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. My beloved husband died from pancreatic cancer on Feb 25th, his funeral was march 15, so less than a week ago. Wed been married 44 years and known each other for almost 46 years. We have 2 grown up children and grandchildren, but they too are broken hearted.  The pain and emptiness is too great too describe. Nothing means anything anymore. What's the point in anything? It seems to me We're in a club that no one wants to be a member of. Please look after yourself Simon, unfortunately many people on this site are experiencing the same dreadful loss as you.  Our daughter whos 38, says that life without her dad is ***. She's not wrong !! Take care.

  • Hello smt352. 

    As you will see my name is Gord and I lost my wife to cancer. We had been married for 44years and known one another for 46 years. I was 19 years old when we married and my wife was 20 years old. I am like you now broken in two. I looked for miracles everyday, but it wasn't to be and my wife passed away on the 20th December 2018. I had looked after and cared for my wife for two years at home.

    I am totally lost now and have thought about ending things and then think my wife would not like me to do that. The pain is excruciating and doesn't stop as you know. Life for me has stopped now and I just go through the motions day to day like you and think what's the point now. 

    I go to counselling and find it helps while I'm there but you still come home to an empty house. I am truly sorry for your loss and yes we are all in a club we don't want to be in. Please try and take care of yourself however it's easier said than done. Love. Gord.

  • Hello Gord..... I read your post and saw by the date you lost your lovely wife some time ago. I lost my darling husband on 25th January this year so I am 6 months without him. The pain of losing and living without him is just dreadful..... Please tell me that it will get easier as time goes on. At present I have no reason to face each day and long to be with him.

    Take care  Love Gillie

Reply
  • Hello Gord..... I read your post and saw by the date you lost your lovely wife some time ago. I lost my darling husband on 25th January this year so I am 6 months without him. The pain of losing and living without him is just dreadful..... Please tell me that it will get easier as time goes on. At present I have no reason to face each day and long to be with him.

    Take care  Love Gillie

Children
  • Hi Gillie. It's 18 months since my wife died and it has devastated me, as we were with each other for 46 years. After my wife died, I was attending a Clan walk in centre which deals with people who are affected by this horrendous disease for 16 months. I then had a complete breakdown in the doctors a couple of months ago and now I'm attending mental health and on tablets. 

    So I can't tell you it gets easier, and do not listen to folk who will tell you it was for the best, or you'll get "" better"", whatever that means. However, I can only hope it does become easier for you. It will seem just like yesterday for you and I'm very sorry for the loss of your loving husband. 

    Those you love can never be replaced.

    Love Gordon.

     

  • Thank you Gordon.  I spent the happiest 43 years with my lovely man. We had the happiest of marriage. I think this emmense pain and grief is the penalty for loving someone so very much. I will miss my man until I can meet up with him again. Hope you are finding a way to move onwards without your wife. It is not easy but we owe it to them to try. They are watching and will only want us to try and be happy.

    Take care and keep in touch x