Hey Manju,
This is a tricky subject since there are serious issues to consider but ultimately love can still find you, even if you try to hide from it...maybe especially then.
As for your questions:
1. Yes, I think we should get married or find a mate or whatever you choose for your own life. Love is powerful medicine and no matter what, no matter how bad things get, love can make it better and we still have to live our lives.
2. Your QOL will be what you make of it. Many people live their lives with AS pretty much as they always did. For some, their lives can be completely turned upside down. Marriage or any loving relationship can be something that gives you strength, renews a will to live well, encourages us to reach out and challenge ourselves.
3 & 4. Efficacy of any particular treatment plan is touch and go, at best. There are no promises (no honest ones anyway) that any option will be useful. All we can do is try and hope for the best.
5. No. I certainly cannot provide everything for my wife. Even if I were healthy, I wouldn't be able to do that! I suspect the answer to this question depends upon how needy and demanding your spouse is...lol
Good luck with this one!
6. Although AS doesn't typically interfere with our abilities to procreate, it most certainly CAN. My wife and I struggled with trying to conceive but my sperm is messed up by the anti-bodies my body produces. It's a hard pill to swallow what with all the other problems caused by the AS but you accept it and move on - a child is one of the things I couldn't provide for my wife it seems.
In the end, I'm a big fan of marriage. Pieces of paper aside, gathering family and friends to make a public declaration of your love and life together is a beautiful thing. Having said that, people can and do live fulfilling lives without a long-term partner, it isn't like we cannot function on our own. To be honest, I've often thought that it might be easier all around if I weren't married though. Living with someone who is suffering from an "invisible disease" can be very difficult and the demands of a family can be overwhelming when you are in a lot of pain.
I suppose it depends on the marriage. When things are bad, marriage feels like a stone weight hung around your neck - a burden that takes on extra significance during times of pain; When times are good though, they are even better for having someone to share them with.
No matter what, love is a worthy goal to strive towards.
Chris
