Three Years Ago today....

Chad's life, my life - changed forever.

When people ask me how Chad is doing, it is difficult to answer. All things considered, he's doing well but his 'new normal' is less than awesome but considering the alternative...

I've been doing a lot of reflecting lately. It seems everywhere I turn someone is fighting cancer or dealing with sever health issues or even dying. It's heart breaking.

With this day approaching and Chad's everyday chronic pain, I think about what my life would have been like if he didn't get cancer, or worse ... didn't catch it when we did. So many things happened the way they did for a reason but there was really one point in this whole story that changed everything.

That fateful day in the ER? When we originally went to the hospital in January of 2015. They sent us home.

They. Sent. Us. Home.

I was in Wal-Mart trying to fill the subscription when Chad called or wrote me to tell me to come home. His pain was back and worse than ever. I called the ER to let them know we were coming back and it did nothing. We sat there for hours and hours. After I raised all hell, we finally got someone in there but it was a long grueling process. Then? They wanted to send us home. Again.

I refused. Chad refused. If it meant driving to the VA Hospital in Marion, IL - We were not going home without answers. That pivotal moment saved his life.

Fast forward to the original consult with Dr. Sardi, who straight up said had even a few more months passed, we would've been looking at a very different scenario.

The point in this blog post is two-fold.

1. I want to thank God for guiding us and bringing the right people into our lives. I want to thank Chad for being such a fighter for his family and never giving up, even when he really wants to. I want to thank our friends and family for still checking in us, for giving compassion and understanding how difficult it is to live with this fear every single day. I want to be thankful and express that gratitude. I hope you all know the impact you've had and mostly - to Chad, how proud your family is that you're not just with us but that you push through every day...

and

2. I want to stress the importance to everyone out there, to have a voice. To stand up for yourself. To do the research and arm yourself with knowledge. To not just 'accept' what people tell you because you think they know better. Trust your gut. Fight for what you need - whether it be at the Emergency Room, or somewhere else - you be the commander of your ship. You're only given one life, don't be a passenger.

Happy OFFICIAL 3 Years Chad. I love you. <3