Hello everyone:
It’s been said that Alzheimer’s Disease is the “long goodbye”, but I have a good friend whose husband passed after battling cancer for six years. That could also be called “the long goodbye” because of the years they spent watching him get treatment. Her devotion to her dying husband was evident in every glance they shared, and I really admire her for her “till death do us part” commitment that she lived out. Today, it seems so easy to bale out when the rough times happen, but she hung in there until the very end.
She reminds me of another friend I have whose husband successfully underwent cancer treatment, only to slip and fall on the ice when he returned to work. The slip, which she did not discover right away, left her husband’s complete dependence on her for the last ten years of his life. He was unable to walk or talk or take care of any of his personal needs. So she took care of them. For ten years. After he passed, she grieved, saying that she missed him every day. That’s love.
If you are in the position of being the caregiver for your spouse, or if you have been, my hat’s off to your loving devotion to your life’s partner.
Best,
Dr. Sheri