When he married his wife, Cory Huff knew she had been suffering from Neurocardiogenic Syncope since her childhood.
My wife has had a chronic illness called Neurocardiogenic Syncope since she was just 12 years old. It causes her to pass out or become very weak several times each day.
We’ve been married for over a decade. Over the years I’ve had several people ask me, “Did you know that she was sick before you were married?” The answer is yes, of course I did. Their response is often along the lines of, “Wow, that’s really brave.” As anyone who has had a sick spouse knows, it’s not really bravery. It’s love.
Marriage and being a good husband are sometimes difficult all on their own. All relationships are fraught with miscommunication and emotional baggage. Caring for someone who is chronically ill comes with its own set of challenges.
I didn’t realize all she wanted was for me to embrace her while she cries, or to play a game with her and chat so that she doesn’t feel lonely.
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Making long term plans is difficult to do. My wife and I have always been big dreamers. We want to travel the world, see new things, and take on new challenges. Because of her illness I have learned that we won’t always be able to go places on the dates that we plan.
One couple we know recently went on a trip to London. Every moment was planned and scheduled. They ran around frantically from place to place, seeing as much as they could . We never do that. We’ve become flexible and more relaxed. Usually when we go somewhere on a date or a vacation, we have a loose plan that we fill in after we get there.
We spent our second wedding anniversary cooped up in a hotel room in Cedar City Utah, just outside of the Utah Shakespeare Festival, because after getting there, she couldn’t leave the hotel room. I really wanted to be out catching as much of the festival as possible. We ended up staying in the hotel room, watching TV, and talking in between her dozing. It turned out to be a great experience that we talk about often. The simple experience of enjoying each other’s company, even when one person isn’t feeling well, can be a great memory.
There’s a great deal of guilt associated with not being able to make my spouse healthy. Seeing others in pain causes a visceral reaction that makes me want to fix the problem. It’s emotionally taxing to see her suffer and be unable to do anything. My protective instinct tells me I’ve done something wrong because my wife is suffering and I’m not.
Like many men, I become focused on fixing the problem instead of finding out what my spouse actually needs at the moment. There have been times when I’ve been so busy trying to make her comfortable or take care of something that I didn’t realize all she wanted was for me to embrace her while she cries, or to play a game with her and chat so that she doesn’t feel lonely.
I’ve developed some interesting coping mechanisms through the years. I love my wife and our time together a great deal. There are times, I have to admit, that it’s all a little bit much for me. Here are some of the ways that I handle it.
Taking time for myself. It can take a lot of energy to care for someone who is ill. I try to schedule time for activities that I enjoy, that rejuvenate my spirit, that give me the energy to go care for my spouse. It took me time to recognize that this was not selfishness but a form of generosity. We best care for others only when our own basic needs are met.
Communication. The very ill sometimes don’t realize how demanding they are being. My wife and I had to develop our communication skills to the point where I know how to tell her when I need space. She had to learn that taking space allowed me to come back with better care for her.
Surrounding myself with supportive people. I could actually do better at this, but my wife’s condition is relatively rare. Cancer patients and other more common illnesses have lots of support groups. I do my best to surround myself with positive and supportive friends.
Educating myself. I thought I understood what my wife’s heart condition was when we got married. It’s pretty different when you see it up close every single day. I decided to educate myself about her condition. I went online and read studies, talked to many different doctors, and participated in online forums for those who had this same heart condition. There is now a number of Facebook groups for people with Syncope as well.
When I first began to understand my wife’s health, I wasn’t as balanced as this article makes me seem. It took a lot of talking, prayer, education, and trial and error for us to come to a happy balance. I expect that will continue to happen as we go through life and her condition evolves.
This article originally appeared on A Good Husband.
Photo by SodanieChea
I have Rheimatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Sjogrens and Fibromyalgia. I have been married 19 years. He has never cooked a meal for me. I have to get upset to get him to do anything around the house. I asked him at 9pm tonight if he would rub my feet, because they hurt so bad. Nope. I was going to divorce him last year and he cried and cried he needed me! Not he loved me. I am here only because I need the insurance to get my treatments. I’ve had several people tell me they think my health would improve if… Read more »
My wife has the same diseases. I’d like to talk to you about your thoughts and feelings. We are having a rough time and I’d like some feedback from someone with her same conditions.
