Dear Abby: I don’t want to burden my 100-year-old mom with my serious diagnosis

A person diagnosed with cancer is seeking advice from Dear Abby regarding their 100-year-old mother. Although the medical prognosis is good, the individual is hesitant to reveal the true reason they cannot fly to visit. They fear that sharing the diagnosis will burden or hurt their frail mother. The individual seeks a way to be excused from these responsibilities without facing condemnation or causing emotional distress to their elderly parent during this time.