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
  • Hi  Simon my beautyfull wife passed away sept2019.           I have read your post it is so like my situation.                   We had 3 beautiful children. That are all teenagers.              Now. I was also with my wife for 30 years.                         For 18 months she battled cancer . She fought.                 So hard to beat the horrible disease.                                   I also stopped work and was with her for every.                 Treatment & operation. I cared for her at home her           Final month. On 17sept 5.00 morning she passed             Away in my arms. I  miss her so much and talk to                  Every minute I'm awake my sleep is not much                   I visit her grave practically every day .                                    I'm suffering every day . I can't see away out of                 This pain and grief. I hope there is some sort of                           Life after this one so we can be together again.x

     

  • Hi all, 

    Simon here, sorry for not posting sooner, but I first wanted to say that I am blown away with the responses to my original post and I wanted to give you an update of where I am now - I got through December which is a nightmare for me (Wedding Anniversary, Vicky's birthday, my daughters birthday, Christmas, then 28th Anniversary of her death) then our daughters where 18 so its a case of just going through life in automatic mode tbh - with the lockdown it does not help at all, stuck at home with all these feelings and emotions - my daughters are home but stay in their rooms most days - and the house has stayed the same since Vicky passed (3 years now) ,from her wall colours, decorations, to her wardrobe, everything - but even 3 years in I have had to get some more counselling again, as everything is getting on top of me.

    A few years back I joined an organisation called WAY (Widowed and young) and I highly recommend people join, the network is amazing, and the friends I have made there is just brilliant, always checking in on each other and all have been through the same pain.
     

    My feelings for my beloved have never changed and never will, I think about her every day, I still write to her everyday, visit her grave with a flask and a portable chair to "catch up", have her hair in a cross around my neck, her ashes on my wrist and still sleep with her dressing gown - nothing has changed, but I promise you this - grief is a ***, and punches you in the face and any given time, and when you least expect it - people say time is a healer, but it's not a healer as such it just makes things easier - yes you still think about your wife/husband, and you miss them dearly - but for me, I feel like I am just here to see the kids off and then I think whats next ?

    I met my wife when we were 16, and for 30 years all I knew was Vicky, she made me the man I am, the very fabric of life - she gave life to me and our 3 daughters - I found the only way through this is to keep busy - if you sit and ponder then the tears flow, but even doing stuff around the house "pottering" because of "Vicky" I can still hear her next to me, and guiding me - it's the small things I miss like making her a cuppa, and last year I had to buy my first coat without her its daunting...

    Someone asked me the other day "Have I ever been in love..." and I replied I still am...! yes, she is not here physically but it does not mean she is in my heart, and I know she will be in my ear saying "keep going Si..." 

    Before she died I told her of a dream I had, and it was so real - I said to her I was laying in hospital with all my family around me and I looked up and saw you above my bed and you said "come on Si, get a move on....." when I told her this she laughed and said "that's exactly how its going to be ....."

    I know we will meet again, but I also know if I turned up now, or had this attitude of "life is ***" she would say what he hell you doing here !

    Stay strong people, please I am here to help if anyone wants to reply - it does get better but that doesn't mean you have forgotten the love xx
     

  • Hi mate my wife died on the 22nd of December last year to breast cancer I have a two-year-old and a nine-year-old  To look after the pain is unbearable I love her so much I wanna be with her but the last thing she said to me and made me promise was to look after our children so it looks like I'm staying for the next 40 years at least before I get to see my beautiful wife again To look after the pain is unbearable I love her so much I wanna be with her but the last thing she said to me and made me promise was to look after our children so it looks like I'm staying for the next 40 years at least before I get to see my beautiful wife again like you say your life is turned upside down how will I go or how will I do this would love to hear from you talking to helps 

  • Hi Chris,

    I know what you are going through I was and still am in your shoes, my wife said the same thing about the children and that is something you have to take on board, yes we want to be with our wives, but we must look after the children, and make memories of their mum so they never forget - the first few months/year are pretty ***, I won't lie, and even now I get times when I wish I was with her - but here are some things I have learnt on this Journey and it may or may not help but its a start...

