Shift Work

My husband has been a cop for just shy of 5 and a half years now. The hours have obviously not been ideal through the years and we've had to make sacrifices but it's what we signed up for when John went into this profession. After spending the past 3 years or more on the overnight shift, John's body is finally saying "enough" and he's completely worn down.

I just feel so bad for my husband... He gets awful headaches, is unable to sleep well during the day, and feels altogether weak, exhausted, and dizzy. This started about 2 months ago and after going to the doctor twice for this, nobody can figure what's going on. All his blood work comes back normal as well as a Cat-Scan and EKG. What gives?

If he's physically in good health then it's looks like this shift is just not cutting it anymore. He doesn't have enough seniority to get the coveted day shift so the only alternative is the dreaded evening shift, which is from 3 in the afternoon until 11 at night. This is the shift where we don't have dinner as a family, the girls don't have their Daddy tuck him in, and where John misses out on family-get -togethers, parties, etc... What's worse, though... Being present in body but not in mind because you're so exhausted or just not being there because you're working? That's a hard thing to chose between because they both are difficult.

I'm trying so hard to support my husband in whatever decision he makes. I'll admit, the evening shift is a very lonely shift for me. It's hard to make friends because all the women I know have husbands with "regular" jobs and don't want to hang out at 3 or 4 in the afternoon. However, my husband's health and well being has got to come first. It won't always be so hard... I mean ONE day he'll get to be on the day shift.

Do any of you fellow police wives out there have any advice for me? Did any of your husband go through this? I would give anything to help him and find an answer to stop this madness.