‘If I took all of those pills, maybe I would go to sleep and never wake up.’ I scrubbed myself raw. I couldn’t get clean.’: Woman discovers husband’s multiple affairs, ‘I felt dirty’

“I got a call from my best friend’s husband. It was clear he didn’t really know how to say it. ‘If it were me I would want to know.’ My hands and feet got hot and sweaty. It was so many people… so many of my friends were involved. I couldn’t trust anyone. All I could do that week was sob, hysterically sob and compulsively take showers.”

‘Help me get daddy out!,’ she begged. ‘He won’t like being dirty.’ I took her to see his grave. She started digging up the dirt, crying her little heart out. We sobbed until we had no more tears to cry.’

“She was 3. That was the last time I took her to his grave. She told me her ‘heart hurt too’ much and she didn’t want to go back. She asks if our family can die and ‘be a star in the sky with daddy.’ I go straight into Mommy mode and reassure her we can’t be stars. It’s not our time.”

‘I’ve never seen anything like this before,’ a nurse said. I could hear everything. I could hear the panic and confusion. But I couldn’t react. I wondered if it was me who was dead.’

“They were on video chat with a doctor from a different hospital. They told me something rare happened, something no one in this hospital has ever seen. This doctor was the only one who knew exactly what to do. It’s been 2 years, but today, we happened to be back at the hospital where he happened to be working.”

‘My son complained of pain in his abdomen. When he started throwing up, I thought, ‘Maybe he ate something bad.’ I was in denial.’: Mom shares son’s type 1 diabetes diagnosis, advocates for affordable insulin

“We had no family history of it. When we got the news, I was thinking we had some quack doctor in the middle of the desert trying to diagnose my son by smelling his breath. He added, ‘If you waited 3 hours, he would’ve died in the car.’ My heart broke into a million pieces.”

‘I really messed up Will. I’ll call you soon.’ Nothing prepares you for this. I look back at conversations I had with my sister and tears run down my cheek.’: Brother recalls sister’s battle with addiction

“Emily was such a gifted kid. I was the jealous older brother. I always thought she would be going places. Until things changed. We received a large inheritance from our grandmother’s passing. It was like a switch. ‘I never want to see or speak to you again,’ I said to my sister.”