Coping With Grief

I met my husband in August of 2004 while in graduate school. We married right away I got pregnant and all was well. The love of my life woke up one morning in December 2005 with the following symptoms: he was unable to control his bladder, unable to stand on his own and his hands constantly shook. We went to the ER doctors did not know what was wrong thus they released him. Symptoms continued to worsen. He was in and out of the hospital for 3 months before anyone was able to inform us of what his diagnosis was. My husband was diagnosed with Neurological Sarcodosis, by this time he’d become paraplegic. He was treated with high dosage steroids.

His condition kept worsening. His vision became impaired, and he developed a very mysterious flesh-eating bacterium, which was caused by the steroids. This condition resulted in the loss of one of his testicles and half of his stomach. Yet he continued to fight.

After having reconstructive surgery my loves mental functioning became impaired. He was no longer capable of holding a conversation with me or any of his family members. The Sarcoidosis spread to his brain. Within two weeks the love of my life died in his sleep.

My love was a 29-year-old African- American male. He died on July 31, 2007 just one week before our daughters second birthday.