COPD & Emphysema Support Group
COPD is a progressive disease characterized by airflow obstruction or limitation. Emphysema is characterized by loss of elasticity of the lung tissue, destruction of structures supporting the alveoli and of capillaries feeding the alveoli. Both have symptoms that include shortness of breath, among other respiratory troubles. If you are a COPD or Emphysema sufferer, join...
I haven't been here in a while. I finally told my kids about my COPD and they are supporting me in all ways. The terrible news is I lost my husband, the love of my life, after 30 years of marriage. He died October 3rd. He developed sepsis. My heart is gone, he took it with him. My condition has gotten worse since his death. The depression is awful. All I do is cry. Can anyone who has gone through such a terrible thing give me any advice of how to cope and learn to live again. I always took care of bills, banking etc. it's not those things it's the emptiness in my life. The loss. I loved him so much. I had to let him go. I lay with my head on his chest as they disconnected life support. I had to hear his heartbeat one last time. You see he was 6 feet tall I am only 5 feet tall. When he hugged me my ear was right against his chest and I could hear it beating. I heart his heartbeat 5 times it sounded so strong. Then it stopped. He was gone. My Knight in shining armor. Sometimes I would joke his armor was getting dull. He would say guess I have to polish it. God I love and miss him. Please pray for me. Sorry I rambled. Thank you, Linda
I am sure someone on this board has gone thru what you are experiencing, and will get online to help you. I am sorry for your loss, do you have a local church that may have a grief councilor?
Gentle hugs to you,
Brenda
I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm saying a prayer that God is with you to hold you during your grief.
Love - Susie
Now, he takes care of me. My heart hurts to think of the day that he will be in you position. He too is the love of my life.
My mom and I were really close and in her final week, I sat next to her bed all night long and talked about how much I appreciated her love and sang her the hymns she loved. I am not sure she heard me. The point is that I was still making memories.
Let the grief come . Talk to people about him and over time as the pain starts to subside you will start to remember the wonderful memories that you two made together.
I am so sorry that I can do no more for you.
It has been a lifesaver. You can find fun again.
Hugs Peter
I lost my hubby of 25 years a good while ago. I started taking prozac to help with the depression, which it has. I strongly recommend you consider it also.
But the only thing that has eased my bloody, raw, immeasurable grief is time. The hurt & loneliness does get better, really it does. I joined support groups that helped me get through the worst of it. Daily Strength has one on-line here for widows, and I found a live one through the hospital. Reach out to them, dear.
Hugs.
Depresssion DS Link= http://www.dailystrength.org/c/Depression/support-group
both look like very active groups.
prayers are with you
I am so sorry to hear of your loss of your husband. I lost my Don to pancreatic cancer in 2007 and it has been a long, lonely road at times which can not be denied. I had to learn to take it one day at a time- and sometimes it was one hour at a time. And, with time, it got better for sure.
I had to learn to take care of myself instead of Don. I had to look for support groups - one online has helped many and it's called Widowed Village. Churches often have grief groups and hospice can help locate groups and counselors, even if you did not use it.
I finally went for therapy for a few months and it helped.
My immune system was beaten up and I would suggest that you get a complete physical, if you haven't already had one recently. My meds needed to be changed and a couple of old conditions had worsened so I dealt with that too.
My sons were a big help and my youngest one moved down here after I was hospitalized with bilateral pulmonary embolisms four years ago.
I found out who my real friends were and they are still there. I detached from people and situations that were toxic and that helped.
I joined a Singles Group and found a couple of female friends who are still fun to be with even though the group itself has stopped meeting.
There are good books to read which helped. One is called " Widow to Widow" by Ginsberg? Sp? There are several others.
Stay in touch here when you can. The first year or two with grief can be a real roller coaster and you will feel some things that you didn't expect to feel. Everyone is a bit different but the common grounds are amazing too.
Take good care of yourself!! We can't re-write the past but we can learn new ways that help and pursue things that we didn't have time for before? Learn new skills? Learn to enjoy your own company?
On and on.
Love, Cindy