Will my dad be alright when he's having Chemo?

This site is useful to get rid of your worries and people can help. I felt upset when I heard my dad had cancer last year but I am moving on. Will my dad be alright while he is having chemo and why can't he eat and drink and why are his lips dry?

I'm really glad that you've found the riprap website and that it is helpful to you. It is always good to know that young people can find the support they need and we appreciate comments on any improvements we could make to the website.

I'm really sorry to hear that your dad has cancer. It is such a difficult time when somebody we love is diagnosed with cancer and it is a completely normal reaction to feel upset like you were last year. At diagnosis, people often describe feeling whirlwinds of emotions including sadness, anger and confusion. With time the information about the diagnosis sinks in and it sounds like you have started to come to terms with your dad's illness. You say that you're now moving on which is great, but at times it will still be difficult, so you shouldn't ever feel that you have to 'get over' your worry or put a brave face on. It is important that you make sure you are supported and that you have somebody to talk to about how you feel. If you can keep talking about your dad's illness, then you are less likely to keep emotions bottled up, and your situation will seem more manageable. I hope you can manage to talk to your family and friends, because they will be a great source of support for you.

You also asked about your dad's chemotherapy treatment. Chemotherapy just means using anti-cancer drugs to destroy the cancer cells in the body. However, the drugs used can also affect some of the healthy cells in the body, and this is what causes the side effects. So your dad may feel quite poorly during his treatment, but this is just a side effect of the drugs. The drugs particularly affect cells that rapidly divide and grow, because cancer cells behave in that way. This means that normal healthy cells that divide and grow rapidly are also more affected than other cells in our body. Cells in the lining of the mouth and in the digestive system are amongst those that divide and grow rapidly and these areas are therefore often more affected by the chemotherapy than other normal cells. This is why your dad may have a dry mouth and have difficulties with eating and drinking. Hair cells also divide and grow rapidly, which is why many people lose their hair when they are treated with chemotherapy drugs. This doesnt happen with all chemotherapy drugs though. Chemotherapy is often given in short sessions followed by a rest period, so your dad may feel poorly for a while and then feel a bit better.

I hope this information helps, and if you need to talk to anybody again, we are always here. Take care!