I am a 32F, I grew up with a mother who has RRMS. For the past two years I have begun to exhibit a number of worrying symptoms that as the child of someone with MS, I recognize as the disease. It is quite possible that it is something else but you know that as a child who grew up with MS it is the first thing that stirs in your mind.
Anyhow, over the past few months during a particularly stressful time, my symptoms have been getting progressively worse. I have lived with my boyfriend now for 12 years and we are very close and yet I can't bring myself to discuss these worrying symptoms with him. Part of this is us not being able to afford health insurance, yet not qualifying for state care either.
I don't want him to have to worry about me more than he already does and feel like he has failed me if I do have this disease because he can't afford insurance. I don't see it that way but I know that he would. We have talked previously about what would happen if I did "get sick like mom" and he is committed to me knowing that it is a possibility...yet, something about saying that I'm worried out loud makes it real and brings him in on this with me. How do I even begin to tell him that I'm worrying about this? Knowing that we couldn't afford the health care or medication even if we did receive a dx.
At the same time though I love this man and keeping such a huge secret from him is killing me and making this a very lonely and worrisome journey. How do you share with someone you love that you are worried about MS?
For those interested my symptoms include: Lack of balance/coordination, dizziness, eye pain, migraines, extreme fatigue, overall muscle pain, memory loss, Raynauds phenomenon, tremor, tingling in arms and legs, impaired fine motor control, loss of language skills and what I can only describe as complete cognitive dysfunction (forgetting how to do simple every day tasks).
** Moderator's note - Post broken into paragraphs for easier reading. Many people with MS have visual difficulties that prevent them from reading large blocks of print. **
Anyhow, over the past few months during a particularly stressful time, my symptoms have been getting progressively worse. I have lived with my boyfriend now for 12 years and we are very close and yet I can't bring myself to discuss these worrying symptoms with him. Part of this is us not being able to afford health insurance, yet not qualifying for state care either.
I don't want him to have to worry about me more than he already does and feel like he has failed me if I do have this disease because he can't afford insurance. I don't see it that way but I know that he would. We have talked previously about what would happen if I did "get sick like mom" and he is committed to me knowing that it is a possibility...yet, something about saying that I'm worried out loud makes it real and brings him in on this with me. How do I even begin to tell him that I'm worrying about this? Knowing that we couldn't afford the health care or medication even if we did receive a dx.
At the same time though I love this man and keeping such a huge secret from him is killing me and making this a very lonely and worrisome journey. How do you share with someone you love that you are worried about MS?
For those interested my symptoms include: Lack of balance/coordination, dizziness, eye pain, migraines, extreme fatigue, overall muscle pain, memory loss, Raynauds phenomenon, tremor, tingling in arms and legs, impaired fine motor control, loss of language skills and what I can only describe as complete cognitive dysfunction (forgetting how to do simple every day tasks).
** Moderator's note - Post broken into paragraphs for easier reading. Many people with MS have visual difficulties that prevent them from reading large blocks of print. **
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