I should say when my mom had cancer, my dad was in complete denial. Despite the fact that there was physical evidance of it. He yelled at her a lot for not being able to keep up the house the way he thought a wife should. When she died he realized what he had done and has told me many times he just didn't want to have to accept losing her, and couldn't believe it or it would break him. He apologized to me probably 100 times for yelling at her.

Denial is a powerful thing.