My thoughts are all over the place tonight. Scattered in the air, like confetti. Sometimes I come in here, to this blog site, and I have absolutely no idea what I want to say. I want to say everything - and nothing. Tonight is one of those nights. So here are a few random thoughts that are on my mind right this minute. If I'm lucky, they will end up connecting to one another in some sort of mixed up, grief-hazed way.
It has become difficult for me to feel grounded. Ever. I think sudden death will do that to a person. Always feeling like something is about to happen. Something awful. Always waiting for the other shoe to drop ...
Finally found a doctor's office in NYC that takes new patients who don't have insurance. Because when you lose your husband with absolutely no warning, and you were on HIS health insurance - guess what? You lose your insurance. There goes that shoe dropping...
So I saw a doctor for the first time in almost 2 years. I got bloodwork done. Thyroid test, blood sugar test, Vitamin D test, cholesterol test - every test known to man. Everything came back normal. I showed the test results to my brilliant doctor friend Dave and asked him to give me a more detailed report, and he basically told me that all my numbers are outstanding. A normal person would be relieved and happy with this news. And I am. Partly. The other part of me is confused and stressed out. Everything is normal. So why do I feel like shit all the time? Why do my joints hurt like I'm 85 years old? Why does it feel difficult to climb stairs without labored breathing? Why do I get weird little pings and quick, sharp pains in and around my heart and chest? Why do my ribs always ache? Why do I never feel good? Why?
People tell me "it's the grief" or "it's your weight". I am sure both of those things are true. Even so, I stress all the time that something is wrong with me. That I will have a heart-attack like he did, with no notice. No warning. No people around me when it happens. And then I stress some more, and then the stress causes other health issues to occur, and then that stresses me out more, and then people tell me not to stress about things beyond my control, and then I stress about trying not to stress, with the end result being that I'm very, very stressed.
So I saw the doctor. Other stuff happened too. I went on an audition for a TV role that I really, really want. I found out this week that an interview I went on to direct and help write/create a local theatre production that will be a huge Fundraiser for Cancercare, resulted in me getting the job. Spent the last 2 days being sick with the flu at home, calling out of work from my teaching job, and living on peppermint tea, soup, and vitamin C tablets. My roommate is away for a week on a business trip, so I'm alone here. But even if she was here, she is not my husband, who was a paramedic by day, and the best "home nurse" to me by night, whenever I didn't feel well. Yesterday, when I just wanted to curl up in a ball and stay there until I stop coughing - I had to instead put some clothes on and walk down the street to spend money on cold medicine, tea, orange juice, cough drops, and other annoying items I didnt have in the apartment. And then later, last night, I had to pull my own blanket over myself and curl up in that ball alone and just cry.
The amount of times that my husband would run to the store for me - for something I needed - so I wouldn't have to - countless. How many nights he would gently cover me in a blanket and then lay down beside me and stroke my hair. Now - it's just me. And it sucks.
Tonight I watched the episode of Glee where they honored the late Cory Monteith, who played Finn on the show. The show's star, Lea Michele, plays the character Rachel on the show, who dated and almost married the character Finn. In real life, the actors Cory and Lea were together as a couple, and were to be married. And then he died this summer, of an apparent drug overdose. Watching that show tonight - and watching Lea Michele, the actor, play her scenes in the episode where she comes back to honor her love - I could see and feel that she wasn't acting at all. She was grieving. And it was so raw and so real, and right there on the TV screen for everyone to see. And lying there in my bed, alone and feeling sick with the flu and missing my husband with such intensity - and watching those characters, those real people who had lost their very real friend, sharing their vulnerable souls with the world - I caved. I sobbed. Then I sobbed some more. Been doing a lot of sobbing lately, and then I sob some more. I just miss him so damn much.
That is really what it comes down to sometimes. I just miss him, and there's not a damn thing I can do about that. It sucks when good things happen. It sucks when bad things happen. It sucks to be sick and not have your love here to make your tea, or to give you a kiss goodnight anyway because he "doesnt care if Im contagious." Like Lea Michele's character Rachel said in tonight's episode: "He was my 'person.'" Life is just not the same without my person.
I guess I will go to bed now, and hope that tomorrow feels better than today. Although if something good happens and I do feel better, he wont be here to share it with, so that will suck too. Maybe I'll just eat a bag of Sour Cream and Onion Potato Chips and call it a day.
