The Power of Love

I am endlessly thankful for Keith, whom I met thirty-nine years ago on a blind date. At the time, I was a very depressed, very broke, and very ill single mom. Somehow, he fell in love not only with me, but with my daughter Heather as well. And Heather and I fell just as deeply in love with him. I believed I would be happy with him, and I was right.

Keith has been a loving, devoted husband and an extraordinary father. His support has been constant and unwavering. Every single day, he lives our wedding vows—for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish until death do us part. 

He proves those vows daily, and every day I am profoundly grateful.

He showed how deeply he cared right from the beginning. When I met him, he wore cologne and used Irish Spring soap, both of which triggered my asthma. Without hesitation, he changed to the products I used. The asthma stopped.

Long ago, he gave me flowers with a lemon and a note that read: “Together, we turn lemons into lemonade.” 

With Keith, that has always been true.

Our motto is "Never give in, never give up." It has served us well.

A Love Story Update

As I’ve continued healing, I’ve learned more and more about what has affected my health all these years. Because of love, pure, selfless love, Keith has changed his razor, shaving soap, clothing, bedding, and so much more. He has willingly given away thousands of dollars’ worth of clothes, bedding, and possessions because they caused me asthma, pain, or other serious symptoms.

I am endlessly thankful that I met him on that blind date in 1986. Without his companionship, understanding, and support, I would not have survived.

In fact, he quite literally saved my life when I absentmindedly stepped through the supports of our neighbor’s attic. I would have fallen to the floor below and then down the stairs. Keith somehow was fast enough to catch me and prevent that fall. To me, it was truly miraculous.

And then there was one night at 2:40 a.m.

I woke up feeling so sick and began coughing. I used my Albuterol. Then my nose began pouring mucus so severely that I had to put toilet paper in both nostrils just to stop it. I realized Keith’s new pants were on the floor, so I sealed them in a plastic bag and moved them to the front door, washed my hands, and took more Albuterol. I felt awful.

The coughing intensified. Keith woke up. I took Albuterol again, but it didn’t help. I began coughing so violently that my body struggled desperately for air. This was the most severe asthma attack I have ever experienced. I felt myself close to vomiting from the effort to breath so I moved to the bathroom, still coughing uncontrollably.

I remember thinking: I have nowhere to go. I can’t call for help. I can’t go in an ambulance or to a hospital because everyone uses fragrances.

Then I saw Keith moving our air purifier next to me.

Almost immediately, I began to feel better. The coughing eased. The pants had contaminated our bedroom and, in fact, our entire RV. We turned the air purifier on high. I had to lie facing it - if I turned away or went into the bathroom, the coughing would start again.

The next morning, Keith and I talked about what had happened, and we both agreed: I had almost died. I had been too ill to think clearly or solve the problem. Keith had taken over and saved my life.

Later, after many, many phone calls I learned from Kühl Clothing, the maker of the pants, that they were treated with C6 DWR, which is a PFAS, a “forever chemical.” Many groups are now fighting to stop the use of PFAS because of their severe health risks and harm to our environment. I had almost died from a pair of pants.

Only Keith’s quick action and our air purifier had saved my life.

I consider Keith and me extraordinary. We are married, we work together, we travel together, and we face my health challenges side by side. Many couples struggle to survive even one of these, sometimes just being married is enough to test a relationship. Love, however, has carried us through every challenge.

Keith is my hero. My love. My best friend. My everything.

The power of love to heal and sustain us is truly amazing and miraculous.

_________________

Stay Connected

If my story resonated with you, I'd be grateful if you could give it a heart at the end of my blog. Your support means the world to me. I also always love to hear from you; please leave me a comment below.

I have had miracles happen, so many miracles and I am so thankful. I am working to share with you what I have learned with my blogs, social media posts and Youtube so that you can also heal.

Yet now, I find myself faced with increasing toxins in America that is making it so difficult for me to stay healthy and this is true for each of us and our Earth. 

We need to work together to solve this issue. Our lives and our planet depend on this.

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