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am I honestly gonna make it through DH's cancer? I'm tired

sterlingsilver's picture

If you have read my previous posts you'll see we just recently moved into our new place. It's about half an hour from both bs15 and ss16's schools. I have a client that I work with every morning from right after I drop the boys off until noon and then 2-3 days a week I work with another client from noonish til 4pm.

I also work Saturdays and a couple evening shifts, but during the week is when the boy's school schedule is critical and that is what is already starting to break down.

Today I had to work the afternoon shift and since DH had an appointment out of town in another town an hour away bs15 arranged to stay at a friend's house. Well everything kind of fell apart for him, the bus driver wouldn't allow him on the bus unless he had a note signed by me and staff, I had sent a note but bs15 didn't get staff to sign it. So his friend called his dad to come and get them but the dad was busy, so they walked. Ok not bad yet, well when they got to his house the dad said the kid had an appointment and they had to leave. Bs15 texted DH having forgotten about dh's app b/c he knew I was at work, DH didn't answer so he finally texted me and I asked him to just hang on that I'd get off work early and be there soon.

Long story short, when we got home DH was HERE(?)!. I asked him why he didn't answer bs15's texts and he said he didn't like being TOLD he had to pick him up. I read bs15's texts and they were simply asking dh if he was available to pick him up, dh never answered. I was shocked dh would do something like that b/c I do sooooo much for his brat, especially right now with dh's cancer and now living out further, I have not only dropped off the boys 5 days a week but pick them up 2 or even 3 of the days. This morning I could have let ss sleep in and taken bs to school if I had wanted to be a jerk like DH was today b/c ss didn't hear his alarm.

I get that he has cancer and is in need of rest and not driving all over, I get that, but right now he is driving late in the evening to pick up ss16 from youth group and has no qualms about it. I offered to go this evening to pick up ss but I think dh was feeling guilty.

Anyways, maybe he is practicing disengagement but at least let me know so I can arrange my work schedule? But recently DH has been talking weirdly and saying off things so I think the chemo is making him and bit forgetful and quite irritable and short with all of us. I almost dread how he's going to treat bs17 when he's home for a visit this weekend.

Sometimes I ask myself if I am honestly going to make it through all this intact. Why didn't the cancer show up AFTER ss16 moved out so I wouldn't have to parent that kid more. I am working two jobs, cooking every meal, cleaning, driving kids to and from school, and trying to unpack into our home.

I am so tired and wonder daily if I can do this one more day.

Comments

Lalena75's picture

Hugs, hugs and more hugs. What's your support system like. For you personally? You need somone stepping up for you, advocating for you. You're all going to have extra on your plates and there needs to be back up for the backup kwim?

B22S22's picture

You need to straighten things out for yourself. Trust me on this. When I was pregnant with my DSstb13 my then-DH was diagnosed with terminal cancer. I also, at the time, had a 2 year old.

I worked full time. My work was 35 miles from my home. My kids were in daycare in the city I worked in so I had to get them up every morning for that lovely drive. Once I got home, I tended to DH (he had a caregiver during the day for his last few months but prior to that he did not), tended to kids, dinner, laundry, blah blah blah.

I had very little support - DH's family was close by but because they couldn't "deal" with what my DH was going thru at such a young age, they stayed away as much as they could. DH, well, he never was one for housework, cooking, or anything like that so it certainly was not going to change once he became ill and started chemo/radiation. And then once he started becoming more and more debilitated because of the tumor it was absolutely out of the question.

It is not only physically exhausting, but emotionally too. I put myself last on the list and started developing medical issues of my own -- insomnia, extreme weight gain (to the tune of about 60 lbs), depression just to name a few. There wasn't enough time in the day for me to sit down for even a minute and collect my thoughts.

Don't let this happen to you, please!! Neither your body nor your mind is built to go 120mph 24/7/365. Build support systems if you don't have them, that's what I did. If his family was not going to help, I'd find people who would (and I did, but then his family TRIED to make me feel guilty that it wasn't *me* taking care of DH all the time). I don't know if you live in a metro area or country, but connect with parents of your DS's friends and don't be afraid to ASK FOR HELP. Oftentimes our pride gets in the way.

And I also dealt with the personality changes with my DH -- probably a combination of the tumor, the high dose meds he was on (steroids!!!) and depression. So that added even more stress to me, trying to shield my kids from some of his outbursts and erratic behavior.

PM me if you want. I've been there, done that and never want to see anyone have to experience the same things I did.