Online-only relationship stalls

Dear Abby: I met a really great guy online eight months ago. He lives in another country and we have been in a long-distance relationship for the last six months.

We are having a significant disagreement about meeting in person. I’m willing to travel to his country. The expense, while not negligible, is within my means. However, he says he has some serious ongoing health issues and he wants to wait until they are resolved to meet. He has had them for much of his life, although they have gotten worse during the time I have known him. So far, there has been no diagnosis or treatment plan.

When I have asked, he says I should be patient and he doesn’t want our relationship to be about waiting to do things because of his condition.

I don’t want to add to his stress by insisting we meet, but I also don’t want to spend months or years with my life on hold, waiting for a perfect time to meet. What should I do?

Dear Gamer Girl: When someone you meet online is reluctant to meet in person and interact with you fully, there is usually a reason. Having had these “health problems” all his life, one would think there would be a NAME for the illness and a treatment plan. Because he has neither, I question whether his health is the reason he doesn’t want you to visit him. He may be in a relationship or not as he has represented himself in some other way. What you need to do is move on.