A woman has spoken of the devastating moment her husband tragically died just days after their wedding.
After ten years together, Diane and Paul Hodgson tied the knot in their Manchester home in what Diane says was the "best day of my life." Only months earlier, Paul had received an unexpected and heartbreaking cancer diagnosis.
Paul, 56, began feeling poorly around Christmas time when he noticed he was excessively burping, had dark urine, loose stools and some back pain. The tiler went to see a doctor and was sent for blood and stool samples, but the results showed nothing of concern.
When the loved-up pair went on a week-long holiday to Egypt, Paul's condition began to deteriorate. The grandad-of-six returned to his GP, who noticed his skin had started to turn yellow. Until then, the change in Paul's complexion went unnoticed due to his tanned skin from the holiday.
Paul was simply asked to return the following week for blood tests, but, alarmed by his rapidly declining health, Diane took him to A&E. It was there that a CT scan showed a mass on his pancreas, and further tests revealed he had pancreatic cancer.
Paul underwent a procedure to remove the cancer on March 1, and was allowed to return home 12 days later. But subsequent scans revealed the cancer had already spread. He underwent one round of chemotherapy at The Christie Hospital but tragically became too unwell to continue the treatment.
Knowing Paul didn't have long left, the couple decided to marry at their home on June 13, describing it as the "perfect day". Paul died just five days later with his wife Diane by his side. Diane, 59, recalled her heartbreak, as she told Manchester Evening News: "The cancer had spread so badly, it was just so quick. He was so strong."
"I knew it would be a bad outcome from day one because I work for the NHS, but I kept reading and hoping that he would live for a bit longer. But after the operation, he was getting thinner and thinner. I was trying to feed him and he could hardly eat small portions."
"He was just clinging on to everything. He never said he was in pain – but he was in pain. In the last few days, he said, 'I've only got a few days left.'" Paul has been described as "really good fun", loved scuba diving, music and Liverpool FC.
Diane continued: "We wanted to get married and had to get a special license to marry at home because he wasn't well enough. Our house was full of love, you could feel it. We've got such special friends and family. We had a cake from Slattery's and two young girls came and did my hair and makeup."
The couple spent their honeymoon in The Christie as Paul was too unwell to stay at home. Sadly, he died just days later. "We just watched telly and he slept for quite a lot of it," Diane added. "I just knew he wasn't coming home. I sat him on the chair because he was uncomfortable and agitated. I said I would ring the nurses because he had some pain and I just knew."
"I pulled the buzzer and they told me to hold his hand and talk to him. I didn't cry, I just said, 'You've been so brave, darling, it's time to have a rest now. I just held his hand and talked to him and stroked his hair. "I loved him so much," Diane said, breaking down in tears. "He was so beautiful."