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When my husband was diagnosed with autism, things changed ... but also they didn't.

We were only together for six weeks before my husband proposed to me, and I said yes.

I think our quick engagement had a lot to do with him being so many things I am not — this balances us out. That balance, we've come to find out, has a lot to do with him being autistic.

We always knew our personalities were in opposition: I’m outgoing while CJ is more reserved. I’m a bull-at-the-gate personality while he is more practical. I have to learn things by making mistakes, diving in and making a mess … whereas he rarely makes mistakes because he is calculated and methodical.


All photos via Jessica Offer, used with permission.

I’m sure I can be difficult with my haphazard, carefree nature, but it’s been so long now that he barely raises an eyelid at my wild ideas. We are the push and pull to each other, and I have stretched him out of his comfort zones bit by bit. He’s reined me in where I need it, too. (And I’ve definitely needed it at times.)

People tell me my husband is blessed to have me, but the truth for me is, it often feels like the other way around.

We will have been married for 10 years this coming October, and it wasn’t until our seventh year of marriage that we learned he has autism spectrum disorder.

His diagnosis happened after our eldest daughter was given hers. Since then, another of our four daughters has been diagnosed too. So half of the family members within our house are autistic — all with unique strengths and triggers.

I remember, looking back, how frustrated I used to get when we’d go out for lunch or dinner together and he could never make a decision about where we should go or what to eat. Often, we argued for hours and then eventually come home without having eaten. Hindsight tells us now that this is because CJ finds on-the-spot decision-making really hard and overwhelming.

Now, we plan where we’re eating beforehand so he can peruse the menu. And what do you know — there have been no more arguments about eating out since!

Over the years, we’ve had to come up with different ways of doing everyday things.

Autism doesn’t define my husband, but his diagnosis definitely liberates us in terms of his strengths as well as his limitations. Because he is autistic, I don’t blame him for being a "stereotypical male" when he puts off doing the dishes. Instead, I know that it’s because he has sensory issues surrounding temperature and tactile defensiveness.

And there’s no way I would ever expect him to fold something made of microfiber! But he’s awesome at grocery shopping (he knows the aisles and order of products by heart), and I love how much he has to teach me.

We plan our weekends in advance and take social overload into account very seriously.

This means I aim to only have one day per week on the weekend where I expect CJ to be out of the house and around other people. He needs the other day to recharge and chill, and that’s fine by me. In fact, he heartily encourages me to go out and pursue my interests and friendships, even if they aren’t the same as his.

And what may be obvious and automatic to others isn’t for us.

Friends ask us about the key to our marriage and we both answer "whiteboard" enthusiastically in unison.

It has saved us from many arguments, and it’s prevented many feelings of built-up resentment. It’s kept in a communal space in our house where everyone can see it, and we each write on it things that need doing or things that the other person needs to remember. That way, there’s no nagging. I don’t need to expect CJ to read my mind, and he can’t accuse me of not having told him something because it’s *right there*. I have even used it to write down what I needed from him in terms of support when I was unwell, and it was super-effective.

I take for granted that not everyone can fix physical things in the blink of an eye like CJ can.

In our house, if anything breaks there is never any hesitation before I say, "It’s OK; Daddy will fix it." CJ’s incredible intellect means he can piece things together in the blink of an eye. It’s awesome being married to someone so handy ... not to mention sexy.

His attention to detail also makes him an incredible chef.

CJ makes pancakes for our family every Sunday morning that automatically come out identical in size and width. And his pizzas and cakes are basically professional replicas, only better.

At the end of the day, this is what I hope folks can learn from CJ and me:

Being married to someone who is autistic is not really that different from being married to someone who is neurotypical: Everyone has their own set of strengths, weaknesses, and areas that need sensitive consideration. And just like any marriage, you compromise and find ways to get to a place that works.

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When you love someone, you don’t love them in spite of their diagnosis ... you love them because of it. Because without their diagnosis, they wouldn’t be the person you fell in love with anyway.

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Three women, three MS journeys: How multiple sclerosis looks different for everyone

Gina, Nathalie and Helga share their reactions to being diagnosed with MS and how they stay informed and positive in the face of ever-changing symptoms.

Courtesy of Sanofi

Helga, Nathalie and Gina all have MS, and their experiences show how differently the disease can manifest.

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It’s been 155 years since neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot gave the first lecture on a mysterious progressive illness he called “multiple sclerosis.” Since then, we’ve learned a lot. We know MS causes the immune system to attack healthy tissue, including damaging the brain and spinal cord. Resulting symptoms can be debilitating and include fatigue, blurred vision, memory problems and weakness. Huge advancements in our understanding of MS and its underlying causes, as well as treatment advances, have been made in the past few decades, but MS remains a complex and unpredictable reality for the 2.8 million+ people diagnosed around the world.

Ironically, the only real constant for people living with MS is change. There’s no set pattern or standard progression of the disease, so each person’s experience is unique. Some people with MS have mild symptoms that worsen slowly but sometimes improve, while others can have severe symptoms that drastically alter their daily lives.

All people with MS share some things in common, however, such as the need to stay informed on the ever-evolving research, find various lines of support and try to remain hopeful as they continue living with the disease.

To better understand what navigating life with MS really looks like, three women shared their MS stories with us. Their journeys demonstrate how MS can look different for different people and interestingly, how the language used to talk about the disease can greatly impact how people understand their realities.

woman with horse, woman riding horseGina loves riding her horse, Benita.Courtesy of Sanofi

Gina—Hamburg, Germany (diagnosed with relapsing multiple sclerosis in 2017)

When her youngest son was 4 months old, Gina started having problems with her eye. She’d soon learn she was experiencing optic neuritis—her first symptom of MS.

