leukemia

[Connemmara]

My friend who used to be my brother's girl friend for about 16 years and have been exes for years now altho remain very good friends.

She told me the other night in extreme confidentiality that she was not to tell me, my sister or other brothers that he has leukemia. He has has it for about 1 year and so he tells her that he goes to oncology and consultant gives him a tablet. That is all I know and I am allowed to know.

The confidentiality has to remain as my friend wakened up in a big sweat that night frightened that I may have told someone and so I know the extent of the confidentiality and swore to me not to tell anybody. Now that has really upset me and depressed me because I can neither tell nor do anything about it.

Anybody reassure me here. He is 70 but quite a young one. Thanks for any replies.

[NoMercy]

Sorry... your brother is the one with Leukaemia?

[ummmm]

Have I read this right...your brother has Leukemia?

[carmalee]

not sure if I can reassure you but you have to repect both your brother's wishes for you not to know and your friend telling you a huge confidentiality. What I would suggest is that you make the most of however long your brother has left. Also, the prognosis may not be accurate and he could have much longer than a year. At the end of the day, none of us know how long we have. Don't make it obvious but do what we should all be doing - make the most of today.

[NoMercy]

The prognosis would greatly depend on the type of Leukaemia - Acute Myeloid, Lymphoblastic, etc...

[Connemmara]

I know you wouldnt know unless you knew the full facts. But it is going to be hard for me to carry around on my shoulders ontop of everything. Thanks everybody

[boxtops]

Sorry connemmara, but why did she tell you? She has broken a huge confidence with your brother. If it were me then I would be so upset that I had confided in someone but they had broken the confidence expressly to someone I didn't want to know. Are you sure that it's true? - you have very limited information and only this friend's word for it.

[bednobs]

it is very likely if what she told you was right that your brother has chronic leukaemia rather than acute. This is a disease that people often "die with" rather than "die of" (for example Tony Benn has had leukaemia for years)

[ummmm]

I agree with Boxy. he probably didn't want you to know because of the worry it would cause you. Now she's made that much worse....you have the worry and you can't even talk to your brother about it.

I would break her confidence...just like she did with his..!!

[Sqad]

<<Anybody reassure me here<<

About what?

[ponjee]

i reakon u should talk to your brother about it. this is really important. the famiy needs to knw. the best mediciine i can offer u is PRAYER. jst keep praying to the lord, He is the true healing to all illnesses.
hopefully he gets better. all the best.
xxx

[Dris]

Connemara -I know from your previous posts here that you are deeply religious.Why dont you have a word with you Priest -surely thats not breaking a confidence and you may also get strength from talking to him.Wish you well.

[Connemmara]

i am laughing at you drisdoll you thinking I am deeply religious. I pray but not deeply. but thanks for that thought I actually believed some of the posters did not like me because I am such a bloody bore.

[Dris]

Glad I cheered you up :) x