This blog takes us all the way back to 2004.....that's when I met my best friend!! If you haven't guessed yet, this one is all about my favourite person, my husband Trevor!
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| This photo is from 2006 |
Trevor and I met at a house party that my brother's friend's were having in the winter of 2003. I didn't really interact much with Trevor on that night but did invite him to a future party that I was having. Trevor and his friend showed up for my party which was sometime around Christmas and New Years.....no I didn't start dating him at this point either......don't ask too many questions, just know I was 18 and probably not making the best of choices.
In early February I begged a mutual friend for Trevor's number so I could ask him to come hang out with me and watch some movies. It happened to be the coldest week of the year at that time and Trevor lived out on a farm, meaning he had a bit of a drive to get to me. He even ended up putting his truck in the ditch on the way to my place, that didn't stop him from coming to see me though.
We spent that first night watching my favourite movies, hanging out in my apartment. When Trevor went to leave (he had to work in the morning) his truck would not start, it was frozen solid and he had killed the battery trying to start it too many times.
Trevor did not go home that night...... We spent the next week cuddling and sleeping on my couch.
Towards the end of the week his truck got fixed and he was able to leave, he didn't go very far though.
On February 8, 2004 after a night out with friends I asked Trevor if he wanted to be my boyfriend. His response was less than awesome at the time.....He actually seemed annoyed with me and told me "no, this isn't how it works" I was very confused....he then asked me to be his girlfriend.
Shortly after we started dating and while Trevor was working away I got sick...with what depends on which Dr. you talk to. Some doctors believe it may have been the start of my MS but without an MRI from that time there is no way to know for sure.
After being admitted to hospital I let Trevor know what was happening and that I'd be ok. He was working away at this point and I didn't want him to worry.....besides we hadn't been together that long, I didn't want him seeing me like that. So, I told him not to come back and that I would see him on the weekend when he was supposed to be back, we talked on the phone for quite a while and I never suspected anything weird was going on, that was until Trevor walked in to my hospital room late at night. He had talked to me on his cell phone for over an hour while he left work to come see me.
It was then I decided he was mine to keep, and from that point on we have never been away from each other more than a night or 2 at a time.
That is until very recently....when Trevor took on a new work adventure that takes him out of province for over a week at a time.
I know, there are a lot of families that function like this and I am very happy that it works for them. This however, is not what we're used to. Trevor has always been very protective of me and always concerned about my health. So while him being away is hard on all of us, I know it's especially hard on him not being around for me when I'm tired or not feeling great.
Trevor being away isn't just emotionally hard on all of us, it can also be physically very hard for me. For the most part I don't require a lot of assistance, I'm pretty independent. I do however struggle with exhaustion which can complicate some things, and I also really struggle with showering.
With the exhaustion it can cause nausea, pain to be more noticeable, irritability....none of these things are a good mix when you're the only parent home with teen boys. I try very hard to pace myself through the day so as not to be too exhausted by the time I pick them up from school. It doesn't always go as planned though. Luckily they're very understanding, and for the most part we don't have too many issues.
As for the showering part of things.....well, there are MANY reasons why showering is difficult for me. Luckily one of the problems was solved with my shower bench that a local vendor made for me, that was the easy to fix problem though.
Showering for me is almost like torture from beginning to end. It starts with even trying to get in the shower, with my bench I can sit a lift my legs in, then I need to get used to the temperature difference, the water feels sharp and painful (even though Trevor says our water pressure is terrible), washing my hair is like running my hands through a cactus, I can no longer us a loofah and sometimes even my sponge or wash cloth hurt. Getting out of the shower usually involves multiple towels so I stay as covered as possible to try and stay warm, I usually struggle to talk because my neck and throat tense up, I get terrible spasms in my feet and legs, my toes curl to the point that the skin on my toe knuckles feels like it could split open, I shiver uncontrollably, and all of this can cause even more exhaustion resulting in MORE nausea.
Even before I was officially diagnosed with MS Trevor was my protector and he's been my best friend since our first movie night that lasted a whole week. He has always gone along with my crazy ideas, always done whatever he need to for me and our boys, and for that he'll always be my one thing! (click the link if you'd like to hear "our song". It was the first song we ever danced to on the night we officially started dating as well as our first dance song at our wedding.)
