Hello LisaW18; welcome to the forum.  Are you the nearest relative to your dad or are there others (your mum?  aunts or uncles?).  I only ask, not to be nosy, but am wondering if he might have spoken to somebody else.  Remember he is still your dad; if you have always been able to talk openly with him you could try to do so now.  Don't treat him like a stranger but test the water about how he wants to share his feelings.  Also don't treat him solely as a cancer patient; still talk to him as your dad.  Lots of people here have said how they want to be treated with some sort of normality even when very unwell. I have found this too when caring for friends who were terminally ill.  Also sick people usually still have some interest in the things they were involved in before they became ill.

At the same time be kind to yourself; your emotions will be all over the place so make use of your support systems - friends who can perhaps be there fore you and help you through this.

I am just one person giving advice and I am sure others will have their own take on what they have experienced so I hope very much that you will find some helpful advice amongst the replies you receive.  Annie

Thank you Annie.

Mum and Dad have been seperated for years, I am youngest of three daughters. The eldsest lives 3 hours drive away , my middle sister and dad were estranged for years and have only recently over the past say 5 years or so began to talk and see each other.  Me and my Dad are extremely close, I do most things for him and have been his main support for years.

Dad has overcome aggressive throat cancer previously and all through this was very open and we talked about how he was feeling both emotionally and physically.  Dad does know that he is terminal now though and this time things are different, where as previously he was open about how he was doing this time if we ask him(whoever asks him) we get the response about how he feels physically but he has not told anyone how he feels emotionally...

Oh dear, I haven't really said anything useful in that case!  Have you had any contact with MacMillan Cancer Support - they run a helpline Mon-Fri 9am-8pm Freefone 0808 808 0000.  I don't mean go away from here - I am hopeful that you will find some help here but it doesn't hurt to cast your net a bit more widely.  Have you specifically asked your dad how he is feeling emotionally?  I remember when my own dad was terminally ill in hospital; he was not great at opening up emotionally so I went along with what he wanted, chatted about the usual everyday things and just made sure he knew how much he was loved and how I would be there for him regardless of anything else.  Sometimes you have to make the best of the situation in which you find yourself.  Annie