I think my father is sick and refuses care, what should I do?
OK, so, I'm 28. My dad and I aren't close- we never have been, really. The best way to describe his presence before my parents divorce was 'impressively absent considering we lived in the same house'. He's not mean, or cruel. He's just... checked out. Kind of always has been. After my parents seperated, I didn't see him except for holidays and events. And that has continued on into adulthood- we see eachother for holidays, and that's about it. We don't even really text outside of when one of us needs something or has a question. He is a proud man, even if he doesn't admit it.
That's the bare bones background- onto the question. So my brother and I went over to help my dad move to a new house today- and he was looking rough. He had a seizure at work months ago and has been seeing doctors about it. I offered my assistance with anything at all, especially considering I was the caretaker for my mother when she had overian cancer before she passed. For almost a year and a half, I went to her appointments with her and supported her the entire time, so I was like 'yo, if you need any help with anything or want to talk hit me up'. Anyways, fast forward to today. We go to dinner after moving, and I ask him about his medical stuff since I was supposed to take him to an appointment a few weeks ago and he had to reschedule it due to a different thing he needed done, and he never got back to me on when that was going to be scheduled for.
He beat around the bush a bit, then said that he had an MRI and had micro strokes. That they'd found something. He didn't elaborate- I pressed a bit about the other test, and he said he didn't see the point. That they would probably find something anyways, since the test they wanted to do was to check for a cancer that had killed his father and older brother. Then he just kind of shrugged and changed the subject about it. But he made it seem like he didn't want to get tested for anything because even if he did have cancer, he wouldn't get treated for it? And I don't know what to do with that. If we were closer, and he were less proud, I'd feel comfortable pushing more to try to understand. But we aren't, and he's a grown man who can make his own medical decisions.
If it's due to money or something, I'd even get that too. We're in the US, so medical care for cancer is insane. If he survived, he'd have crippling medical debt, and he's already living paycheck to paycheck. I just..... feel like a shit person for not pushing him to get care or pushing him to talk about it more.
What should I do? Is there a right move here?
Also, if it matters- my brother and I also live paycheck to paycheck. We live over an hour away from my father, and don't have the physical room in the house for another person on top of us and my two large dogs.
Posted Jun 13, 2026, 11:40 PM UTC