Pushing back custard and herding cats

Hi, I’m not sure what I want to say, but  I went to my GP on Tuesday morning, who said, after examining me, ‘you’re not a stupid woman so you won’t be surprised that I need to refer you urgently’.  I assume by ‘you’re not a stupid woman’  he meant that I was intelligent enough to work out what’s going on, but unfortunately, I was that ‘stupid woman’, and thought that although I had consulted him with relatively mild symptoms, he would say ‘away with you, there’s nothing wrong’.  The title of this post means I feel I have no control over this situation, here in the Channel Islands we have to pay our own consultation fees, mine cost £57, just to be referred onwards, although I suppose the worst thing is my husband’s reaction to the news, which is probably what I’m really writing about.  I’ve been married 42 years, through thick and thin, and my husband has not been very demonstrative in affection for most of them.  I need (sorry, I know this is a demanding statement) for someone (read husband here) to step up to the plate and say , ‘we can get through this together’,  

 

  •  I'm sorry you're husband isn't being supportive that must be really hard. My shusband is quite unwell and very depressed and so I am often frozen out when I need emotional support so I can really sympathise.

    However upon telling my husband that I need to go for biopsy and cancer screening he just completely lost it. He broke down entirely and every time he looks at me he cries and begs me not to leave him. I'm 36 so it's pretty scary because we also have a child. 
     

    I too need him to step up and look at me and be strong and say "we've got this" whatever it may be. But I don't feel I can tell him how scared I am because he can't cope mentally this putting the burden back firmly on me. 
     

  • Hi ladykpd,

    Thank you for responding to my post, I’m so very sorry that you’re in a similar position to me with reference to support from your husband.  It must be really difficult if your husband cries and says ‘don’t leave me’, when of course you don’t want to leave anybody, neither him nor your child or your family.  He sounds mentally unwell himself, I hope he gets support from others, besides yourself.

    My situation is  different, my husband (after 42 years of marriage) doesn’t appear to be concerned if I were to be diagnosed with breast cancer or not, and he doesn’t seem much concerned that, if I were, it might cause me to ‘leave’ him.  I don’t think I’ve been that bad a wife in the last 42 years but maybe he sees it differently!  Presently, I’m of a mind that anyone can leave anyone in this life, you don’t need to wait for a diagnosis of a terminal illness!

    Please take comfort in the knowledge that you have age on your side, I hope you get a positive response re your biopsy and screening and can move on from there.  

    Please try and keep your spirts up, think of yourself, your child and your husband and do whatever you feel you need to, to keep it together until you truly know what the future holds.

    My very best to you all.

     

     

     

     

  • Do you think maybe your husband is in denial or isn't great at expressing his emotions?? Or do you just think he is selfish and hasn't thought about your feelings at all?? I hope it's the first because everyone deserves to be loved to the fullest by the person they have dedicated a life time too. 
    I really hope that whatever is happening for you is not to scary and you get the treatment you need. My uncle is also on the Channel Islands (Guernsey) so I know the cost can rack up quick. 
     

    my husband has chronic depression and PTSD after having a surgery that crippled him 5 years ago. He has absolutely no tolerance for stress what so ever. I was very lucky and actually went for my colposcopy yesterday. I was told I have something called "cervical erosion" and it isn't cancer. 
     

    I really hope you have other friends and family to suppprt you through this time. I also feel you need to be a bit forward with your husband and ask him what the score is regarding his reaction.

    I wish you the best of luck with everything. 
    With love x