Some day you will realize what a blessing it is that your boyfriend left you. Not today, but some day....

My husband is 8 yrs. older than me. I had always envisioned taking care of him in his older years. We are both getting up there in age.

When he had bowel cancer several years ago, I helped him through that. I was with him all the way. I even caught mistakes by the healthcare workers that were impacting him- His oxygen saturation levels were very low after surgery and his nurse kept trying to wake him up more and have him breathe deeper. I asked the nurse why they weren't giving him oxygen & she said they were and pointed to the wall connection. I pointed out that the meter and tubing were connected to the air outlet instead of the oxygen outlet. She immediately switched my husband's tubing to the oxygen outlet and his saturation levels increased. I joke with my husband that I saved his life that night.

Then I came down with crps. It's been difficult for my husband to step up and take over some of the tasks I was used to doing. And because I have always been stubbornly independent, it's been very difficult for me to give up the tasks and put more stress on my husband.

In reality, I probably will outlive my husband even with my crps. And I will be ready to help him however I can and with whatever illness may come his way. (He doesn't have the healthiest lifestyle but hey, I could be hit by a car tomorrow.)

With that said, on a particularly difficult day for me, my husband said "You know when we exchanged vows and I said in sickness and in health, for better or for worse? - I had my fingers crossed".

It's difficult for any partner to have to help the other especially when it's so serious. But we will ALL eventually get old, some of us will get sick, some of us will die quickly. No one knows how he/she will go. It's important to have someone by your side who is there for YOU and for better or worse, in sickness and in health, who you can rely on despite the difficulties life throws at you.

I read this once on my facebook page and will try to remember it here b/c it fits- "Don't look back- your future isn't there".