You see? I told you my thoughts were all over the place tonight. I warned you. And so now you know.
The End.
Beautiful post Kelley. So sorry you are sick, and going through it alone. Having just gone through surgery "alone" I have had many episodes of sobbing and thinking about how "different" it would be if he were here to help. You may have felt so "all over" when writing, but perfecting summed up so many feelings - and that "all over" comes with "widow brain", at least in my experience
ReplyDeleteWatching the Glee episode now (didn't think I could handle it last night) and crying from the opening song. Wow. Raw. Real. Brings back so much.
Hope you feel better soon!
KL, you're not alone in your grief and panic. My husband died of a heart attack in the middle of the night next to me in 2011. I still wake up at 3:00 a.m. panicked that Rich isn't there with me and all the "what if's" run through my brain; all the "how do I deal with this and that?" I feel exhausted just thinking about it. I spent the first year waking up almost every night at 3:00 a.m. (the time he died). Sleep was nonexistent that first year. My husband was Mr. Type A who took care of everything and protected me. I feel like a child alone in the dark. I know that I will never feel safe and secure again nor will I find a love like ours again. The grief and pain are with me 24/7. I think of him when I wake up and I talk to him when I go to sleep. God gave me the love of my life; why did God take him from me?
ReplyDeleteKelley Lynn,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I am so sorry you are sick and I wish I could bring you some cold medicine and peppermint tea to make you feel better. Second of all, once again (like last week) your writing has (as Blaine told Kurt) "moved me".
I too watched the Finn/Cory tribute on Glee last night. I had to mentally prepare myself for it. I didn't read any of the spoilers for the episode and I didn't look at the list of songs that were going to be performed. I didn't check my text messages or constantly look on the internet while the episode aired. I just wanted to watch it alone because I knew it would also brings back all the emotions and feelings I experienced (and still do everyday) since my husband died suddenly of a Pulmonary Embolism on May 10, 2012.
My two daughters (now ages 20 & 16) and I have been huge Glee fans since the pilot episode first aired on May 19, 2009. We were lucky enough to see Cory, Lea, and the rest of the Glee cast perform live on their concert tour on June 4, 2011 in Chicago as a graduation present for both our girls. Sitting in our seats on the 4th row next to the stage, at one point Cory turned toward the audience and smiled directly at us! We just screamed and I said "Finn just smiled at us!" I read later that he did that every concert - picked out a few fans and sincerely smiled at them to thank them for coming to the show.
We loved all the musical performances on Glee each week and I even sent the cast members candy baskets (which I found out later they received when they thanked me on twitter!).
I think the only thing that helped us through the horrible day of my husband's funeral on Tuesday, May 15, 2012 was that there were two new Glee episodes airing that night, including the one where Finn (Cory) and Rachel (Lea) along with the other members of the New Directions glee club sing the 70's Meatloaf song "Paradise By The Dashboard Light". They won the Nationals competition and Cory shined in that performance. My daughters and I played that part back over and over in the days, weeks, months after my husband died, just because it brought a smile to our faces.
My husband too was there for me when I went through cancer treatment in 2000, when our daughters were only 3 & 7 years old. And he was there again for me when I was hospitalized for pneumonia on his birthday, February 18, 2012. But I feel I wasn't there for him when he died suddenly and unexpectedly of the undiagnosed blood clot.
When I heard the news that Cory had passed away suddenly this past July, I screamed. And then I smiled at the possibility of my husband approaching Cory in heaven and telling Cory that I am a huge fan.
I hope you feel better this weekend and thanks again for writing.
Kelley Lynn, you certainly did a beautiful job with your random thoughts. I was sick with a cold about two weeks ago and cant even tell you how much I missed my husband. He would have kept me hydrated and medicated and more importantly made me feel so exceptionally special and loved. I echo your words "IT SUCKS". He, too, was taken suddenly. So hard to even believe 3 years ago, in an instant, my life changed forever and not for the better.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing today and bring on the Sour Cream and Onion Chips!!!!!
Aptly put, I miss "my person" too. Friends and family just don't get it, but then they haven't lost their person, so how could they understand the stresses of my life? On and on it goes.
ReplyDeleteHope you are feeling better, Kelley, and congrats on the audition and tv role! Just don't stress about it!