S03 - EP25 - Julie Farrin on the first seizure, the diagnosis and saying goodbye

Listen to this episode from Widowed AF: Real stories of love, grief and beyond - With Rosie Moss on Spotify. In this episode Rosie Moss speaks with Julie Farrin, who lost her husband Andy to glioblastoma, an aggressive and fast moving brain cancer.Julie shares the story of meeting Andy, falling for his quiet kindness, and marrying him just weeks before their world was turned upside down. She talks about the first seizure that led to his diagnosis, the challenges of treatment during lockdown, and the painful reality of watching his words, independence and dignity slip away.Together we explore what it meant to become a full time carer so early in marriage, the mix of exhaustion and dark humour that carried her through, and the heartbreak of hospice and widowhood. Julie also reflects on life after Andy, returning to work too soon, panic attacks, health struggles of her own, and the slow work of building a life without him.She is honest about the isolation, the decisions she never thought she would face, and the importance of keeping Andy’s memory alive. As Julie puts it, “We are the gatekeepers, the memory keepers.”We talk about:• Julie and Andy’s love story and the early signs of glioblastoma• The impact of lockdown on treatment and caregiving• Watching decline up close and making end of life decisions• The burden of being the only caregiver and managing others’ denial• Choosing not to pursue motherhood under impossible circumstances• Returning to work, health struggles and the ongoing reality of grief• Why storytelling matters and how memory keeping keeps loved ones close