Joseph V.

About Joseph V.

Hello, This is my third time of writing.I have terminal prostate cancer, I’m submitting my wife who is my carer for the award, I believe that without her by my side, I would not have lasted the five and a half years to date. A brief note about her, my wife is thirteen years my junior, and we’ve been together for forty years, married for thirty four.
Mandy ( my wife ) has had her own ups and downs, breaking her back twice, losing her mother to cancer, being there alone with her till the end, unfortunately although I went with Mandy as well, on this occasion I was working, to my regret. It totally devastated her, her mum was her best friend. Then her father passed away two years later.
On both occasions although I helped, Mandy had to deal with probate on her own, as we did not drive it took its toll running here and there.
Worst was to come, in 2016 I was diagnosed with incurable prostate cancer, Mandy was inconsolable, tears flowed for many days after, although knowing what the inevitable outcome would be, Mandy was there through every hospital visit I had, be it scans, X-rays, blood tests, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and more.
On two occasions I had kidney stones, the first, we were away for two days seeing some sights, the night before we were supposed to return home, I had an attack.
We called an ambulance, but they told us it was a five hour wait at the hospital, I declined and Mandy got me an assortment of medication to use, although we had no idea what the problem was, thinking cancer was involved.
As the morning came I felt slightly better, we got the train home and a taxi to our house this was around twelve mid day, five minutes later I asked her to phone for a taxi to hospital, on arriving there I had a reasonable wait, then a canuler put in and blood tested.
While this was going on, my wife sat with me unable to do anything except, ask the doctor or nurse for some painkillers for me, as with the pain I had full body sweats and shook violently. Mandy could do nothing but watch, I could see it was breaking her heart, but she never moved from my side.
It took eleven hours before I was taken to a hospital bed, Mandy with me all this time until she had to leave, from then every day of the six I was there Mandy stayed as long as possible.
Two years later the same thing happened except with covid, I could not see her, but we chatted via the phone, fortunately I was only in three nights.
With covid as it is, we go nowhere, Mandy has me wrapped in cotton wool as the saying goes.
We always tell each other how much we love being together, Mandy gets upset seeing when I have bad days, but we both do our best to get over it.
Mandy deals with all my medications which are extensive, plus the times to take them all mapped out. Without her I would surely forget,
My wife is a gods send, always says hello to people, helps where she can, even when shopping, Mandy carries all the bags. I only wish I could take her on holiday, but my worsening condition does not allow this.
So my wife Mandy deserves so much credit, a bright star where there are plenty of smaller ones.