When Emily meets her doctor, she gets devastating news about her health. As her life is about to change, Emily knows she has to tell Tyler, her husband. But his reaction is anything but appropriate.

The first thing I noticed was the doctor’s voice on the other end of the line, a steady, clinical tone delivering a piece of news that would change my life forever.

“I need you to come in, Emily,” Dr. Duncan said grimly.

Which led to my visit with him today.

“Emily, can I just be real with you?” Dr. Duncan asked.

“Of course,” I said, although my hands were shaking uncontrollably.

I was nervous beyond anything. After weeks of not feeling good, I knew that something was wrong. And this was the defining moment. Dr. Duncan was going to tell me the results of all the tests we had been doing.

“Give it to me straight, Doc,” I said. “I’d rather know now than keep pretending that everything is fine.”

“Emily, you have Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. It’s a rare neurological disorder that affects motor skills. Over time, you may find that walking will become more challenging, and it’s likely that you’ll need some form of mobility support.”

“What is it?” I asked. “Please, explain more. Help me understand. Please…”

Dr. Duncan smiled sadly.

“Sure, Emily,” he said. “To put it simply, this disease is a group of inherited disorders that cause nerve damage. This damage mostly affects arms and legs, which is why I need you to know that loss of mobility is high.”