Would you date someone with a potentially fatal illness?

That’s a choice that only a person in that situation can or could make. A choice, something that you only can decide for yourself. That’s about it, I think, that’s about all there is to it.

He could also be a bad-boy and you could lose him because he rides a motorcycle without a helmet and gets sideswiped by a semi, or bicycles everywhere, and collides with an unexpected open car door, or takes a curve too fast while driving and talking to you on his cell phone, or gets electrocuted while cleaning his uncle’s pool.

(^^All ways young men under the age of 25 have died within my circle of acquantance.)

@lillycoyote – I didn’t ask what I should do, I asked what you would do.

@BarnacleBill – Yikes!

I can not imagine saying no. Particularly in that period where you’re all wrapped up in a new love interest.
I think about a young man, with type 1 diabetes. He is 30 years old and just beginning dialysis. Although kidney failure is no minor issue, all he can think about is how he may not live long enough to get married, have children, to be in love. Why? Because so many women are afraid to get close to him.

I can’t meet people like that and then believe I would honestly turn away from someone for just that reason. Of course, I can’t know until I’m in the situation, but I just can’t see turning my back for something like that. We are all going to die someday. For all we know, today is that day. Falling in love is always a risk.

@MissAnthrope O.K. Fair enough. I would give myself the same advice that I offered in my first response. Maybe I should have been clearer about the details. I would tell myself: It’s up to you. You have to decide this for yourself. I would ask myself: Do you want this? Can you do this? Are you strong enough? Can you handle this? Lilly, you know, you understand, that you don’t fuck around with people, with men, for your own pleasure and satisfaction. If you are going to get involved with this guy, a guy who has a potentially fatal illness, then you have to ask yourself, you have to know if you’re up to the job. Otherwise leave him alone, get out of his life and let him find someone who can do this and is willing to deal with it. I’m no saint; I’m not sure if I would be up to it, but those are the questions I would ask myself.

Would I date someone with a potentially fatal illness? I actually wanted to this year. But it didn’t end up happening because he didn’t think he was being fair to me. This is someone I have known for the past ten years. If he would have asked, I would have married him. No one wants to be put in that situation no matter which end you’re on. It’s not easy. I would never choose to be a single parent. However, if I had ended up with him and we did have children, I know that I could do it. I would be fine with that. You have to know what you are getting into. It’s mentally, physically and emotionally taxing.

“One day” you will lose anyone. If you love someone, who better to care for them if they become ill. You are not guaranteed tomorrow, none of us are. A disease would have no bearing on my willingness to let myself love.

I absolutely would. Love, no matter how fleeting, is always worth the risk.

PS: I have two potentially life threatening illnesses, neither of which could be prevented with an emergency shot. I sure am glad my husband took a chance on me anyway. :D

Absolutely.

Better a short ‘lived’ true love than a longterm travesty. lol

I would.;)

Date her? Sure. Fall in love? If I loved her. Marry her? If she would agree to it.

If I love her, I accept all of her, even the parts I don’t like.

Yes. this may be your only chance in life for a true love. if not, you will always wonder what your future would have been like, if you dated this person, rather than not.

Give it a shot and see what happens. they may find a cure for him and you two could live happily ever after.

Most certainly I would, no question.
For better or for worse if you love someone.

I would jump right in, making sure to carry a shot with me too!

Yes I would and have. We all are going to die and knowing you are going to die opens up the opportunity to really live each day like it really means something and that is powerful and emotions at the ultimate level… ;)

Yes, I would and after finding out that his time on earth was limited, I would love him even more. It wouldn’t be pity that would make me love him even more, but a need to fill the shortage of time with as much love as possible. No illness would stand in my way of the chance to feel the strength of love.

Yes and if we ended up falling in love then I doubt I’d back off. I’m in love with and plan to marry my current partner who is likely to die sooner than later which makes me sad, frustrated and impatient but not so much as I love and want to be with him. I choose.

I mean. We all have the fatal illness called life. Refusing to date someone because s/he might die excludes 100% of the population.

Wow.. some really wonderful, sweet answers so far. Can I marry you guys?

@MissAnthrope

Are you willing to get a sex change? lololololol

Life is fleeting and fragile. Love, if you’ve really found it, is one in a million and worth suffering. So long as it wasn’t just a waste… loving and losing is entirely worth it.