I appreciate this article. I told my wife this day I write that her discussing her disability brought on by MS (diagnosed in 2003) to me is akin to “emotional abuse.” Now I cannot believe I said that, and I’m backtracking. I don’t really believe that. If anything, I’ve been guilty of heaping emotional abuse. I’m trying to get better. It’s just that I hate chronic illness and how our nation’s health care system responds in treating it. We’re both 55, been married for nearly 29 years and have three great children. We also both are being treated for depression… Read more »
hi. my wife and i have been together over 25 years. we have a beautiful daughter of 25, a gorgeous house and a successful business that the three of run. when i first met my wife, i knew she had limitations with her feet, ankles and lower legs. i loved her dearly from day one and have never regretted being part of her life. just before the birth of our only child, she was diagnosed with CMT. over the years her mobility decreased. she began to have more fatigue and difficulty walking. we were finally able to have her fitted… Read more »
I am 30 and single with active NCS for the past 4 years. I have worried that this means no man will even care to consider me. Your words and love for your wife are comforting and give me hope that maybe I won’t be always be alone because she is sick and she is still loved. I mostly take care of myself, but rely on a few ward friends to help drive me to the store and the doctor appointments. I took care of my mother before she died, too, so I am well aware of how demanding the… Read more »
Terrific article, thank you for writing it. My wife has Lupus which is a debilitating disease, i knew full well when we got married almost 13 years ago. Over the years there have been many ups and down, many trips to hospitals and specialists ranging from UW hospital in Madison, Mayo clinic in Rochester and Cedar Sinai in LosAngeles all searching for a specialist that could help us. All the while raising her three children from a previous marriage. One part of your article that i dearly empathize with you on is vacations. We try to take a trip every… Read more »
Thanks for the comment Bill. I love that you still get away with your wife.
I’m amazed at all of the discussion that happens online about how to care for children with special needs. Why do you think these kinds of issues aren’t discussed much?
Hi Cory-
in my humble opinion, there isn’t much discussion about caring for ill wives because of our superman mentality. We all believe we can take on any obstacle no matter how big, but in reality we are all just men hoping we are doing what is right. Becoming a man is scary, add to it becoming a man who’s partner isn’t well is even scarier. Sometimes facing our own reality is the scariest thing of all, much less reading about another mans perils.
Thank you. I’m recommending your article to a dear friend who feels alone in caring for his seriously ill partner.
I have recently my wife ( never officially married) to cancer after a 3 year battle, and I read your story and understand it all, the people who tell you how brave and good you are for sticking by her don’t understand that anything else isn’t an option. In the marriage vows it says sickness and health. It’s not the words that keep you there it is simply love. If you really love someone you can’t imagine leaving them to cope alone, and I learnt so much about how it’s really the small things in life that bring true joy… Read more »
As someone who has suffered for 10 years from chronic illness, I appreciate this article a lot. It’s very hard not to feel like a burden, so knowing of the love and also having good communication and healthy boundaries is so important. If you haven’t had a chance to listen to Pres. Eyring’s talk from the RS broadcast this year, I highly recommend it. It’s such a great talk that speaks directly to caregivers. I think those who are already caregivers can likely help others in the Church understand how the ‘system’ can better work through councils, etc. to help… Read more »
My wife also has a chronic condition, ME/CFS. I can relate to everything you say. Sometimes I want to scream, sometimes I think “why do I do this.” Especially when I see other people with happy and healthy lives together, but the I remember, because my wife means the world to me. It annoys me when people say how brave I am, or she is living with ME. To be brave you chose to do something. We didn’t chose her illness, it is just something we have to live with. You get on and live your life as best you… Read more »
Oh yes, I forgot to say, I count myself lucky that she can look after herself, even if it is hard work. So many don’t even get that choice.
I am so with you. I didn’t know my wife had health conditions until about six months after we were married, and even then it took a decade to get a decent diagnosis, let alone a cure. Peace unto you both.
A great article. It is very apparent you are a kind and loving individual. Still, it must be hard. You mention taking time for yourself and communication as two coping mechanisms–prayer with a loving Heavenly Father can also be tied to these two ways to deal with the issues you and your wife face. I know I come away with a different perspective and a renewed commitment when I get up off my knees. All the best to you and your wife!