00:00
Jozi: Hi, I'm Jozi. Sometimes people who are newly diagnosed with MS wonder how it affects relationships, so I'm going to share my story.
Jozi: I first met my boyfriend Steve about twelve years ago, we dated for two years. Uh, we then separated for ten. Steve moved to the mountains, and I moved to Durango.
Jozi: We.... reconnected about two years ago and have been happily together since.
00:27
Jozi: I did date others before I met Steve. Um, I had other partners while we were separated.
Jozi: Uh, one was long term and a bit more serious, and you know, we all have a couple in betweens.
Jozi: The topic of MS came up pretty immediately for Steve, and I. I was scared to have a relationship. I didn't really know how my symptoms were going to progress or really what to expect myself. So it was frightening to pursue a new, serious relationship with a partner.
01:02
Jozi: His reaction initially was mellow. Uh, I think he also didn't fully understand what MS was, um, but I will say after about three weeks, he took me to one of my treatments, and the seriousness of the diagnosis started to scare him.
Jozi: I encouraged him to talk to a friend who has family members who also have MS. He was able to talk about the seriousness of MS, and I think he was able to find comfort, even though he was scared, and able to understand a little bit more.
01:42
Jozi: The experiences I have telling someone that I want to start a relationship with, that I have a MS, is initial shock. A lot of people ask if it hurts or if I'm okay or what my experiences are. So, you know, initially a lot of sympathy.
Jozi: Some people ask what my symptoms are because they know somebody that has MS, and a lot of times people are familiar that MS symptoms are usually different for everybody.
02:15
Jozi: I do talk about the future with my boyfriend. Steve is building a house on two acres. We both want kiddos down the line.
Jozi: We also talk about, you know, future, as in you know, next summer, next spring, next fall. So, yeah, we certainly talk about the future together.
Jozi: This is about all I have on the relationship of MS.
Jozi: Thanks for listening.
02:44 [Closing music continues playing]