Help: friend with terminal cancer and daughter should know

MarkPr

Hi everyone,

I have a dear friend who I just found out is facing terminal stomach cancer which as spread to lungs and lymph nodes. He is 62, with just one daughter who he no longer keeps in touch with. My friend is scared to death about having to face this alone.

My family and I plan to help our friend in this difficult time.  We also would like to contact his daughter at the approperiate time as his condition woresens.

For now, we would love some input on his current condition, and about how long he may have left, realistically.

From whar we've been told:

1. He says he was initally diagnosed ~6 yrs ago with stomach cancer but was told they couldnt operate at the time. 

2. He underwent chemo, but no surgery. 

3. Last yr he was told the cancer had spread to his lungs and was given 6 months.  Fast forward one yr, he is still with us!! 

4. Currently no actuve treatment, he has pills that he takes before eating, morphine that he only takes when pain is tooo unbearable (due to terrible side effects).

5. Current symptoms: extreme weight loss, nausea/vomiting, unable to eat much (though he tries, eating results in abdominal pain), pain undernesth armpits, pain in shoulders, belly swells slowly and then takes several hrs for swelling to go down. Pain in one leg that he doesnt understand (he now has a walking cane)

6. He sleeps sitting as lying down hurts his back.  He sleeps 3 hrs a day, he says he cant even try to sleep longer because he is afraid he wont awake.

Our friend really wants to live, and will not allow us to even consider contacting his daughter.  But with his condition being terminal, we believe his daughter should know.

So based on the info provided, any thoughts on how long we may have?....are we looking at months, possibly a yr?

I apologize for the lenghty post, we would really appreciate any and all response

Thank you