The wife of Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan has opened up about her fears for her husband, admitting the thoughts of "a loved one dying" made her totally "freak out".
In a lengthy post on Instagram, Victoria Mary Clarke opened up about her fears for her rocker husband as he remains in hospital.
Reflecting on her 65-year-old husband's frail health, she said the idea of "just trusting and going with the flow" has not been easy.
READ MORE: Bruce Springsteen surprises Shane MacGowan with home visit ahead of his Dublin concerts
She said: "A lot of the time life goes on as normal but sometimes things happen to shake things up and not necessarily in ways that you want!
"We have had some pretty scary health challenges in our family recently and it has been showing me that the idea of just trusting and going with the flow is not easy!!!
"The natural reaction for most of us when we are in a scary situation and a loved one is in danger of dying is to totally freak out and imagine the worst and it can be hard to stay positive and stay calm and strong and not collapse in a blubbering heap!"
Victoria advised anyone going through health battles to "allow yourself to cry and feel all of the fear".
"But I have noticed that if you allow yourself to cry and to feel all of the fear and even to collapse and you don’t judge yourself for your feelings and you have compassion for yourself and everyone else around you even in the really dark moments it’s like that is the real meaning of going with the flow.
"Trusting that things will somehow work out doesn’t mean you have to pretend that you are not afraid. It means that you can trust yourself to be anything you need to be and feel anything that you feel and if you stay connected to your heart without telling yourself that you are doing it wrong you can find that your heart responds by being far more full of love and courage and appreciation and compassion than you thought possible.
"And when you feel love in your heart you stay focused in the present instead of worrying about the future. And you literally take heart from the love that you feel for your special person and also for all of the doctors and nurses and staff and your family and friends and everyone around you.
"It’s not really a challenge that we want to invite into our lives but you can be surprised by what comes out of it when you stay open to the possibilities."
She added her thanks for the "so many prayers" for MacGowan as he remains in hospital.
Victoria posted a picture by his bedside earlier this week to share to fans. He was snapped smiling as he remains in ICU.
MacGowan has been previously treated for viral encephalitis — an uncommon and serious condition in which the brain becomes swollen – since last December.
The rocker contracted shingles while in hospital, remaining there for just over a week before returning home in time for Christmas.
But this time, Victoria has yet to specify what health issue the singer was battling.
Sharing an image of the smiling couple in MacGowan’s hospital room, Victoria wrote: "I just wanted to thank everyone who is sending love and prayers for @ShaneMacGowan we really appreciate it and bless all of you and anyone anywhere who is having health challenges."
