Wendy, it's been over two years since I lost Dennis and I can honestly say that I don't know if it gets better or if you just learn to live with it. There are days that it is easier to deal with and then there are days when the pain is as fresh as the day I lost him. I suppose the best way to sum it all up is to say that your mind and body learn to merely "cope" with the situation. As humans, we are survivors. I can say that many of the past 2-1/2 years have been just that for me....survival. I am all too familar with the "crushing" pain that you describe. That pain hit me the first time it hit me that I would never see Dennis again in this life. When that thought first hits your mind it is truly overwhelming. I finally had to sell Dennis's truck because when I would approach the driveway, I would automatically think..."he's home." I can tell you that the pain will diminish and life will get easier. Thee is no timeline on when this will happen. You'll just wake up one day and for some reason, things will be easier. One thing that really helped me was a little self-designed exercise. I went back to a time in my life, before I was a wife, before I was a mother, and tried to remember who I was and what I liked to do. You know, it was really difficult to remember who I was before I became so many things for other people. Once I figured out who I was...and now am...I tried to do some of the things I liked to do. Maybe this would help you. Please PM me anytime you feel like talking!!!