vent - husband being a jerk

helen e
helen e Member Posts: 223
I was diagnosed 3 weeks after my mother-in-law died. For about 8 months my husband kept blaming me for getting cancer. "I haven't been able to mourn my mother because of this." Like I asked God to give me breast cancer right then. He told me this at least once a month. Then he lost his job right before my mastectomy/reconstruction. I had the TRAM flap done and was home for 2 1/2 months. About 5 into my healing process he hurt his back and I wound up taking care of him. Then he decided to havg out with his buddy until 3-4am. He would wait until 10pm and the kids and I went to bed and stay out in our garage until 3-4am. Sometimes I would come home from work and he would still be in bed from the night before. We started therapy and I told him that this guy was like an affair. He thought it was ok because he was home and he waited until we go to bed. Took me a year to get it through his head that this guy he was hanging with was bad news and I didn't want him around my house. My hubby is an alcoholic and a very weak person so this guy can lead him almost anywhere, he started drinking again but only a beer now & then. I'm very scared he'll get back into it. He already started smoking cigarettes again. So things have been better between us for about 2 months. Then my father died very unexpectedly 6 weeks ago. This hit me extremely hard. Hubby was there for my for about 2 weeks then he started back in again with his friends. He knows how much I dislike this guy J so he started to hang out with G (who used to hang out with the both of them). Only now he has to go to G's house and doesn't get home until 3:30am. He will only text these two guys and then makes sure to erase those texts so I can't read them. Yesterday I took my daughter to softball practice and when I came home J was at my house. I feel like I'm talking to a brick wall. I know that he's selfish and it really hurt me that he wasn't there for me during my diagnosis and 6 surgeries. He even admitted in therapy that he was there physically but emotionally he was gone. In December on the 1 year anniversary of my mastectomy he asked me when I was going to get over it and said "I thought you'd be happy to be cancer free for one year." I told him that I was cancer free in October when I had my lumpectomy, that this was the anniversary of me losing part of who I was as a woman. He just doesn't get it and I can't find a way to make him understand. I'm fed up and sick of all of it. I've had enough loss in my life lately but I feel like I'm being pushed to make one more big move, this one is pushing him out of my house. He ws out of work for 16 months and I was the one looking for jobs for him, submitting resumes' and looking online. I'm not sure how I feel about him anymore, I try to feel love but it just seems to be harder and harder to find. Thanks for listening to this rant, I feel a little better now.

Comments

  • Marcia527
    Marcia527 Member Posts: 2,729
    Hugs
    I agree. There are Al-Anon meetings to help families of alcoholics.

    Good luck what ever you do.
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    Marcia527 said:

    Hugs
    I agree. There are Al-Anon meetings to help families of alcoholics.

    Good luck what ever you do.

    Helen ...
    Gentle hugs coming your way! Please see if you can squeeze the time in to attend Al-Anon meetings -- maybe sharing with others in the same situation will shed some light on what your step should be, and you can get a Support ... system started.

    Strength, Courage and Hope.

    Vicki Sam
  • CypressCynthia
    CypressCynthia Member Posts: 4,014 Member
    You have a lot on your plate
    You have a lot on your plate and I am happy to listen. I hope it helps to write it down and it was not ranting at all--just an eloquent expression about all you have been through. My only suggestion is, if you really think his behavior is alcohol-related, consider going to a few Al Anon meetings. They have really helped me in the past with family members struggling with substance abuse--if for no other reason then to make me realize that the addiction is an illness, I can't make excuses or enable and that I really do have to "let go and let God."
  • sea60
    sea60 Member Posts: 2,613
    I feel so sad that YOU
    have to suffer in addition to what you're physically already going through.

    It's just so vital for a woman/man to heal body, mind and spirit! But when you have to live day to day in a high stress atmosphere, well, that's just not good for you at all.

    Like Vicki said, go to an AAA meeting and get some counsel.

    Sending you prayers and hugs,

    Sylvia
  • New Flower
    New Flower Member Posts: 4,294
    sea60 said:

    I feel so sad that YOU
    have to suffer in addition to what you're physically already going through.

    It's just so vital for a woman/man to heal body, mind and spirit! But when you have to live day to day in a high stress atmosphere, well, that's just not good for you at all.

    Like Vicki said, go to an AAA meeting and get some counsel.

    Sending you prayers and hugs,

    Sylvia

    Sometime I feel
    Sometime I feel like that cancer itself is too much, by do survivors have to face all this crap? Why life after cancer is so difficult for many of us
    Helen,
    sending you a big hug.
  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    sometimes even great guys
    sometimes even great guys are jerks at times...mine did this recently...SO I understand...so sorry....hurts when they jerk times kick in..

    Thinking of you..

