I'm a bit nervous to post about this as I'm dreading getting lots of replies saying it's not worth it and to leave, or that this kind of situation is impossible to turn round (both valid viewpoints I realise!) However I'm not comfortable sharing with anyone in real life so here goes... by the way it's a slightly long story as I want to give a true picture of how things have been.
I've been with my partner for three years, during which time we've moved in together and got engaged. We bought our house in December 2019 meaning we've only been cohabiting since just before the pandemic hit. So in the last eighteen months as well as all the moving stress we haven't had a 'normal' life, in common with everyone else. On top of that, my partner's dad died last year. He'd been unwell for some time and my partner had also been dealing with that and helping out a huge amount, basically dealing with anything and everything administrative/ financial for his mum and fielding a lot of family dramas too. A lot more to add there but basically his parents had a bit of an odd marriage and his mum has never dealt with the money side of things so that's why DP stepped in.
Long story short I think the stress has affected him physically a lot. After his dad died he was mostly just so so tired and he's had some health problems too - repeated UTIs, general aches and pains/ back problems from tension, anxiety, cholesterol and blood pressure both high, weight gain from comfort eating, utter physical exhaustion really.
His GP is very supportive and has prescribed various things to help and he's now been referred to urology to investigate that side of it. The extreme tiredness has started to lift and we're both losing weight for our health. However, our sex life is non-existent. It's nearly a year since we've managed to DTD, and I'm usually someone with a high sex drive
. I think all the lockdowns have been a factor in that too as we've just been cooped up together feeling a bit crap about life. The last couple of times we tried it he had ED, and I haven't wanted to add any pressure which could reinforce that and felt it was wiser to wait for him to be feeling generally better. So mostly I've left it. His GP prescribed viagra and he took one the other day but they gave him awful heart palpitations. I had my copper coil out due to side effects and can't take hormonal contraception so it's condoms only, which also hasn't helped with the ED last times we've tried it.
It's just all getting me down now tbh. I'm only in my mid thirties (he's ten years older) and I feel like we should have had lots of good and healthy years together before dealing with stuff like this, although I realise there are no guarantees in life. It's harder to feel intimate and in synch with each other without a sex life. We both want to get it back but I'm so nervous about trying and failing that I've left the ball in his court until he feels ready. I love him and he's a wonderful partner otherwise but we're meant to be planning our wedding and I'm honestly wondering if we'll be able to consummate it. Please tell me there's a way forward after a whole year of no sex. I dread to think this is it for us, even if we manage it occasionally I'm wondering if we'll never be intimate regularly. When we first met it was several times a day when together, so it's not like this was an issue from the start. But of our relationship a full third has now been sexless.
I'm sorry this is so long but needed to pour it all out somewhere. Please can I have some constructive advice. Thank you!