New relationship/new diagnosis

by Dana
(Mentone, Indiana)

Although I had been experiencing symptoms for years prior, I was diagnosed with MS on August 28th, 2012. It had been one week more than a year since deciding to leave my abusive husband and starting a new life with my long, lost love...leaving Pa. and moving here to Indiana to join my boyfriend.

We've HAD struggles, his late wife had died of cancer in 09, and the financial problems were many. We struggled in every way possible, but we succeeded, at least so far. In July of last year, my boyfriend was in a work related accident which required surgery on Aug 2nd, the same day as the dreaded spinal tap I was having done.

We couldn't be there for one another. I had already had the blood work and MRI , which led to the final stage of diagnosis, the spinal. As my boyfriend was still in early recovery, he was laid up until December, I was called by my neurologist with "the news". I had decided in 09 when my mother died, as did my boyfriend, although I didn't know it at the time, that the last part of my life would be as good as the first part had been bad, or even better. We had both struggled all our lives and have very similar pasts.

When we got together again, it had been twenty years since we had briefly dated, so there WAS some speculation as to whether or not our relationship would last. More hesitation on my part than his...I was leaving everything I had known for the past 22 years.

When the diagnosis was final, I asked my boyfriend again and again if this was too much for him to handle...if he wanted me