    Denise
  • pinkkari09
    pinkkari09 Member Posts: 877
    Cancer does crazy stuff :(
    Cancer does crazy stuff :( It's hard to handle the cancer in itself, but I've noticed that my cancer has been harder on those around me than it is on me. He may be acting out because he just don't know how to handle it. My (now ex husband) and I got divorced through my battle, he was so lost and frustrated because he couldn't fix it and he just went crazy on me. Now we are great friends and he is here for me any time I need him, were divorced, live separate, and get along great, it's weird, this cancer thing. I do agree with what others have said, if he's alcoholic, al-anon will help you tremendously. Sending prayers up for you, you have been through so much!!
    Hugs,
    Kari
  • skipper54
    skipper54 Member Posts: 936 Member

    Cancer does crazy stuff :(
    Cancer does crazy stuff :( It's hard to handle the cancer in itself, but I've noticed that my cancer has been harder on those around me than it is on me. He may be acting out because he just don't know how to handle it. My (now ex husband) and I got divorced through my battle, he was so lost and frustrated because he couldn't fix it and he just went crazy on me. Now we are great friends and he is here for me any time I need him, were divorced, live separate, and get along great, it's weird, this cancer thing. I do agree with what others have said, if he's alcoholic, al-anon will help you tremendously. Sending prayers up for you, you have been through so much!!
    Hugs,
    Kari

    can't add anything to wha'ts been said
    but am sending hugs and prayers. You've been given some great advice.
  • dianebraun
    dianebraun Member Posts: 51
    My brother is an alcoholic
    My brother is an alcoholic and he has thankfully been sober for one year. Thru my cancer, I have been taking care of him. Enough is enough. You must take care of yourself, my friend. You have plenty of support, just from this website. Alcoholics/drug addicts are very, very selfish. Please take care of yourself. That is what is most important for YOU right now. Find support in friends and family who genuinely care about you.
    It will be my first anniversary of my last chemo July 1st. My hair looks good. I try to take our dog for a 30 minute walk everyday. My husband gives me anxiety, my daughter can be snotty....but it's "Me" time now.....and it should be "Me" time for you, also.
    Good luck, and make yourself top priority right now.
  • laughs_a_lot
    laughs_a_lot Member Posts: 1,368 Member
    hubby
    Even if you are unsure if your husband is an alcoholic it is important that you go to Alanon and try it out. Doing this will insure that you will start taking care of your mental health. Taking care of your mental health is important after all you have been through with the cancer. If you are worried about going to Alanon in your own town you can go in a neighboring town.

    It is your husband's responsibility to do the job searching activities. The time you spent doing this should be spent on taking care of yourself. If this means getting a manicure, going swimming, to the gym or to an Alanon meeting it is important that you seperate your self from the problems that he needs to solve. He needs to solve the employment problem, and he needs solve the remaining sober issue.

    Yes we would all like at times to open up our husbands heads, insert a screw driver and adjust a couple of screws so that they can see what they need to do. However, it just does not work that way. They have to figure it out for themselves. Meanwhile treat yourself really really well, and don't let anyone try to make you feel like you need to take care of them (unless they are a minor child of course).
  • susie09
    susie09 Member Posts: 2,930
    sea60 said:

    I feel so sad that YOU
    have to suffer in addition to what you're physically already going through.

    It's just so vital for a woman/man to heal body, mind and spirit! But when you have to live day to day in a high stress atmosphere, well, that's just not good for you at all.

    Like Vicki said, go to an AAA meeting and get some counsel.

    Sending you prayers and hugs,

    Sylvia

    I am sorry that you are
    I am sorry that you are having to go thru this. I have to agree with everyone that going to an AA meeting would help you a lot. I will be praying for you.
  • natly15
    natly15 Member Posts: 1,941
    I concur Al-Anon is
    I concur Al-Anon is extremely helpful not only dealing with someone's drinking, but teaching us how to take care of ourselves, and by golly girl you need to do that. Try Al-Anon before you decide to throw him to the wind. Life is tough, but cancer survivors are tougher and so are al-anon members. You will find a plethora of information at those al-anon meetings. It is so important that you take care of your emotional and physical health and Al-anon can certainly help. Wishing you peace and serenity.
  • Kylez
    Kylez Member Posts: 3,761 Member
    VickiSam said:

    Helen ...
    Gentle hugs coming your way! Please see if you can squeeze the time in to attend Al-Anon meetings -- maybe sharing with others in the same situation will shed some light on what your step should be, and you can get a Support ... system started.

    Strength, Courage and Hope.

    Vicki Sam

    So sorry Helen. Al-Anon
    So sorry Helen. Al-Anon sounds like a good place for you to start & hopefully get some support and advice.

    Good luck!