I am so afraid and lonely

My partner was diagnosed with neck cancer. He is halfway through his radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatments.  However, he was admitted to hospital last week as his oxygen levels appeared low and he has contracted pneumonia and a blood clot on the lung.  The day before yesterday he was transferred to the Critical Care unit.  I understand there is better equipment there for raising his oxygen levels.  One oncologist said that if the raising of the oxygen levels isn’t successful he may have to be put on a ventilator.  He has refused this option, saying he may as well be dead then to live this way.  Through some microbiology tests yesterday they have now found a specific viral/bacterial issue and have changed his antibiotics to target this.  I am so afraid he is going to die.  When I come home after visiting him, I feel so alone.  I can’t stop crying and I can hardly sleep.  We always spend Christmas Day together but not this year of course.  I normally don’t mind being alone but at the moment the house feels so empty.  I feel like I’m living in a void.  I don’t know what I’ll do if doesn’t survive this.  I love him so much. 

  • I'm similar, some very good supportive friends too.
    We've no kids (by choice)  I rarely see my brother (who lives a few miles away.  We think my sister has early dementia so after discussion with her daughters we've decided not to let her know at this stage. 
    Take care of yourself x

  • We didn’t have kids either and I don’t have any siblings. I do have good friends but I don’t want to bore them with my crying and grief all the time.  I am British but seem to lack the stiff upper lip characteristic that we are reputed to have. 

  • Did you get much sleep last night? I think there comes a point where sheer tiredness takes over, so it will happen. You're mere hours into your grief, so I highly doubt you'll be boring anyone. You mention you lack the British stiff upperlip, yet you're doing the typical Britsh thing of being too polite. Not wanting to incovenience others. You're going through one of the largest life events anyone can go through, so i think your friends will understand. But i do understand why. There's times in your life when saying things out loud can make it feel all too real. I tend not to be a face to face talker either when faced with an awful situation.

    When my wife was diagnosed, it was her that did all the talking to others because i simply couldn't bring myself to say some things out loud. i wasn't deluding myself, just felt more comfortable letting it swirl around in my head.

  • Thank you.  I actually did sleep last night.  First time in over a week.  I’m not really being polite as I’m breaking down every time I talk to someone and I think this will go on for me way longer than it will for them.  Hence, I might be boring them when some of them think it’s time I got over it.  Once again thank you for your caring posts.

  • Look at this another way. Say this had been one of your friends, would you expect her/him to get over such a loss in such a short time? Even a few months, a year or longer? They say the loss of a partner is only trumped by the loss of a child. The fact you have no children means your loss is one of the worst, if not the worst, loss you will ever face. It doesn't get much worse than this. You're hugely underplaying what you're currently experiencing.

    It's completely understandable because your head is all over the place just now, and you currently assume you and your own wellbeing is away down the list of priorities. But you matter, and always have throughout this entire nightmare of a journey. Your friends would probably be mortified if they knew you were soldiering through all this for the reasons you have given. If you're in no mood to talk to friends about this, that is understandable, but if you're needing to unload, you need to unload.

    As carers, we're made to feel it isn't about us, mostly from people who have yet to endure a cancer or serious illness diagnosis. I too believed that. We aren't the person that's endured the diagnosis, the treatment etc, so what right do we have to be struggling?  My friends or family don't need to hear my woes because what right do i have to complain when my health is fine, and the physical trauma isn't mine to bear. Yeah, i believed all that. I was in an awfully dark place because i shut myself away. Spoke to no one. Then i got talking to a lady (she was also a carer for her husband) on here, read her story, and she opened my eyes. She made me realise how much i was making assumptions about how others would perceive me if i reached out. The reality was much different from the stuff swirling around in my head.

    I'm so sorry if this comes across as a nagging post, because you don't need that nonsense, but I do not want you to just sit there a stew in your own house feeling like you have no outlet. Don't be how i was is my point.

  • Thank you so much.  My neighbour invited me round for tea today.  She has been very nice.  I was obviously going through one of my more together phases although my body was so tense.  As soon as I left her house I broke down into tears in the street.  Luckily I only live 7 doors away.  I almost feel that I don’t have enough energy to sustain these changeable emotions.  One of my partner's friends called me and I was still crying when I answered.   She is a  lovely person and after speaking to her for about half an hour, I started to feel better.  We finished our call just now.  I now seem to be feeling bad again.  I just feel I can’t cope.  

  • Really pleased you got out, and you got some company because it will stop you sitting in the house 24/7 and going insane. I've done my nagging for today, so i'll leave you in peace.

    Pop on here anytime, even if it's just to unload, rant or write down your thoughts. Never feel you can't get things off your chest on here. It's a good space for that as you're surrounded by people who understand and will never judge you. Someone will always respond eventually.

  • Hi Urbanity,

    We haven't spoken before, but I just had to stop by to say how very sorry I am to hear about the loss of your partner. ProfBaw has given you some good advice. Don't worry about all the crying - this is a great way to relieve stress and is perfectly understandable given the circumstances.

    Please remember that we are always here for you. There are many of us here who know from first hand experience, just how bereft you feel at the moment and  you can turn to us at any time.

    Kindest regards,

    Jolamine xx

  • Thank you very much for your kind message, Jolamine.  Much appreciated.