In sickness and in health: living with illness
When serious illness strikes there’s often just one thing that stops sufferers from crumpling – the unwavering support of their partners

Lyndsay Mitcheson, 43, had her left leg amputated above the knee in August last year after contracting MRSA during a knee replacement operation for arthritis. She lives in York with her two teenage children. Her partner of two years, Paul Adams, 43, a graphic designer, lives in Leeds
LYNDSAY When I met Paul I was walking with sticks and in a lot of pain from the MRSA. We didn’t talk about what was going to happen with my leg but in the back of my mind I knew I was going to lose it. We had grown so close I felt I had to give him the chance to do a runner. I vividly remember the night we discussed it. I told him, ‘This leg is going to go,’ and he just said, ‘OK.’ Paul is the easiest end of easy-going but there were still dark moments when I thought he would leave.
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