Dear Prudence,
When my husband was diagnosed with cancer, he insisted that we tell nobody. He’s a stoic introvert and is horrified by the idea of other people’s sympathy or pity. That’s fine, but I’m a needy extrovert who is terrified of being left alone with three kids. Respecting his wishes means that I can’t lean on my friends and family. I’m desperate to talk with someone who isn’t my therapist. To make things worse, we’re getting a lot of comments about how great he looks. He’s lost a ton of weight and is eating healthy and working out to fight his disease. He’s currently in remission, but it will be a while before we know if he’s all clear. I know my people, and there’s no way this secret will stay that way if I let the cat out of the bag, but it’s been tough and lonely. Do I really have to take this to my grave?