Hi Janey67, 

I'm so sorry to read that your soul mate of 30 years has passed away and I offer you my deepest sympathy.

Many members here know how difficult it can be to cope with with the loss of a partner and hopefully some them will be along soon to offer their support and advice. In the meantime I am including a link to some information we have about coping with grief which I hope will be of some help to you at this time but I also wanted to let you know about cruse bereavement and the loss foundation as they both offer bereavement counselling to those that have lost a loved one to cancer. Your GP should also be able to make you aware of resources in your local area so it may be worth booking an appointment to see them to find out more.

My thoughts are with you at this difficult time.

Kind regards, 

Steph, Cancer Chat Moderator

Sorry to hear about the passing of your partner I lost my mum to bowel/colon cancer on the 18th April and I'm sure you'll agree the illness is so cruel. My mum passed away within 4 months of being diagnosed and it wasn't predicted to happen that quickly and it was devastating to watch. My dad has also lost his partner of over 50 years and like yourself is totally lost and we are struggling to help him get by. If anyone has any ideas to help him get through this sadness. My dad is a fit healthy man but now has no interest in anything.

Kirsty x

I'm sorry to read about your mum's passing as well Kirsty and would like to offer you my sincerest condolences.

I know you're worried about your dad but it sounds like he may be experiencing the depression stage of grief at this moment in time. You can find out more about the different stages of grief from the link I included in my reply to Janey67. You also could try seeking advice on how to help your dad from one of the bereavement organisations I mentioned in my previous post so do have a look at them when you get a chance.

Sometimes just letting them know you're there for them when they need you can be the biggest help of all so it may be a case of taking your lead from your dad at the moment whilst he tries to work through his grief at this difficult time.

Kind regards, 

Steph, Cancer Chat Moderator