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Old Jun 30, 2008, 07:03 AM
SkippyMI SkippyMI is offline
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Member Since: Mar 2008
Posts: 9
My wife has recently(5 months ago) been diagnosed rapidly cycling bipolar I schizoaffective, borderline personality disorder, and PTSD after many years of misdiagnoses and wrong medications. We were repeatedly told she was just a drunk with some depression issues(Gotta love Michigan's mental health care!). Anyway, treatment and therapy are going reasonably well right now considering what she has going on(based upon what I am reading/studying), but I have a conundrum.

My situation is that I am about 18 months away from finishing up a buy-out of the company for which I work and am currently a partner. In the short-term this may mean less income or no change in income, longer hours(I already work 45-60/week), and more responsibility. Long term it may improve our quality of life in 20-25years when I retire. I can already see that when I hit a run of 14-16 hour days my wife worsens(even on meds), and then improves when I get a couple days off. Her mood also worsens if I let her "see" when things are going poorly at work. Now to my point....

I am considering scrapping the idea of buying this business because I believe it will hinder my wife's recovery and interfere with me caring for her. Is it too much for me to make a decision like that? Being a caregiver for a loved one with bipolar almost seems a fulltime job on its own. Is it reasonable or normal for a spouse in this situation to alter their career plans to simplify life to better care for their loved one? HAve others had to make similar decisons?

Thanks!
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