Day + 5

Today is another quiet day. I received my daily shot and am enjoying the rest. Dave and I visited with Lorraine and Ian in their apartment earlier. We returned their Marmite. We tried a little bit on toast at breakfast. We are not fans. I am glad we had the opportunity to try it, though. I've always wondered what it was like. Now, I know. "Ewww." We're told, "it's an acquired taste". I would describe the taste as very salty, liquid beef with a syrupy texture. Although the Marmite wasn't enjoyable, our visit with Lorraine and Ian was very much so.

I want to talk about carers now. Dave is a great carer, husband, friend, etc... We muddle through life dealing with this disease as best we can. I am grateful to have him as my partner, and I try very hard to make sure he knows how much I appreciate all he does. This experience here in Mexico has allowed me to see others in our similar situation as an outsider looking in. I've learned that we are extremely Blessed to have carer/partners who truly love us and do their best to make our lives as normal as possible. The carers in our group are all phenomenal! Observing the struggles of these couples makes me even more grateful and appreciative of my Dave. None of us signed up for this. I know of several relationships that didn't survive the stresses that this disease brings. This is serious stuff! In many cases, there is much role reversal. Dave has taken on lots of things I can no longer do. I used to enjoy mowing the lawn wearing earphones, blasting my music while singing along. It was relaxation for me. Now it's become Dave's job... a chore he has to do after a long day at work, or on a weekend when he should be relaxing from his paying job. That's just one example of how life has flipped. We used to garden together... planting, weeding, harvesting. Now, he gardens on his own, plus he's learned how to pressure can all the produce! He does nearly all the cooking, the grocery shopping, vacuuming, etc.. He tolerates the addition of new family members (pets) because he knows how much I love them (he's grown to love them too), even though it adds to his work load. I have observed great love between the partners in our group, but I know they also suffer the horrible inconvenience that disease brings into our lives. It's made me see (by observing the other carers) how Dave also works hard to preserve my dignity in some very undignified situations. When I was diagnosed with MS seventeen years ago, I tried to push Dave away. I gave him every opportunity to run. He was even encouraged by some to run. I knew exactly how tough our future could be, because my sister had already been in a wheelchair for many years suffering from MS. But Dave didn't run. He's stuck by me every step of the way. We're not perfect. We have our cranky moments and can get "ugly" with each other, but we both appreciate that stress takes over if we allow it, and breaks are a necessity. It's helpful that he has a great sense of humor and doesn't allow me to take life too seriously. We also rely heavily on our Faith. It's been wonderful this month for Dave to be able to share with the other carers here in Mexico. They have bonded quickly and have become a support system for each other in a club no one would choose to join... and they'll be life long friends, I'm sure. So I want to take this opportunity to thank Dave for all he does, and to thank God for bringing us together and sustaining us. I love you, Dave! And I salute all the carers who give so much of themselves to make our lives as easy and enjoyable as possible. Thank you!!!