How do I get through this

Hello

I'm struggling to cope. My husband has been battling cancer for the last 18 months. Chemo, radiotherapy & surgery. We were told the surgery had been a success but were sadly told last week the cancer has spread. They are hoping a different course of chemo will keep it at bay. I don't know what to do. It's not good and I'm worried he has only got months to live. I'm trying to keep normal because we have a 8 yr old at home but it's horrendous. I just don't know what to say or do. I feel desperate sad, angry, hopeless.... Not being able to see family and all being stuck In together is taking its toll. 

  •  Hello i'm so sorry to read your post haven't been told that your husband only have six months to live it must be horrible! I lost my wife to breast cancer on the 22nd of December after a two year battle she went into hospital I thought she had some sort of infection and then we were told she's only got about two weeks to live we should bring Christmas forwards which is obviously a horrible thing but at least she got to live her life the way she wanted to! I'm left with a nine-year-old and a two-year-old so I can tell it's hard work but somehow we are getting through this not the sadness of losing my wife or mummy but the day by day live inI'm probably not the best person you want to talk to but I'm here if you need me

  • Thank you for your reply. 
    I'm so sorry to hear about your wife and I am sending you my very best wishes to you and your two children. 
    I worry so much about the impact this will have on our child. Have you been given any advice for support/guidance on how to best support children through a time like this?

  • No not really  I've been told I'm doing all the right things for them talking let me rewind a bit We never told Connor  ( 9 year old )  mummy had  cancer mainly because of the cancer word!  My wife went into hospital because she was breathless and the doctor said it seems like you've got some kind of virus why don't you go to a hospice for a few days and then we can give you chemo for the cancer and things to go back to normal. When she was in the hospice I told her I had to tell Connor the truth just in case which she agreed to so I sat him down and I told him that mummy is running out of medicines to try there's about four more mummy can try and then we run out completely which obviously isn't good when is a good chance that she could die!  He said to me welcome mummy so poorly I had to tell him about the cancer The way I describe cancer to him was in your body you've got loads of good people look after you and one person went bad and when he tapped people on the shoulder they went bad to until there was hundreds of bad people and if mummy gets medicine that's like all the super heroes coming down to save her and kill all these bad people inside money that was the only thing I could think of but it worked and it helped him Understand what cancer is. My advice would be tell the children the truth because if it does all end badly by nine-year-old was very happy that he was told the truth and I've never lied to him! We had to have Christmas early which was strange horrible but kind of nice for the children because I got a chance to say goodbye About three days later she died. My two-year-old is constantly going Mummy mummy do you know something is wrong are used to talk on FaceTime all the time and obviously now we can't but he's okay The nine-year-old talks to me every day cries every day but the more talking we do easier things will be it's not a nice place to be in? I've told Connor mummy is in heaven and said about all the signs such as feathers smells butterflies Robbins So he's always involved  he helped me sort out the funeral and even the gravestone here if you want to talk