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

     

     

  • Hi Gillian

    My husband recently died  of jaw cancer, we will be organising his funeral soon, he was 53.

    I am totally lost without him, .can you give me advice how do you get on with your life, I keep expecting him to walk through the door.

    Kirsty

  • Hi Kirsty.

    I am sorry to say its very difficult to get on with life..I try to busy myself each day, give myself a mission. But mostly it ends in tears and me going to bed very early to numb the pain..You have to take baby steps..like go to the place you both liked..that will cause crying..Then leave it for a while before the next step..The crying can start for no apparent reason, and I feel my heart is breaking so much I feel sick.. When he was home before me, he always waited to open the door or gate for me, with a wee kiss. Today as it was good weather I had my laundry on the line, and when I came home, just for a split second I thought it was him..I am no help to you I know, except to help us both understand we are not alone in this nightmare xx Gillian

     

  • Hi Gillian Thank you for responding, you are a help to me because I too feel sick with the pain and heartache , my husband passed away on 12 April so I guess I have a long way to go, my husband looked after me , he did everything for me, he was so caring and I bury him on 26 April which I am dreading , i have been busy organising the funeral, but I know after the funeral it will get worse, I went to my mother's tonight, sat so I wouldn't be on my own, which is not normal at all for me , I have said to myself to keep busy, but time will tell xx
  • Hello Kirsty... I too listen for the door and my late husband's footfall. I even switch my mobile on hoping there is a loving message from him. I know I am being silly. He is gone, but I can always hope for a miricle. The pain I am suffering doesnt go away and the longing I have to be held again is really awful. I am trying to move on but at present I am in a black hole. Because I know he would want me to, I shall dig myself out one day.  Good luck to you Kirsty. Keep smiling

    Love Gillie

Reply
  • Hello Kirsty... I too listen for the door and my late husband's footfall. I even switch my mobile on hoping there is a loving message from him. I know I am being silly. He is gone, but I can always hope for a miricle. The pain I am suffering doesnt go away and the longing I have to be held again is really awful. I am trying to move on but at present I am in a black hole. Because I know he would want me to, I shall dig myself out one day.  Good luck to you Kirsty. Keep smiling

    Love Gillie

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