Hello Kate55 and a warm welcome to Cancer Chat, 

I am so sorry to hear your husband has just been diagnosed with bowel cancer and I hope that everything goes well for him next week as he is about to start treatment. You seem to be amazing support for him and you are right in just trying to keep life as normal as possible both for him and for the sake of your young son. He is about to embark on a difficult journey so normality and the affection of his loved ones are probably what he needs the most at the moment. It can be difficult to know what to do when you feel you have very different coping mechanisms to those of your husband but it's important to respect his wishes as you say and I am sure he really appreciates everything you are doing for him. 

It's also normal to be feeling a bit powerless at times and this is a feeling many of our members who are also looking after a loved one with cancer will be able to relate to. None of this is your fault at all and it's totally understandable that you feel angry at times and can barely type the word 'cancer' - rest assured though that you are doing everything you can and making every single day better for your husband. Your good sense of humour combined with your caring nature will be essential to get him through the worst days. You are right in saying that humour is very important in a situation like this. 

I will now let our other members who have found themselves in a similar position come and say hello and share their stories with you. It does help to talk to others who are or have been in a similar boat. 

Best wishes to you and your husband and I do hope that the treatment proves to be a success, 

Lucie, Cancer Chat Moderator