Coping with Loss of Wife,Best Friend and Soul Mate

Hi, 

I have been with my beautiful wife for 30 years, and we have 3 beautiful teenage daughters.

My wife has been fighting breast cancer since 2009, with numerous Chemotherapies, natural rememdies, surgery and radiotheraphy - after 4/5 years she was in reammission, and then 9 months later in 2015 it came back harder and faster - she has daily lung drains, and was put on various chemotheraphy drugs and in April 2017 she was deemed stage 4 as it had spread to her spine, liver, kidney, both breasts, neck etc - We thought the worse.

I took 9 months off from work to care for my wife, and in that time I studied Chemotherapy treatments, wrote to Pharmecetical firms, and went through weekly blood results in order to do anything I could to save my beloved wifes life.

With my research I was also able to push the Oncologists and talk to them on a 1-2-1 level (even my wife said it was like 2 Oncologists where in the room !) - and I was the one who discovered why my wife had rejected the Chemotherapy in the first place due to her Albumin levels where very low.

Armed with Blood results every week, checking white cells, B12, Albumin I was able to tailor my wifes diet and she was able to have the chemotheraphy week on week.

Working together we managed to keep her alive for another 9 months, however sadly it caught up with her and she died in December 2017 just after Christmas.

Althought this is still very raw, I miss her every day, and have 3-4 breakdowns a day, constant crying, longing, and yearning for my wife - I wear her perfume and jewellery and still sleep with her dressing gown and have kept the house exactly as she left it so ther are no changes "when she returns home"

In 30 years we were together, we were only away from each other for 2 weeks, and we were more than Husband and Wife, she was my soul mate, best friend, we were a unit, we held hands, told each other we loved each other everyday, and I wanted no one else - she was my everything and the only thing in my life I was ever afraid of losing.

I still cry in pain that this could happen to someone so beautiful, and I have had the phases of grief doubt, and anger.

I hate the cliches, "be strong for the children" but how can I when I am not strong for myself, and the girls are teenagers, they are in their rooms talking to their friends, or boyfriends, and I am left on my own - the girls will grow up and I will walk the rest of my time on this earth without my beloved.

I particularly like the "it will get better after the funeral" this I can tell you is ********* ! it has got worse - I have more crying breakdowns, even when I go to places that me and my wife visited I hyper ventilate and freeze on the spot.

Yes I have couselling, but everyday the pain intesifies as does the emptiness and hollowness inside.

I am told I did all I could for my beautiful wife, and I would give everything I own just to have her back with me again.

I wanted to share my story, with others and I read a statistic once that said "75 men a day under the age of 50 are made widowers" and now I am in that statistic.

I am finding it hard to cope everyday, and it feels like my head is caving in with all the tears and emotions - I assume I am not alone

Simon 

Parents
  • Dear Simon.

    My heart goes out to you..Believe it or not you are describing exactly how I feel. My husband, best friend, my soulmate died of bladder cancer in December past. I looked after him until the end, and although I know I could not have done any more, I still feel guilt. Im so lonely and sad. People rallied to be supportive, but now if anyone sees me crying..they ask whats wrong..like I should be over it by now. 

    He was cremated, that was his wish. His ashes are still with me, I feel content with that at the minute, however I am being pressured by his "friends" (people I have never met) to bury him so they can visit his grave...I am struggling to hold it together without this interference 

    Love, Gillian

     

     

  • Hello Gillian. Very sorry for your loss. I looked after my wife till the end of her life and by that time she was skin and bones. It was horrendous caring for and watching her slowly fading away. Please do not be pressurised in any way to do anything you don't want to do with your husbands ashes, or his belongings. His " friends " will soon stop visiting a grave and then you might have even more guilt and regrets about doing something that wasn't your plan. I have my wife's ashes with me in a Willow casket sitting on the couch beside me, and when my time comes, I will go in there and we will be scattered together. 

    People think they know what's best for us by saying stupid thing but only to make them feel good. However I have stopped listening and will decide myself on my life which I hope you will do for your life. There is no words I can say to you to make it easier as words won't bring your husband or my wife back to us. Please just know that all of us on this site are thinking of your heartbreak and so much loss in your life. Gord.

Reply
  • Hello Gillian. Very sorry for your loss. I looked after my wife till the end of her life and by that time she was skin and bones. It was horrendous caring for and watching her slowly fading away. Please do not be pressurised in any way to do anything you don't want to do with your husbands ashes, or his belongings. His " friends " will soon stop visiting a grave and then you might have even more guilt and regrets about doing something that wasn't your plan. I have my wife's ashes with me in a Willow casket sitting on the couch beside me, and when my time comes, I will go in there and we will be scattered together. 

    People think they know what's best for us by saying stupid thing but only to make them feel good. However I have stopped listening and will decide myself on my life which I hope you will do for your life. There is no words I can say to you to make it easier as words won't bring your husband or my wife back to us. Please just know that all of us on this site are thinking of your heartbreak and so much loss in your life. Gord.

Children
  • Hi.

    I am so glad to hear I am not alone in wanting my husbands ashes with me. Of course I knew he was dying and did not really know what I would feel like when the time came. The minute i collected his casket I felt comfort, and I had not expected that. So here he stays where I believe he would want to be, looking after me as he always done before he bacame ill. However,  am I selfish for not giving others the chance to be near him? As mentioned, these people are long lost friends and his family, who have disowned me and my kids since he passed away.  I have tried to contact his parents but the do not reply. x...Thanks all for responding, makes me realise I am not alone