well, i hope this somewhat serious post doesn't knock things out of whack... my wife and i both worked in nyc (we met before that). she decided she hated the p.r. / advertising world, and wanted to become a teacher - giving up (little) money for (littler) money and stuff. we weren't married, were living together at the time...knew marriage would come at some point, and i supported her in her dreams. i knew i had to give trading for myself a shot at some point, and though i didn't have quite enough money aside yet, left my job (2 people in my group were directly responsible; if it was only on end users, i'd have stayed). had some struggles. she supported me in my dreams. we now have a daughter...she's still teaching (afternoons, as i trade aggressively in am). and we're both loving what we do.
The trading lifestyle is conducive to all people compared to the typical corporate job. Who wouldn't take a trader's work schedule and freedom over the alternatives? The trader's learning curve though is probably better suited to singles. Long hours of work are one thing, but the uncertainty over whether or not you'll make it and maybe blowing through all your money then trying to scrape up some more is tough when you have a family that depends on you. I started trading full time with a wife (who didn't work) and two pre-school age kids. I was probably within two weeks of my pre-determined cut off point before I turned things around and became profitable. I was standing on the edge of the abyss and I'm glad I pulled it out. Many don't and it would be a lot easier to bounce back if you were on your own. A very supportive partner with an income though would be a big plus.
The fact that you were right on the very edge is a good reason why you made it in my opinion! The human mind is best when pushed right to the very limit. Some of the biggest accomplishments in the world have come from people that were at the very edge, with no options other than victory. I think your situation is another living example for the brilliance of the human mind.