4 mins read

In Sickness and in Health? Not Really…

Did you know that almost twenty-five percent of husbands leave their wives after they are diagnosed with breast cancer? Statistics say many of those marriages are in trouble to begin with, although when roles are reversed, only three percent of women leave their husbands. It makes me wonder what part of in sickness and in health do men not remember? I know of a man who left his wife after her diagnosis. Not only did he abandon her, he left their 10-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter to become their mothers primary caregivers. What kind of man does that? What kind of message is he sending his son? Another breast cancer husband I know was so unsympathetic during his wifes chemotherapy he actually told her to take an aspirin and snap out of it. OK, so most men were not raised to be caregivers, or they want their wives, girlfriends and mothers to take care of them. In addition they may be afraid of acknowledging their mortality and yours, and they may be afraid of how breast cancer will affect their sex lives. Notice I said their sex lives.