Finding that Special Someone Who Looks Past the Chronic Illness

Okay, I’ll admit that the title of this post is extremely long but it just seemed like the right thing to title it!

I have some VERY exciting non-gastroparesis news that I have to share.  I got engaged!!  WOOHOO!!  Finding that special someone and getting engaged is a special moment for anyone.  However, I would say that it is even more special for someone with a chronic illness.  When you have a chronic illness, that special someone is signing up for A LOT more than most people.  They are signing up for frequent doctors’ visits, frequent medical tests, crazy diets, taking over all of the chores because your illness flairs up.  Our significant others are AMAZING to stay with us throughout all of this.  They know what they are signing up for and rise to the occasion and say that it will be okay.

My fiance (yes, it is going to take awhile to get used to saying that, but I like it!) and I have been together for about two years.  Within the first two months of dating is when I became extremely ill.  (Actually, extremely is an understatement.)  Within these first two months, he took me for a colonoscopy.  A few months later, he took me for an endoscopy.  A month or so later he was checking in on me while I spent a half day at the hospital getting x-rayed after eating radioactive eggs.  He took me for countless IVs.  He carried me to bed.  He carried me to the bathroom.  He walked my dog.  He cleaned my apartment.  He did my dishes.  He did my “grocery shopping” which basically consisted of ginger ale.  He never mentioned how bad I smelled because I didn’t have the energy to bathe.  He calmly repeated himself while I was in brain fog and couldn’t retain any information.  He did all of this while maintaining his own residence and never once complained.

He has tried countless diet modifications in support of me.  He has cheered me on at the finish line of 5Ks and half marathons that I shouldn’t be able to run due to Gastroparesis.  He is my rock and has been calm and supportive as I have struggled with my health.  He never tells me what to do, but listens to me work through the decisions.  He encourages me to keep living life and to not give up.

I can honestly say that every day I think of how lucky I am to have him because I have no idea how I would have navigated this path without him.

Now I can celebrate that I will have my rock with me for the rest of my life.  Oh…and a rather nice rock on my finger as well!

~Millie