I recently found out my ex husband, divorced to 10 years, has liver cancer. We have a 14 year old daughter. We divorced due to problems that eventually damage your liver, abuse of alcohol and prescription pain meds. He has cirrhosis, hepatitis B, diabetes and now cancer. (all of this came about after we divorced)
Most all of my experience with liver cancer has been as a hospice nurse, so of course they were all terminal. The only information I can get from him is basic and that they are going to do surgery. He doesn't know what surgery, he doesn't seem to know if chemo or radiation is planned. He still abuses medication and his liver enzymes are always whacky, he is not a very reliable source for information and because I am an ex I am not privy to it from the doctor.
My daughter is really fed up with him but I haven't told her anything about the cancer yet. I really don't know what to say. I need to talk to her this coming weekend because the surgery is next week. Even though she is irritated with all that he has done she is going to be devstated. This is her father and despite it all she loves him. I start to think about this talk and I could almost hyperventilate.
Maybe there is something I don't know, but honestly, isn't this usually terminal? How do you tell a 14 year old her dad is terminal?
