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| Part II of Ask Me Anything About MS |
When You Should Tell Your Date About Your Diagnosis
Modern day dating is hard enough, but dating when you have a chronic illness like multiple sclerosis (MS), adds a whole new layer of anxiety to the process.
If you’re wondering if you should keep MS a secret as long as possible, you’re in luck, because technically MS can’t be confirmed, like 100%, without a brain autopsy, so, you could actually sail through the honeymoon and just wait until you’re a dead ghost to disclose your diagnosis. Let’s put a pin in that for a sec. For those who are inclined to a more open approach, there are a number of things to consider.
Disclaimer
Normally, this is the part where I say, don’t take my advice, ask your doctor, but doctors find partners because, well, they’re doctors. That’s usually enough to close the deal. Nonetheless, I feel compelled to remind you that I’m just a blogger with a MacBook. You don’t have to believe everything I say.
Now that that’s out of the way, I can tell you that I am smugly married, and didn’t even have to bamboozle The Banker to the altar with that whole let’s see what the coroner says routine. He was eyes-open aware of my MS long before we tied the knot. Better still, he knew he was getting a good deal. We both were.
But the complicated truth about relationships and multiple sclerosis is that for some, MS is too much. For as many couples who have successfully navigated a partnership where chronic illness is involved, there are at least as many who have crashed and burned, or failed to launch in the first place. Okay, I made that statistic up, but it feels right, and I already told you this isn’t a scientific journal. I did however, do some research.
After a difficult divorce, my friend Carrie was dipping her suspiciously numb toe back into the dating pool. After years of sketchy symptoms, Carrie finally received a diagnosis of MS while she’d been seeing someone for a couple of months. When she told him her news, he told her she had “too much on her plate to be dating”, which Carrie knew was code for “I’m not into sharing my plates”, and that was the end of that.
Shocking, right?
Of course not. For whatever reason (stigma, family pressure, fear, lack of understanding, lack of imagination), MS can be a deal-breaker, and if you find yourself up against this mindset in the dating world, don’t waste your time. MS is tough. MS is not for everyone. Move on.
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| My Ride-or-Die Brooklyn Bestie. |
The good news is, there are people who can roll with MS; and those are the best people. Not because they’re heroes or some other bullshit, but maybe they’re a little more open-minded, a little less afraid, a little more willing to say yes. They’re the people who realize that nobody gets out of this life alive; might as well enjoy the ride.
Knowing the lid to your pot is out there doesn’t make disclosing this kind of intel any easier. But I’m here for you.
Like, do you want me to tell them for you? That costs extra.
Here are my top free tips for telling your future lover you have an incurable disease:
Buy some time
Dating is about tricking the person you want to have sex with into thinking you’re perfect, and then slowly revealing your many, many flaws once they’re hooked on you like Miss Vickie’s chips. If your MS is invisible you have the luxury of a little more time to keep things classified, because you don’t have to explain away a mobility aid or a limp, so figure out if you’re actually into this person before putting yourself on the line. Because:
It’s not herpes
I mean, if you also have herpes, you definitely have to disclose that sometime between now and when your genitals meet, but you don’t owe it to anyone to tell them about your MS until you’re ready. Even if you use mobility aids, it’s up to you to determine when someone else deserves to know something so personal.
Be cool
Do not schedule a We Need To Talk moment. How you tell your prospective partner will have a lot to do with how they interpret the news. They will mirror your attitude, so don’t be weird. If you believe MS is going to ruin your life and makes you a less desirable partner, so will they.
Don’t apologize
You are not damaged goods. Fuck that. Don’t let anyone allow you to question your worthiness of finding love.
Get ready to get real
Your partner might have his or her own secrets to barf out. Vulnerability begets true confessions, and you may find yourself hearing all about their bad credit, hoarder tendencies, or unfortunate tattoo. According to something definitely factual I read on the internet, 96% of people are keeping secrets. So, think about that. Maybe your secret won’t seem so bad.
Educate
Be ready with some resources you can recommend (cough, Tripping On Air). It’s hard to believe, but not everything on the inter webs is legit, and you don’t want anyone deep-googling worst case scenarios. Try to be chill, as you may have to field some difficult questions and a confused “But, you look so good!”
Hold up
It probably took you awhile to come to terms with MS. Thoughtful people who consider all possible outcomes make good partners, so allow some time for them to figure this out.
Check yourself
Remember you’re a prize, and if you’re met with someone who only has tiny un-shareable plates, don’t take it personally. Some people will be scared off, and that’s their journey. It’s not you, it’s MS. Drink a bottle of Beaujolais with your bestie and continue swiping.
As for Carrie, she kept putting herself out there. She found herself crushing on a new guy.
Mid-relapse.
He was crushing on her too, but oblivious to her health status. When he finally asked her out, she was literally weak in the knees. She accepted his invite just as he noticed the bandage hiding her steroid IV site. When he asked what she’d done to her arm, a million potential lies swirled in her head until finally she just went with the truth; she was being treated for an MS flare. He said “Oh”, and they went back to discussing dinner plans.
They had seafood. They went to Morocco. They’re getting married later this year.
PS Thanks for sending all your great questions. Slowly, but surely, I will get to them all.
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