Tuesday, March 22, 2016

From Out of Left Field

I was REALLY having a great day.  I have felt evil trying to take blows at me for a few days.  B-U-T, I'm in a good place and felt like God lead me to make decisions that reflect a Christian attitude instead of letting evil win.  I was in a GREAT place this morning after my prayers.

On my way to work this morning an old friend called me.  I haven't talked to him in years, but we play Words With Friends.  He made the phone call this morning and I shared how I was in a good place sooner than expected, because I'm celebrating that Bryce gets to live in heaven now.  He asked if he could pray with me before we hung up.  I had no idea that he'd become SUCH a devoted Christian.  He was always a Christian, but he's really walking the walk these days.

Don't get me wrong.  I miss Bryce so hard that I am experiencing physical side effects.  I talk to him every night begging to make me feel his hug when I dream.  I wake up at 3 in the morning with my skin irritated, because I didn't feel his hug and I toss and turn while I talk to a dark room..... all of it.  I don't just miss him.  He is missing from me.

However, I'm happy knowing that he is pain free.  I'm excited that I'm going to see Bryce again one day.  I planned his cremation and have started the process of executing Bryce's wishes.  Then, the call comes in.  Bryce's earthly body has officially become ashes.  Now I'm crying at work.  Bryce was so big and strong.  I can't seem to figure out how to process that he's been reduced to plastic baggies.  8 plastic bags of ash.

I know there will be hurdles.  I face them every day.  I definitely face them at night.  Last night, I slept.  That was HUGE!  I'm sure it's another reason why I felt so much better today.  I set up a few steps of my own.
1)  I needed to get through "Though You Slay Me" without becoming a blubbering mess in order to come back to work.  DONE!
2) I wanted to be around friends without feeling weird, including meeting new people, before I would commit to a wedding engagement in a month.  CHECK!
3)  I needed to get back to church and smile among my people before I would even consider singing in front of them as a member of the praise team.  CHECK & MATE!!

There are a few other steps I have put in place for myself.  Steps.... protection for myself and my boys.  Other steps are things that I know will help me process it all.  I will eventually (but very soon) finish his blog with what happened the day he unexpectedly died.  I think that they are all part of the process.  I need to get back to Camp Gladiator.  I'm ready.  I'm seeing my cancer counselor on Thursday.  I had been avoiding her, but I'm ready.  I just didn't anticipate feeling this way when I got the call from the crematorium.  I even emailed them this morning to see where we were at with things, because I didn't like the thought of Bryce waiting to be cremated.  So, why do my tears feel like a slap in the face?

Grief...... the never ending roller coaster.

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

A Weeks Walk as a Widow

Widow.  I'm 38 years old.  It just sounds weird.  Facebook says I'm still married.  I feel married.  I AM MARRIED, but my husband is gone.  I feel loss, but don't think I've felt the real brunt of that loss yet.  I think that will come when I finally suck it up and go back to my responsibilities. I'm just not ready.

I have felt a range of emotions over the past 11 days.  I wonder if I'm feeling the right way.  I wonder if this is what it's supposed to feel like.  Yesterday, Bryce's mom read me the 7 stages of grief.  That helped.  I think it will continue to help me.  I know I feel loss, but not knowing if I'm feeling it the right way makes me feel lost.
Loss..... lost.
I lost him.  I feel loss and lost.
Ugh.
And at other times, I'm fine.

I've been in hiding for a couple of days.  Everyone, including the boys, left Saturday afternoon.  It was blissfully quiet.  I lounged and started a documentary.  Yesterday, I decided it was time to do some adulting.  I got my car to the shop.  A friend had their friend come to look at some things that need to be fixed on my house.  I was getting to know my new neighbors.  Everything was fine.  I actually smiled and laughed last night.

Then, it happened.  2:00 in the morning, I am awake with my heart pounding out of my chest.  My skin hurts. I can't sleep.  I can't stop moving.  It's like a drug withdrawal.  Bryce was my high.  He's gone and I feel it hit me hard for the first time since his service.

In a moment, I'll go pick up my car.  I will come home to start filling out more paperwork because my husband died.  Insurance papers.  Is this really my life right now?  It doesn't feel right.  Nothing feels right.  I need to learn to forgive myself.  I need to stop second guessing how I feel.  I need to just be in that moment.  If it's happy, be happy.  If it's sad, be sad.  Mostly, I need to find my way into my new life and do it in a way that honors my husband.

I'll try to not be crazy.  But if you see me around and I look crazy, that's just where I'm at for the day.

Friday, March 4, 2016

No. I Don't Want To Talk About It.

There's a lot that's happened.  Usually, it's no news is good news for us.  That hasn't been the case around the house lately.  Since the hospital trip for Bryce, things have changed and he's just sick.  Last Monday, he got the news that they didn't think the trial drugs were working.  Today, we received his scan results confirming that.

The short and sour details....
Cancer is getting worse.
He's off the trail.
We have to find something else.  FAST!

Feelings:
Devastated
Pissed
Incredible Sadness

What's Next/What Does That Mean?
We have no idea.
We have a lot to think about.
We have the horrible job of telling our kids the news this weekend.

And no.  I don't want to talk about it.