My wife of 28 years at the age of 55 recently passed away.

I am new here, and to be honest I really do not know what to say.
Living in SE GA up around Brunswick - we were blessed that the Mayo Clinic was a fairly easy drive to the Jacksonville campus. I think when we started using the Mayo Clinic services, Davis was the only building and we had to use St. Lukes for the hospital. My wife Laurel - she was my spark, my light, my saint in human form (those are the words of Father Raymond who is a Catholic Chaplain at the Mayo Clinic in JAX). Father Raymond was a blessing for Laurel during her plethora of admissions. Laurel's faith was much deeper than mine - so their spiritual relationship grew over many years, and my wife was always thankful for that.

Laurel was a regular at the clinic in JAX. We always joked with her care team(s) when our new dedicated bench would sit outside the Mayo BLDG.

We were a great team - together for over 30 years. She was actually Dx with Lupus (SLE) months before we married. The last six years (lets say things changed September 20 2021) was the beginning of a new unpredictable chapter and her lupus actually took a break for a while.

[Laurel is saying to me right now, "Terry SHORT version!"

For whatever reason - the fight we waged successfully against Laurel's health issues for so many years decided it was time we took our first and our only loss. Laurel passed August 4th 2026 at the Mayo Hospital in JAX. Laurel's services were held last Monday.

I am posting here because it's the Mayo and, I just need a place to post whatever is going through my head this minute. I have lost my best friend, my wife our son's mother. I am scared, confused - unpredictable emotions. Exhausted, alone - I was Laurel's caregiver for many years - there were many highs and many lows. We were the couple everyone around us strived to be. We took our vows seriously. Sickness and in health. We have used the word AGAPE before - you don't run when things get difficult. And we always took advantage of the good days.

I walk lost. I wake up confused. I go to bed emotionally drained.

We fought all those years - and I mean we fought hard together. And something different, this one time - took her life early!