Reply #36: it sounds like his mother was a big part of your lives

[burn the bush]

that makes it so much harder. Also if this is his first close deathe he had had to deal with, it makes it very hard. You have to deal with all of that "god stuff" on top of the loss. Eventually, he will begin to put the death on the back burner as keeping it on the front burner is so devastating. It could take him quite awhile to get back into things.
I agree that he needs an anti-depressant and sleeping pill. Of course they will want to make sure that he won't use them to commit suicide himself in his despair.
I wish that I had a really good answer for you. My dad who did not believe in god told us at my brothers funeral that he asked god to help him with the pain and it did help. In my desperation, I did the same and it did indeed help though I too don't believe. It's harder on those of us who don't believe.
Just be sure to let your hubby know that the paid will lessen. It will. Don't let him fight being put on meds, tell him it's only temp. and isn't a sign of mental weakness but it is to combat the chemical disruption that has occured and that when it gets back on track he won't need them.
Poor guy, he probably has dreams about her and when he wakes up, just for a minute, he forgets she is dead. Then has to face the damn truth yet again. That's how it was for me when my brother died. My brother was not a part of my daily routine anymore and yet 18 years later, I'm still pissed that he died. So, with his mom being part of your guys daily routine, it is going to be very hard coz there is that obvious gap.
Hang in there, it gets better. It doesn't ever go away, but it gets livable. I wish you well.