This Brutiful Life

The 2 mold inspection professionals were in our house all day yesterday. They were really kind and seemed very knowledgeable.

As we were discussing a variety of topics with them, my husband and I had to make a bunch of quick decisions. There was a lot of information coming at us at one time, and we had to rely on each other every step of the way. One of the major decisions was how much money we were going to spend. My husband and I quickly agreed that we needed to spend however much it would take to get answers.

At one point, one of the professionals said, “We usually witness couples getting into heated arguments throughout a day like today, but you two seem to be a good team, and you seem to get along.”

I responded by saying, “Yes, I can imagine you see a lot in your job. My husband just wants me to be alive. I almost died last year. I am so grateful that I have a husband who loves me like he does.”

I often think about how much worse this situation would be if I didn’t have the unwavering support of my husband. There isn’t a day that goes by that I am not grateful for what I have.

There was a critical decision I once made that is closely related to this topic, and I am really proud of that decision I made at such a young age. When I started seeing my Naturopathic Doctor in my mid-twenties, I told my husband that I thought our lives were about to drastically change. I told him that this seemed like a pivotal time. Somehow, I had the wisdom to know that couples either grow together or grow apart, and I knew that we needed to both go to my appointments moving forward so that we were growing in our knowledge together instead of separately. If my doctor was spending time educating me on all of these “new” topics, then I knew that my husband needed to hear the same information. If we were going to be asked to drastically change our lives, food, environment, etc., then we both needed the information in order to be as united as possible. If we were going to make financial decisions about paying for practitioners who were not covered by insurance, then we both needed the information in order to be as united in our decisions as possible. I knew the importance of this time in our lives, and when I explained it to my husband, he was completely on board. He had always been supportive and had attended specific appointments with me, but I knew that we needed to make it a priority for him to join me at almost every future appointment. (I also know that making this a priority is a privilege that not everyone has.)

This single decision of asking my husband to join me at almost every future appointment has turned out to be a very important decision in our lives. As we have both explained, this health journey has not been an easy road to travel. Chronic illness can take a huge toll on relationships. I credit this single decision for helping us continue to operate as a team and for keeping us as connected as possible. We are far from perfect, but we have made a concerted effort to grow together on this journey, and it has made all the difference.

It takes two to make a relationship work. I am so glad that I chose him and he chose me, and that we continue to choose each other.


Brutal. Being overwhelmed with information. Needing to make quick and confident decisions.

Beautiful. Love. Wisdom at a young age. My husband and I operating as a team. Gratitude in the midst of tremendous uncertainty.


Just another day of . . . This Brutiful Life: The Brutal & Beautiful Moments of My Life.