When Dr. Duncan called and asked me to come in, I had a feeling my life was about to change. I’d been feeling off for weeks, and deep down, I knew something wasn’t right.
At the appointment, I tried to be brave. “Just tell me, Doctor,” I said. “I need to know what I’m facing.”
He hesitated. “Emily, the tests suggest you may have Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. It’s a neurological condition that affects the nerves controlling movement. Over time, mobility might become difficult, and assistive devices may be needed.”
I was stunned. At 29, I thought I had time—time to build a future, raise a family, live freely. Suddenly, that future looked different.
But the hardest part wasn’t hearing the news—it was imagining how I would tell my husband, Tyler.
That evening, after making his favorite dinner, I gently brought up the diagnosis. He was half-watching a game, holding a soda, clearly not expecting anything serious.
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