    - Do what you think is right, and grieve how you want to grieve - whatever helps you - I spray a bit of my wifes perfume on my hand as it reminds me of her (must to the distain of some male friends) but I don't care - I do what I want to do to cope.

    - Friends, the phone will stop ringing but you will also have a subset of friends who are there and check in - don't be afraid to tell them how you feel - they can never know unless they have experienced it but use the close nit ones

    - Keep busy, this is the sole thing that has done me, don't rest on laurels, I miss my wife every second of the day, but if I sat down I would cry so I keep myself busy, and with 2 youngsters that shouldn't be hard - try and remain positive for them - I see my wife every day in my daughters and its lovely.

    Here if you need any help or reach out.

    As I said - WAY organisation is really good, and make some good friends...you need that 

     

    Simon 

  • Chris,

    I posted here nearly 2yrs ago when I lost my beautiful Lisa. I can't believe that it's been that long as I never went a day in our 28yrs together without speaking. I have 2 older children but I didn't know what do. I knew I had to be here for them but a part of me wanted to give in.  I know Lisa would be livid with me if I gave in so I've gone and got myself a new job (I cried in the interview when they asked about family)..I train dogs on my days off. I go running with my daughter, anything to keep me occupied. It was difficult to begin with and not a moment of the day doesn't go by where I don't think of her. I put her private plate on my car and kept paying her mobile phone plan so I can call and listen to her voucemail...I still sleep with her dressing gown on the bed next to me..I do loads of things to keep her memory alive that are personal to me and help me. I think what I'm saying is I miss her terribly and it still hurts but it will get easier. I've adjusted to her not being here but I hate it. I'm now in a routine that helps me and my daughter who still struggles with losing what was her best friend. I've had little things happen around the house that make me think she's sending me messages to say she's with us. That gives me some comfort. It's not going to be easy but take your time..don't look forward more than a few days..do what ever you need to do to cope with your loss. Your grief will be different from everybody else's. I'm always happy to chat away from this if necessary. 

    Al

Reply
  • Chris,

    I posted here nearly 2yrs ago when I lost my beautiful Lisa. I can't believe that it's been that long as I never went a day in our 28yrs together without speaking. I have 2 older children but I didn't know what do. I knew I had to be here for them but a part of me wanted to give in.  I know Lisa would be livid with me if I gave in so I've gone and got myself a new job (I cried in the interview when they asked about family)..I train dogs on my days off. I go running with my daughter, anything to keep me occupied. It was difficult to begin with and not a moment of the day doesn't go by where I don't think of her. I put her private plate on my car and kept paying her mobile phone plan so I can call and listen to her voucemail...I still sleep with her dressing gown on the bed next to me..I do loads of things to keep her memory alive that are personal to me and help me. I think what I'm saying is I miss her terribly and it still hurts but it will get easier. I've adjusted to her not being here but I hate it. I'm now in a routine that helps me and my daughter who still struggles with losing what was her best friend. I've had little things happen around the house that make me think she's sending me messages to say she's with us. That gives me some comfort. It's not going to be easy but take your time..don't look forward more than a few days..do what ever you need to do to cope with your loss. Your grief will be different from everybody else's. I'm always happy to chat away from this if necessary. 

    Al

Children
  • How can live be so cruel All these people on here have the same story to tell the loved one has died why does it have to be like that why does everyone have to feel this kind of pain when my wife found out she had breast cancer is the date you want to scream and shout why does it have to be you her reply was simply why not me!But I feel I can't do this I love my children more than anything but the way I love my wife seems to be on another level I know she'd kill me if I went to To meet her too soon so I try to focus on the children they are martyne That was my wife's name! In my two boys her legacy lives on which is amazing and I'm honoured that she had children with me! But having said all that I don't like going to bed without herI don't like waking up with out her miss not seeing a have a shower hiding behind the door having a sneaky peak I just miss my old life so much    Thank you for listening