age appropriate.

Thank you for any help you may be able to give.

love suki x

Not sure Suki, I'm sure someone on here will be able to help you though.

Hi, have you tried asking for help from the hospital? My hospital had counsellors that advised me on how to talk to my children about my illness. Teenagers need special care. One of mine was taking gcses when I was in hospital and another was taking his degree exams and my daughter also had a mini op! I felt hopeless!
Take care!
Anne

Sukie
Cancerbackup.co.uk have some good (free) booklets available, including one on dealing with family/children I think.
My boys, 13 & 9 at the time, seemed OK with it all - probably because of their brilliant Mum...

Hi Sukie,
My boys are now 22 & 25. The youngest Leon has coped quite well with me being sick. David the eldest has been a nightmare!!! It was all I could do a few weeks ago to stop him searching the hospital to kill the plastic surgeon, no kidding!!! I'm sure though if any of yours would like to e-mail mine and ask questions or just chat my lads would be willing to help.
SusieR

Hello Sukie

Please try Tenovus.

The Cancer Research UK Help and Support page may also be helpful. It lists two websites that may offer help:

One is called riprap and is designed to offer support to children between the ages 12 and16 who have a parent affected by cancer. This website does have information about how to get support. It can be found if you click on the brown button called ‘curious’!

The other is called siblinks and is designed to support people aged between 13 and 25 who have siblings or parents with cancer. This website is still under construction and there are some pages that do not have any information on them. But they do have a contact telephone number, 07713 082797 to call for further information.

Both websites have chat forums.

The Family Connections Web site is devoted to providing information and support to families in which a parent has been diagnosed with cancer. Family Connections is dedicated to supporting adult cancer patients who are parents and their children.
Read more

Hope that helps

Best wishes
Vinod

Hi Sukie,
I asked my sons about talking/e-mailing with your kids. They have said no problem, they would delighted to be able to help if they can. I told them how old your kids are and that they are that little bit younger. The answer was yeah, but we are still your kids and you are still our mum's the feelings are the same and we are not that much older. They have asked you to let me know if they can be of help and we can sort out e-mail addresses.
(I know the same offer would go to all who have children, so if any one has kids who would like to chat to mine, please let us know)
SusieR

Thank you so much for your help and advice, I have been talking to lee and shown him your wonderful replies. I think he would very much likse to talk to your sons susieR As I say we have looked through your replies and lee is more hopeful now. We attended a meeting with the hospital team who looked after lee and all though he is reluctant to talk he is getting there. Ananth I have used some of the suggetions you gave me and they to have been very useful.

Just to say againg thank you to all you fantastic people You have helped me so much just suggesting ideas, it is lovely not to feel alone.
love to you all sukie x