Hospitalized cheater

Dear Annie: My husband of 18 years recently had a stroke and is in rehabilitation because of partial paralysis.

I have been with him at the hospital every day since the ordeal, helping him get better.

While at the hospital, I found out through his Facebook page and his cellphone that he was cheating on me. I am frustrated and thinking of leaving him to rot in his bed at the hospital.

We have three teenage and preteen children, and right now they are all feeling sorry for their dad.

Do I tell my kids what is going on?

Or do I put on a fake smile and pretend all is good — at least until he gets out of the hospital, which may take years?

I’m really not sure what I will do.

If I do not do anything right now, I feel I will forgive him and go on as if it never happened. — Frustrated and Lost

Dear Frustrated: Don’t tell your kids what’s going on; it would only hurt them. But don’t just put on a smile and pretend things are good, either.

If you want to stick this out and try making the marriage work, you and your husband will need to see a marriage counselor.

There are counselors who make house calls, so to speak, and in this case could meet with you and your husband right in his hospital room.

Your situation is obviously complicated, and I’m sure you’re experiencing a wide range of emotions all at once.

So I would also recommend that you go by yourself to another therapist, someone who can provide you with tools for processing your feelings and practicing self-care during this tumultuous time.