Background: The majority of the management and coordination of my health journey is on me, but my husband is very supportive and involved. He attends 99.9% of my medical appointments with me for a few important reasons. First, he wants me to fully know that we are in this together, and that I am not alone. It is important to him for his actions to match his words. Second, the amount of information coming at us is massive, and we need both of us to take notes and remember what is being said. Third, the cost of my health care is quite high, and we believe in making big financial decisions together as a team. And, finally, it has always been a priority of mine for us to stay connected through this experience versus growing apart through this experience, and attending appointments together is a key part of the process. Sharing the burden of not having a road map to follow and having to figure it out on our own has been helpful in keeping us united as a team.
Despite attending a majority of my medical appointments together, I am able to remember things more easily than my husband due to the unique way my brain works. This weekend, we were discussing a health topic to make sure we were on the same page. Here is how the conversation went:
Husband: Remind me. How do we know ________?
Me: Well, we technically don’t. But, we can infer that information from the test results.
Husband: But, how do you know that ________ and ________ are related?
Me [confused]: You told me.
Husband: Wait . . . what??? When did I tell you that? I don’t remember that.
Me [still confused]: When Dr. ________ went over the previous results with us in March 2023, I missed that explanation. Immediately following that appointment, I asked you about it, and you told me what he said.
[My husband looks at me and his eyes get real big.]
Husband: Hold on. Are you telling me that you remember this tiny detail from a conversation we had in March 2023? Did you go back and look at the notes I took from that appointment?
Me: No, I remember what you said to me after the appointment. I listened to what you told me in that moment and filed that information in the appropriate place in my brain.
[My husband stares at me for a few seconds and processes what I said. He then covers his face with his hands and starts laughing.]
Me [laughing]: What?!?
Husband [laughing, face in hands]: I don’t have a chance of keeping up. I can’t believe that you remember what I told you in March 2023 without even looking at the notes I took during the appointment.
Me: Do you want me to check reputable online resources to make sure we are correct?
Husband: Yes, since I have no idea what you are talking about even though I apparently told you this information.
[I check reputable online resources.]
Me: Yes, we are correct in our understanding of the topic.
Husband [laughing, shaking his head]: Your brain. 🤣 Of course you remember this very minute detail. WTF. I don’t even know what to say about this entire conversation. 🤦🏻♂️
[We both burst into laughter. 🤣🤣🤣]
I am so grateful for these moments that provide some humor. ❤️
Brutal. So much information to remember.
Beautiful. Laughter. Moments that provide some humor. The unique and healthy way my brain works.
Just another day of . . . This Brutiful Life: The Brutal & Beautiful Moments of My Life.
This Brutiful Life 