Straight from the hip giving guidance for creating an intimate bond with your partner in pain This book came about because Barby and Ken were asked to do a small Valentine's Day segment on CBS for The Doctors TV show in 2013. They realized that they had some valuable insight to making a relationship work even when one of the partners is disabled. What came from this interview, and talking to couples after it aired who are also going through similar situations was unexpected. Ken and Barby decided to put their learned wisdom on the subject into a book to help other couples in similar situations who needed suggestions. For the past year Barby and Ken have been writing this book together. Their hope is that you will find some useful information in this book that can be applied to your own relationships and that you create a real love that is lasting through the challenges of living with a chronic illness. To help the reader of this book we alternated each chapter from our own perspective as a caregiver, patient, lovers, and best friends, except for the last chapter which we decided on together.