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Men Are Capable of Change —
Just…Not Always with Their Current Partner
If my former spouse is a good indicator, and I have reason to believe he is, many, if not most of the changes this wife wanted have come to pass. Just…not with me. When your partner doesn’t value you, they’re often unwilling to make the necessary changes to make the relationship work. Then, when they find someone new, those changes seem to be “not such a big deal.” It’s infuriating — and there is not one thing a former partner can do about it.
Here’s a case in point: I’m a registered nurse with a strong medical background, including working in cardiac education. For 28 years, I was sleep-deprived because my husband was the worst snorer I’ve ever heard — and worse, he had absolutely terrible sleep apnea. I can’t count the number of times that I woke him up and told him to breathe. Because when his snoring stopped, his breathing stopped, sometimes for up to 20–30 seconds. I’d shake his shoulder and he’d take a huge gasp of air. For twenty-eight years, I was responsible for keeping him alive.
But his sleep apnea didn’t exist in a vacuum. I urged him to have a sleep study done. I urged him to make an appointment with his doctor, and then ask for a referral to an ear, nose and throat specialist. I strongly suggested that his daytime sleepiness was due to his sleep apnea. I played…