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Michael, i just finished telling Kees Paap that I should not try to be a
counselor, you may know he has decided to leave his wife, and he is the PWP.
I saw your email, and it hit home.  I am 54, my wife is 50, we just moved
into a bigger home, while we face an empty nest, two kids, one has about 2
years of college left, the other is in grad school, not likely to be home
with us, except visits. We had a lot of discussions about moving, the old
house was paid for, and MAY be getting sold soon. Moving is very stressful,
my job, where I have been for 30 years has been getting downsized for so
long, it seems unbelievable I stilll have it. These are not meant to sound
like complaints, they are just "concerns". We've been married almost 26
years.  We argue, we disagree,  etc. BUT we are together, and although I may
be in line to inherit PD from my dad, who is 80 and has bad symptoms, I have
been lucky so far.
It would be so easy to say your wife is being selfish, and paint her as a bad
person, but she is at the age where hormones can do bad things to her mental
processes. MAYBE counseling would help. I know you want her to be around to
hold up her part of the wedding vows "in sickness and health.." But you must
have feelings of hurt towards her for bailing out when things are tough.
 Legally, she probably will be expected to provide for you financially if you
divorce. She may not realize that, and think she will be free as a bird.  I
think you should pursue saving the marriage, unless you don't want her
anymore.  I could certainly understand.  My mother has stood by my dad and
plays nurse, maid, cook, etc. she is lucky to have help a few hours a day, as
he cannot stand or walk anymore.  He spent some time in a nursing home and
she took him out, and literally saved his life, she could not watch him being
left to die.  If she could have a few days to travel it would help, but she
won't let him be left with the aids for more than a few hours at a time.  You
have some good chances at being single and cured of PD eventually, or even
married to someone else. One never knows what is in the cards...........
 Maybe if your present wife was aware of all the possibilities, bad and GOOD,
she might change her mind, and want to stay with you.  I hope you can get a
counselor, or clergyman, or even a relative who is able to be objective, and
get things ironed out. You have about 1500 people who care, here, plus your
local friends, you'll get past this!  Ken B