I can only think of twice that I’ve seen my husband cry. I am going to attempt to share this with you without sobbing while writing, we shall see how it goes down.
There was nothing particular about this given day. It was later in the evening because I remember it was dark outside. I’m not even sure where we were going. We were driving down HWY 280, a busy road in our hometown. It was just me and Jer in the car. I look over and Jer just busts out crying. I had no warning. I was confused. We weren’t in the middle of a discussion. I couldn’t think of anything he would be crying or upset about. Nothing.
I sit and look at him and ask, “babe, what’s the matter”?
I wasn’t prepared for what he was about to say.
“I’m afraid I’m going to forget you and the girls.”
Over the past couple of years, Jer began having a difficult time getting words out. He would forget a name or where he put something. I kept reassuring him this was just part of getting older, but he didn’t like this answer. He would always say, “Monique, my memory is my superpower”. It’s true. Alyssa is so much like her dad. They have a photographic memory. It’s wild.
I had no clue how much this was bothering him until this night. I mean I’m literally sitting here with tears streaming down my face as I type.
You see, Jeremiah watched his grandmother “forget”. I’ve never experienced this, but Jer watched it all unfold. She had Alzheimer’s, which I’m sure you know is a neurodegenerative disease that steals your memory over time. With his recent issues related to memory, well, it began to weigh on him.
At first, I wanted to brush it off and pretend there was no issue, but when I would see him struggle to come up with a word, I would watch him get frustrated and then it would just spiral from there.
The past two years we have been majorly focusing in on our health and wellness. This is one issue we wanted to tackle with Jeremiah. We were introduced to Dr. Amen, who is an amazing doctor that studies brains through scans he offers in his clinics. We decided this was something we wanted to invest in. Jer booked an appointment to get his brain scanned. We were about to figure out what was going on.
I would be lying if I told you I wasn’t a bit on edge when we met with the doctor to get the results. I believe that’s the third time I saw Jeremiah cry. We were discussing the breakdown he had in the car and how he didn’t want to forget us. There were a lot of tears.
After reviewing the scan, the doctor explained that his brain looked perfect and there were no signs of degenerative issues. Thank you Jesus! He went on to tell us where the problem was with Jeremiah. We were actually shocked at the results.
When Jeremiah is at rest, his brain isn’t. His brain is in a constant active state. At one point, I was going to get scanned with him, and if I had, I would have told you they switched our brain results. Had we not seen the results ourselves, we wouldn’t have believed it. Jer is the chill one of the two of us. You mean to tell me his brain is on overdrive and can’t shut down? No way.
We were so thankful for these results, but Jer was still frustrated with his memory issues. He was given a set of supplements to take, and we were sent on our way. Jer still has issues from time to time, but we do believe he’s getting better. When he’s tired or worn down is when we see it flair up the most. There is so much we have been intentional with, like sleep, daily sessions in the sauna, and lowering stressors in his life.
I tell you all this to say, this was one major reason we chose to partner with Amare at the end of 2023. When we began using the Amare products, we recognized ingredients that were key components in what was given to Jer for his memory. WOW. This was something I could get behind. This pivot to a new company is about so much more for us. The last two years have given us such a deeper empathy for those who deal with issues of the mind. Whether it’s memory, anxiety, and stress like Jer was dealing with, or more of a depressive state that I was dealing with, we have a deeper understanding of how these products impact your life.
We are very excited about the new Mango Happy Juice that was just released. One of the main ingredients is Lion’s Mane, which helps with memory and recall. I would like to stay compliant in my sharing, so do a quick search for the benefits of lion’s mane. It will blow your mind.
This post may have been a bit on the heavy side, so I wrote another blog post introducing you to Mr. Mango and why I built up a wall and didn’t want to let him in my life. A bit more light-hearted than this post. Ohhhh, you need to go check it out. It’s mine and Jer’s way we start our morning every day now.
If you can only start with ONE thing for a foundation for your mental wellness and gut health, I would recommend the mango happy juice. It’s at a limited edition price of $129 while supplies last and that price does stack with my $10 off affiliate link.
I am all about being proactive with our wellness. I pray this blesses you as much as it has our family.
As always, if you have questions, please always feel free to message me or leave a comment. When we were praying about this job change, I just kept feeling deep inside that it was about so much more than “a company” we were pursuing. We were pursuing a MISSION. I want to see people thriving in their body, soul, and spirit. In their physical wellness and mental wellness. I want to see YOU thrive. This is your year!
