First cancer, then heartbreak follows

Dear Amy: Three years ago, I was diagnosed with bone cancer.

I went through 21⁄ years

2 of chemotherapy and six months of stem cell treatment.

I am now cancer-free.

During that time, I was with a woman (for eight years). We did everything together. Never had an argument. My family and friends all loved her, as did I.

She treated me lovingly when I was sick, but of course when I was ill, I couldn’t do the things we used to do. My sex drivewas gone. But I got better.

She left me two months after I gotwell.

I asked her why, and she said she felt like shewas only existing. not living.

I think that she met someone while Iwas ill.

What do I do now? go on withmy life?

I’mworking again, but it is tough by myself. — Heartbroken inDallas

Dear Heartbroken: Conventional wisdom might suggest that someone who hangs in there through the worst of things would then breathe a sigh of relief and commit to being there during recovery. But people leave. Your partner might have been exhausted.

I suspect that she might have wanted to leave just before, or maybe during your illness, but hung in there.

And what you must do now is go on with your life.

You are already doing this. Your recovery from this extremely painful breakup might parallel your recovery from cancer. Look at each day and celebrate your smaller victories. Write them down: A good day at work, a conversation with a friend, a creative project started or completed, an extra lap around the track. You are demonstrating impressive resilience and strength. Recognizing that - deep down - will be an important building block for the new and improved you. deemed to be

Besides