My dad's GP was initially reluctant to tell me how ill he was. I knew he had prostate cancer and was very ill, and I was worried about how I would cope. Since mum was very disabled, when he died that would leave me solely responsible for her, when I already had a son with severe learning difficulties. I finally got round the problem by first ringing the prostate cancer charity for an open and honest discussion - they told me that dad probably had only 6 months to live. I then went back to the GP, and told them what they said. He then said that he couldn't talk specifically about dad, but could talk generally about how the disease progressed, which was very helpful. He did not contradict the 6 month prognosis (only 2 weeks out). He also said that usually, about 2 weeks before they died, they would usually take to their bed and never really get up again. This also proved to be accurate. I hope with this information might help you find out what you need for your loved one.
