Spouse behavior. Husband has inoperable grade 4 glioblastoma
Our 50 year-old son who lives eight hours from us has been diagnosed with grade 4 inoperable glioblastoma. He's starting his third week of chemo/radiation. His wife decided to go camping along with their 13-year-old son to "getaway". She will return for two days and then go take what was a plan of vacation for all of them without him. Fortunately our daughter is with him now and we will go be with him next week. Admittedly his wife has had a difficult time having lost a brother to suicide and both parents within the last two years. We know she is grieving and struggling on her own but somehow I can't get my head around the fact that she is choosing to work 20 hour days, some of it needed to make ends meet, but rather than getting a day away every now and then she's choosing to leave him completely alone. Including not being with him for his upcoming oncology appointment. I'm struggling to find the balance. I understand she is still grieving from losing her father less than a year ago, but somehow I cannot understand how she would take him and her son and just leave him with a sibling. Can someone help me make sense of this?
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@judyandchloe thank you so much for sharing. All these comments are so helpful.
@kjsthljc1 Much sympathy and virtual hugs to you. Losing a spouse, a daily companion with whom we share out life, is devastating.
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1 ReactionSo sorry that your daughter-in-law is behaving so bizarrely. Granted she has been through a lot, but her partner needs her NOW. It seems she wants to do everything to completely escape from her sad realities of life. There really isn't anything you can do. She could really benefit from grief therapy or just talking to someone about life and loss. She has to be the one to seek it out, but it almost seems in the interim, she is almost neglecting your son given his serious condition. I hope there is some resolve shortly.
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