Has anyone noticed a change in behavior?

Just curious . . . Has anyone noticed, as witnesses to serious illness in either yourself or in that other person you sometimes are called upon to care for, a particular obsessive/compulsive behavior shift after experiencing serious illnesses?

I've noticed, ever since, through the years . . . after my husband first started suffering from one serious illness to the other . . . that he has or have order in everything! Everything from arranging his socks in a straight row . . . to the eggs in the egg carton always having to be placed in the same places after one or two are taken out of the carton . . . arranging his grocery cart in completely the same orderly way when we shop . . . to the dishwasher . . . to storing boxes on our shelves in the basement . . . . etc., etc., etc.

But, when he started in on my undie drawer . . . and having to arrange everything "just so" . . . THAT'S where I drew the line and said something. It's been maddening at times. If I put something away that he thinks should be put there in another way . . . he rearranges things. It's been worse ever since he had cancer. Even he has told me that he doesn't understand it sometimes; but, most of the time, he does it because he "knows" better.

I read somewhere that the loss of control he had over his health, especially after a serious illness . . . people do this sort of thing because they have to "control" something since they lost control over their own health.

I'm trying NOT to let it bother me . . . but since I started speaking up more for myself and NOT letting him control me the way I used to allow him to . . . . he does this stuff just because I think he knows it has.

Anyone else noticed this strange shift in behavior after being sick or watching the person you love suffer from illness?

Just curious.