Are You a Model Husband? by J. Rentilly {Mens Health Magazine}

Peter Gabriel once sang that the book of love is long and boring. But don’t tell that to Bill Rancic, entrepreneur and season one Apprentice champ, or his wife, Fashion Policeand E! host Giuliana Rancic. The pair are co-authors of the decidedly not long or boring marriage manual, I Do, Now What? 

Last fall, the Rancic storybook romance—well-documented on Style’sGiuliana and Bill reality TV series—took a harrowing turn when 37-year old Giuliana was diagnosed with breast cancer, requiring a double mastectomy.

“No matter how much you want to, you can’t trade places with your wife when she’s got cancer,” says 40-year old Bill. “It’s what you most want as a husband and as a man, to carry that weight. You can’t.” 

But, he says on the eve of their series return, there are other things you can do to care for a sick partner. 

Here are Bill Rancic’s tips, in his own words.



6 Ways to Show Your Wife You Care

Be There. 
When one of the spouses in a marriage falls ill, that’s your team,your partnership. You’ve gotta make sure you’re inseparable. So be there. Be fully present. Be ready to wear a lot of different hats. When Giuliana was sick, I was a male nurse, a comedian, and a life coach, sometimes all at the same time.

Be Effective. 
The one word I got really good at when Giuliana was sick is “yes.” Whatever she needed, the answer was “yes.” And then I got it done.

Never Quit.
 There are days when she’s stronger than you and days when you’re stronger than her, but you pick each other up and you never quit.

Get Smart. 
When faced with a serious medical situation, you can bury your head in the sand and live in denial, you can fall apart in fear, or you can get educated and talk to all of the experts, do your research, and learn everything you can in order to make the best decisions.

Stay Neutral. 
Illness can be a very scary thing, but health care is like any other aspect of your life in that you have to manage it. It was a very emotional time, but I tried to facilitate an environment where we made knowledge-based decisions, not just emotional ones.

Focus on Simple Things. 
A situation like cancer turns the volume down on the things that don’t matter. Honor that. Find your appreciation for the simplest pleasures in life. Whatever those pleasures are, enjoy them together.

Celebrate Recovery. 
We spent several months where life really flashed before our eyes, but Giuliana is cancer-free now and doing great. And our relationship is much stronger as a result of this journey. We just opened an Italian restaurant together (RPM Italian) in Chicago, and this summer, we’re going to celebrate our marriage by renewing our vows with friends and family. It’s going to be a celebration of life, and that’s important to do, especially when everyone’s healthy.

Article can be found at: http://news.menshealth.com/bill-giuliana-rancic-marriage/2012/04/03/

I think this was an excellent intro. into this series & Bill always has amazing perspective! Thanks Bill!!!

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