A few years ago, my father suffered from some medical problems. My parents didn't think much of it after negative results from performed tests and it cleared up itself. Recently however, he began suffering the same symptoms again, but this time it didn't clear up. Again, we didn't think much of it but decided it was best to have it checked out thoroughly this time instead. So this monday just gone, my mother took him to attend a medical examination at the local hospital and (as I live away from home) decided to let me know how they got on when I went to stay this week. Last night, my mother sat me down in a room on our own and told me that my father had been diagnosed with cancer. We're still waiting for some more examinations and tests to determine the risk involved, but so far we've been told it's "in advanced stages." She tried to explain the reports and conversation with the doctor but had to stop from crying. I just felt sick to my stomach and absolutely speechless and blank minded. This was the last thing I'd been expecting to hear, something that I'd been dreading ever having to hear. After composing herself, my mother continued to tell me that since finding out, my father has been crying a lot and my siblings are also understandably upset. Today, my father's brother visited and comforted him. Now, my uncle is a tough bloke and full of confidence and assurance, but I've never seen him so shaken. It's also the first time I've seen him and my father hug and be so soft over each other so much. My mother's been stressed as hell and my father's been off upset in his room a lot, scrapping and selling a lot of the projects he's been working on, dealing with finances and his Will. In moments like that over the past couple of days, I've teared up a few times and cried a couple, but overall the situation just feels so unreal. It doesn't seem possible and feels like an unusual dream. I think about the whole situation over and over in my head and just feel numb and helpless. I don't know what to do.