Wellness is the opposite of . . .

BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT: This is the back story telling why we decided to become brand partner with Lifewave - wellness phototherapy patch company.

Story about Tim and the hellacious winter of 2025

NOW IT CAN BE TOLD: $5,000.00. That was the out-of-pocket max for 2025 on our great Federal retiree medical coverage. That didn’t matter to me. Neither did the 10’s of thousands we had spent a couple of years ago for PRP (stem cell not covered by the same insurance) injections for his back because I love him and seeing him in pain is the worst thing ever. Late last year Tim became increasingly unable to sleep. Then, it became apparent that he was having trouble breathing. 2 trips to different ER’s in the valley “ruled out” his heart, but they were WRONG. His sharp, young, primary doc decided to try a little Lasix and bingo. Tim was in congestive heart failure.

The angiogram showed a particular kind of narrowing of vessels (bifurcation) in his heart that the doctors at the world-renowned Heart Institute in Missoula concurred would be best treated with quadruple bypass which was scheduled earliest available: January 21, 2025. He had a complicated recovery in those first days in the hospital and we had expressed repeatedly our concern about infection over his history of sepsis.

Here's where I’ll shorten the story and just be assured in the weeks after he was discharged, infection became a major issue involving wound vacs, more surgery, IV antibiotics and home health care. It was so, so hard seeing him in pain, defeated and discouraged.

Tim is doing better with medications and continuing to run our business - Blue Moose Ponds in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana although he’s had to cut back quite a bit. The rest of us are keeping things rolling along.

For me, I had to make a decision whether to subject myself to invasive gut tests and possible colon resection after 3 rounds of antibiotics from the fall of 2025 through early 2026. I decided to go with a local health coach instead and I feel great. Well. I feel well. We all make choices.