How do I do this without him?

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i lost my handsome husband on 11.07.22 - 6 days ago.  Heres a little back story to us 

We met many years ago and it took us 10 years to get together - the first 6 years of our relationship werent great.  i was in this way more than he was for a long time, but 4 years ago all that changed and i got what i dreamed of.  we had a beautiful relationship.  Then, along came cancer.

Sean found a lump under his arm and after 5 month of fighting and waiting for his biopsy, he was diagnosed with stage 4 skin cancer on 30th April 2021.  He started immunotherapy but it didnt work, the mets increased.  Velindre started him on a BRAF targeted therapy - and it worked! ... well the best it could.  the latest scan results in May showed that what was left was residual matter.  Sean was already in hospital when we received the results - his bowel perforated on 20th May and he had an operation for a stoma bag on the 21st.  We were told he only had a 50% chance of coming off the operating table ... but he did it - and a 30% chance of making a recovery.

Recovery was going well until he started being sick and had a paralytic illus.  Metocloprimyde helped but the hospital sent him home saying he only had a few days.  We married on 10th June and he came home on the 11th.  He came home and sored, eating getting stronger and everything - we really thought he had this!  But the paralytic illus started again and he was too scared to eat.  After that his apatite never returned.  I lost him at 5.40 on Monday 11th July - 4 weeks and 3 days after we married.  He was 39.

How can my beautiful husband be gone? 39 years old and so many plans.  We were planning a trip away with my son and and friends in September and now we have to face that without him.  We have to face everyday without him and i dont know how to do it!

I cant even move his used tissues from the bedroom window sill, or wash the cup he was using that day.  I spend the days re-reading out messages just to try to remember him before the cancer.  It consumed our lives for 15 months and i forgot so much of how we were before.  I just dont know how i am supposed to carry on.  I just want to curl up into a ball and die - i want to be with him.  the only reason i am still here is my son, and the fact that sean would be really p*ssed at me if i turned up there.

I went up his best friends yesterday for a BBQ and fire (he loved fires) and it ripped my heart out to see his 2 best mates sat there without him- he should be here ... he didnt deserve to die and he didnt want too! he fought so hard for the last 15 months.  Even when he was in my arms that monday morning he was fighting - he didnt want to go!

I cant comprehend a future without him - We both knew it was going to happen at some point but in March we were told that going off his previous scans he had around another 2 and a half years - 4 months later and hes gone!

I just dont understand it and i dont know how i will cope never seeing him again - every where in our house there is memories and right now they are painful, but i hope in time i will find them comforting.

  • I am so sorry for the loss of your husband and I really do understand how you are feeling and what you are going through - I know it doesn't actually  "help" you with the missing him and getting through the days but so many of us on here are trying to deal with the same heartbreak and loss and its so hard.

    I lost my husband to cancer this May and I still cry all the time and am so lonely and missing him being with me. We didnt always have an easy time of it either during the last couple of years and I have lots of regrets and sadness about issues that I can never change now -  how I wish I could.

    Please post and message on the site when you need to, somehow we have to get through this together the best we can.

    Sending a hug  x

  • Hi i am sorry for your loss.

    Yes it is so hard, i am nearly three years down the line, does it get easier, yes, but never goes away, you just learn to live with it and that is so hard

    I did have counselling from the Hospice and that really helped, though i did not need  my children telling me that, i did it when i was ready.

    Regrets, we can all have regrets, i had a real good marriage, though  mine was more, i should have said this, i should have said that, i should have done this, though i did every thing possible i could, i stayed with him night and day for nine weeks, and he knew i was there.

    One day at a time, one foot in front of the other, its early days for you, it takes time, but will always be with you, well me any way., he was the other half of me.

    Take Care Ellie x

  • Thank you -  I'm going to try and get some counselling and see if it helps even a little

  • I'm so so sorry that you find yourself here.  It really is the most awful situation to find yourself in and it has happened so recently.

    Please do not feel that you have to do anything at the moment apart from dealing with the immediate things.  Please also try to look after yourself.  It'll be hard, but you'll find ways to do it.  

    I'm nearly 18 months in.  It has been horribly hard but, as Eliie said, it does get better over time and you'll find others here who say the same.  Your journey will be yours and yours alone, but you will find a way through.  Hopefully you have good support around you.

    I've wanted many times to join Nic in his grave, but I've found the strength from somewhere to keep going and try to forge a new life for myself.  

    Please stay here and let us know how you are getting on.  You'll have massive support all of the way.

    All best wishes.

    Felicity 

  • hi, I am so sad to read your story, 39? so unfair.  Not comprehending a future without him? I can relate to that but I promised Rob that I would move forward with life without him.  It’s so hard sometimes but baby steps.

    Ive gone back to work after retiring and moved house but feel I have done enough for the time being.

    You will always have memories of Sean in your heart.  It does hurt and so flipping painful sometimes but hopefully over time will be less painful.

    Today has been a painful day for me but actually writing in this forum has helped me and I’m feeling a little better.

    Love  is eternal 

  • I'm so sorry for your loss, I'm 3 years since loosing my husband so I no exactly how you feel, like so many if us on this site do, it's such a lonely life without them, I stil have counselling from the hospice and group meeting,  I can't say it gets easier because it hasn't for me really,  my children have there lives to live and just tell me wot I should be doing,  they don't understand the pain we go through,  sending a hug to you,  take care 

  • Exactly like this- I have family too and they are really lovely and I appreciate how they're trying to help me but it really doesn't fill the void in your life and heart that losing your husband or wife or partner does  ? All the everyday routines you had together  - I hate coming home now into an empty house. I still want him to be there waiting for me like he always was when he was feeling too ill to go with me or even more painful the memories before cancer when we went places together and spent so much time together - Is it always going to be like this ??

  • That's emptiness is unbearable, always feel like the odd one out, the third person or on your own, going out and seeing couples together hurts so much, only we no the pain and how hard life is without our partners,  sending a hug to you,  take care 

  • I'm so sorry,breaks my heart hearing another person having to go through this,you will find out how strong you are when being strong is all you have x