Amy & Aron's

I just want to put it out there that I have tried writing this post several times over the past week. I wanted to write a post that would be relatable to most of my audience. After writing, deleting, writing, deleting, and giving it a few more tries, I am going to write the post so that it's relatable to all of you in one way or another. I just want to say, I am here if any of you ever want to communicate with an unbiased ear. 

Life is hard you guys. Everything is changing. Nothing is like it was a few years, months, weeks, or even days ago for that matter. Good or hard, it's changing at a pace that is almost impossible to keep up with. Finding a way to help yourself through the storm and inspire yourself to live a more meaningful existence is a beautiful accomplishment that not everyone gets to experience. Even when it's hard, don't count yourself out, the moments pass one second at a time no matter what the situation is. 

I had the opportunity to work with a company on a review of their (what I thought at the time) personal journal. Since I love the idea of keeping a journal, making lists, keeping track of important milestones, and all of that, I really wanted to do the review. Once the package arrived (2 playbooks, one for me and one for Aron), I realized it was so much more than just a pretty journal, it is the foundation of a masterpiece. 

I was so excited because when the conversation started we were about 2 weeks into Aron's sobriety. It was a very hard stretch in time for both of us. While we were each struggling with our own personal issues in our relationship and with each other, we were coasting through trying to be supportive and survive. Addiction doesn't only challenge the addict, the whole family has experienced the turmoil that came from this, and being able to recover together is a godsend, to say the least. 

To further explain the sobriety, Aron has a degenerative bone disease that is constantly attacking his feet and more recently his hands. He's had 18 procedures in the past 8 years, on his feet alone. At this point, the surgeon is trying to do everything he can to save what he has left of his feet and potentially his legs. During all of this time, he was on pain management. When dealing with chronic pain management the dosing increases as time continues. In his case, the damage in his feet was so bad that the medication was rarely enough to ease the pain level. Even on his highest dose, he was so uncomfortable that walking wasn't much of an option. He spent the majority of the past few years sitting down and grimacing in pain. Being on that type of medication put him in a position where was abusing it to try to help himself to get through.

That lead to a lot of problems between us. He denied having a problem but I knew there was something wrong. My suspicions were shut down with denial and personal attacks, anything that may hurt my feelings to reverse the feelings of suspicion. It was a painful process for both of us. By the time he decided to get the help he needed, I wasn't sure our marriage could handle much more. I hated the idea of losing my best friend of over a decade and a half to something like this. We were definitely in a place that we needed help beyond our expertise.

Over 15 years of being in pain management he said enough is enough, I can't keep living like this. He decided that being on pain management wasn't a plan for him. He spent so much time living his life dose by dose that he missed out on the rest of everything else. It was absolutely beautiful when he decided that there had to be something better out there. He said that the medication wasn't helping like it should and he could do better if he just quit using them. For him and for us, it was a great choice.

I am so happy to say that his last surgery was close to the most complicated and he did it without the use of pain medication. His hard work and determination he is putting into this are showing. He was able to get through it with the help of the treatment plan he's on and over-the-counter medication. 

A big part of this recovery is healing emotionally. The emotional part has been very hard, 15 years (or longer) living the same way is a huge adjustment. He is in counseling and one of the recommendations is to write. Don't hold in anything. Let it all out no matter how bad it feels, it's ok, let's work through it. He struggles with depression and anxiety on a daily basis. He is also learning how to live without the groggy fog. It's been a true transformation. 

Why I am bringing this personal story up is because of the healing he is finding within himself and his surroundings with the help of the Time To Breathe Playbook. This is something that should be shared. I hope his struggle and success and be a light in the darkness for anyone else struggling with invisible traumas. 

The Time To Breathe Playbook is a daily journal that guides you through inspiration. Write every day or once in a while. Write down the stuff that needs out and find inspiration in everything. The introduction to the playbook is so inviting and makes getting started writing so easy. There are 4 pages of positive words. Sometimes the words don't come easy and there they are!

The Time to Breathe playbook comes in a beautiful box with a print that matches the journal. Its light purple that fades down into blue. The white writing and white feather make the perfect logo. It's so simple to be so profound. The feather often represents strength and growth, as well as hope and freedom. Feathers can symbolize ascension, spirit, flight and even heaven. That is the perfect symbol to have on this box and playbook. 

This is the perfect gift for yourself or a loved one, friend, coworker, or secret Santa gift. Everyone, in every walk of life, could benefit from it. I got this list directly from the company and wanted to share it since it is so specific and covers more than I usually do. I LOVE good quality paper, which this journal has, and I don't think I've ever remembered to write that down.  

This playbook has so many unique qualities that I find so perfect. 

I am so thankful that we got to work with Time to Breathe o a review of this playbook. If you have any questions please feel free to email me directly. 

I received this product for free as a gift (and Aron's copy) to facilitate this review. 

Just to put it out there, this is not a post about medication. This is just my husband's experience. The medications he was on worked great for other people, they just didn't work great for him, in the long term. Medication is something that should be discussed with your personal doctor.