I can totally sympathize. My wife went away,
for 3 years 
! Well, actually she came home for a few days every couple of months. And summer vacations. Law school, at age 54 (graduated 3rd in her class :dance
!
I didn't think I'd survive. My daughter (age 29 then) came home and lived with me for a year, I got a dog (Brittany), and a new motorcycle. That helped. And learned to do laundry. Rarely.