“Immediately after the diagnosis, I looked up facts on MS because I didn’t know anything about it,” Gina says. “And as soon as I knew what could really happen with this disease, I actually got scared.”

As her family’s primary income provider, she worried about how MS would impact her ability to work as a writer and editor. Her family was afraid she was going to end up in a wheelchair. However, for now, Gina’s MS is managed well enough that she still works full-time and is able to be active.

“When I tell somebody that I have MS, they often don't believe me the first time because I don't fulfill any stereotypes,” she says.

Overwhelmed by negative perspectives on living with MS, Gina sought support in the online MS community, which she found to be much more positive.

“I think it’s important to use as many positive words as you can when talking about MS.” It’s important to be realistic while also conveying hope, she says. “MS is an insidious disease that can cause many bad symptoms…that can be frightening, and you can't gloss over it, either.”

To give back to the online community that helped her so much, Gina started a blog to share her story and help others trying to learn about their diagnosis.

Though she deals with fatigue and cognitive dysfunction sometimes, Gina stays active swimming, biking, riding horses and playing with her sons, who are now 11 and 6.

Cognitive dysfunction is common in MS, with over half of people affected. It can impact memory, attention, planning, and word-finding. As with many aspects of MS, some people experience mild changes, while others face more challenges.

Gina says that while there’s still a lot of education about MS needed, she feels positive about the future of MS because there’s so much research being done.

woman in wheelchair holding medal, woman rowingNathalie is an award-winning rower with multiple international titles.Courtesy of Sanofi

Nathalie — Pennes Mirabeau, France (diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in 2002)

Nathalie was a teenager and a competitive athlete when she noticed her first symptoms of MS, but it would take four years of “limbo” before she was diagnosed.

“Ultimately, the diagnosis was more of a relief, than a shock,” she says. “Because when you have signs and you don’t know why, it’s worse than knowing, in the end, what you have.”

However, learning more about the disease—and the realities of disease progression—scared her.

“That glimpse of the future was direct and traumatic,” she says. Her neurologist explained that the disease evolves differently for everyone, and her situation might end up being serious or very mild. So, she decided to stop comparing herself to others with MS.

She said to herself, “We’ll see what happens, and you’ll manage it bit by bit.”

By 2005, Nathalie’s MS had progressed to the point of needing a wheelchair. However, that has not dampened her competitive spirit.

Nathalie began her international rowing career in 2009 and has won multiple world titles, including two Paralympic medals—silver in London and bronze in Tokyo. Now, at 42, she still trains 11 times a week. Fatigue can be a problem, and sometimes hard workouts leave her with muscle stiffness and shaking, but she credits her ongoing sports career for helping her feel in tune with her body’s signals.

“Over the years, I’ve learned to listen to my body, letting my body guide when I need to stop and take breaks,” she says.

Nathalie explains that she used to only look backwards because of the initial shock of her diagnosis. In time, she stopped thinking about what she couldn’t do anymore and focused on her future. She now lives in the following mindset: “Even when doors close, don’t miss out on those that open.” Instead of focusing on what she can’t do, she focuses on the opportunities she still has. Right now, this includes her training for the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, where she will compete for another rowing medal.

“I only go forward,” she says. “Well, I try, anyway…It’s easy to say, it’s not always easy to do. But that’s what I try to do.”

woman exiting water after swimming, woman with great daneHelga's Great Dane has become a helpful and beloved companion.Courtesy of Sanofi

Helga—Johannesburg, South Africa (diagnosed with relapsing multiple sclerosis in 2010)

When Helga first started having balance issues and numbness in her feet, she chalked it up to her training as a runner. But when the numbness moved to her face, she knew something was wrong. She never guessed it was MS.

“When I was diagnosed, I felt completely overwhelmed and clueless,” Helga says. “I felt that I had nowhere near enough information. I did not know anything about the disease…I had no idea that it was going to be a process of continually monitoring and adjusting your lifestyle.”

In the beginning, Helga’s symptoms developed slowly, and she didn’t appear ill to others. She was even able to run for a few years after her diagnosis, but she couldn’t do marathons anymore, and she began to fall frequently due to balance issues and right-foot dragging. Then her cognition issues became more problematic, especially in her job as a trainer in a printing company.

“My executive function, decision-making and short-term memory were affected to the point that I was eventually medically unfit for work,” she says. She stopped working in 2017.

However, she didn’t stop living life. Even though she could no longer run, she continued to swim competitively. She got a Great Dane puppy and trained him as a service dog to help her walk. She also serves as vice chair of the patient support organization Multiple Sclerosis South Africa, and she advises others who have been diagnosed to join a patient advocacy group as soon as possible to get reliable information and meet others with MS.

Helga says she is “hopeful” about the future of MS. “I must say that I am so grateful that we have all the new medications available, because my life would not be the same if it wasn't for that,” she adds.

Part of how she manages her MS is by looking at the positives.

“If I could tell the world one thing about MS, it would be that MS is an incurable disease of the nervous system, but it's also the greatest teacher of valuing your health, family, friends, and managing change in your life,” she says. “My life is diversified in a way that I never, ever thought it would, and MS has been honestly the greatest teacher.”

Each MS journey is unique – with each person impacted experiencing different struggles, successes, and feelings as they manage this unpredictable disease. But the common thread is clear – there is a critical need for information, support, and hope. We are proud to participate in World MS Day and share these incredible stories of living life while living with MS. To learn more about MS, go to https://www.sanofi.com/why-words-really-matter-when-it-comes-to-multiple-sclerosis.

MAT-GLB-2301642-v1.0-05/2023

This article was sponsored by Sanofi. Participants were compensated when applicable.

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