In Sickness And In Health

liz treatment

 

Skip and I received some AMAZING news recently. I’ve been debating on whether to blog about it, and decided that it truly is at the heart of our business venture together and I’m hoping there’s a nugget or two in here for a few folks who happen to read this.

In 2012, I was diagnosed with Lyme Disease. I underwent treatment pretty quickly and seemed to improve, and so I discontinued treatment. A lifelong over-achiever, I pushed myself hard in all areas of my life. I worked long hours at my job, pushed my limits physically with strenuous daily workouts, and gave my all to my personal training clients after leaving my day job, often staying up late to research the best methods to get them results. My health lasted for a while, until everything came crashing down again in 2015.

I was two years into a new and stressful job that often required loooooong hours, and I no longer had the time or energy to exercise and de-stress like I knew I should. Even with Skip’s constant reminders to work less and slow down, I stubbornly barrelled ahead thinking I could handle it.

In April of 2015, my Lyme symptoms returned along with a large bullseye rash and I became sicker than I could have ever thought possible. I was forced to take six months off from work in order to complete treatment that consisted of daily IV’s, lots of rest, dozens of pills multiple times per day and more self-compassion and care than I had ever allowed. Our lives were put on hold. No marriage planning, no dates, no normalcy. Our lives now revolved around getting me better.

I changed. I morphed into a totally different being; unable to walk, talk coherently, think properly, or care for myself. I spent days at a time in bed, sleeping more than I was awake, experienced excruciating pain throughout my body, and an overwhelming sense of guilt that I was dragging Skip through this hell with me. I was changed, you see. I was no longer the active, happy, peppy chick he fell in love with and I doubted whether that girl would ever re-surface.

It was a strange feeling, knowing that I was depending on him to care for me and yet feeling that what was best for him was to break up. Through tears one night, I shared with him what I thought was best. I shared with him how I didn’t want him to spend the rest of his life as my caretaker; chained to a zombie. His response was classic Skip and one I’ll never forget. “Well, it’s a really good thing, that’s not your choice to make about what’s best for me. I get to make that choice and I’m not going anywhere.”

He never faltered. He never wavered in his constant care of me. Through some of the worst days, he was there caring for me and comforting me. THIS ladies and gentlemen, is the epitome of what “In sickness and in health” is all about, and someday, when we finally can take those vows, we will do so with complete and full understanding of what that means. 

Two weeks ago, we received the news we had been waiting so long to hear. I’m now in complete remission and we are both overjoyed! We are now ready to open our arms and hearts to all the future has for us…together.

We know that so many couples have faced struggles such as ours and we are honored that they would choose our venue as the place where they solidify their union, their bond, and commitment to the words they recite to one another. There is a deep comfort that comes from knowing your partner in life is ready to meet challenges and joys head-on, by your side and we look forward to bearing witness to many ceremonies of amazing couples in the years to come.

Welcome to Hemlock Springs. We choose love.

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EAST COAST WEDDING &
ANNIVERSARY PHOTOGRAPHER

It’s about more than hiring someone to hold a camera and snap a few pics. Wedding photography is about carefully crafting and capturing the moments of your big day in a way that beautifully tells the story of your love.

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