Beth's Story: Stronger Than Ever
I would like to tell my story. It begins growing up in an alcoholic household. My Dad was the alcoholic. He was always very verbally abusive. Always putting us down, especially my Mom. I ran away at the age of 15. I went back to another state we had been living in. I was there for about a year and a half with an alcoholic boyfriend. He physically abused me. When I heard my parents were divorcing, I left Phoenix and moved back home. It was a tough time but, I stood up to my Dad for being so mean to my Mother. I decided to live with my Dad so he wouldn’t be alone. Everything was the same except he drank more. I would have to listen to him cry every night about how much he loved us and my Mom.
I was sixteen when I met the love of my life. He was mysterious to me and I knew I wanted to know him. Our relationship began with alcohol and drugs. I was afraid of drinking because of my past and I had never tried drugs. The night I met my husband he was doing both. To make this long story short, we married two years later, even though he hadn’t been working and he loved to stay gone with his friends for days at a time drinking. The marriage lasted 23 years. 23 years of misery! He was never present at kids birthday parties, school events, even some holidays were spent in the bar. It was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. He wouldn’t leave so I walked out and left him with the house and teenagers. If I had a chance to do it again, I would have made arrangements to take the kids with me. I have made amends with my kids for putting them through that but, I regret ever putting them in that situation.
This is only one part of my life that I identify with as a beautiful disaster. I will take the time to write again regarding how I should have died twice at the hands of a doctor who did surgery on me. When I went to sue him I found out he had no medical malpractice insurance! This man has done surgery on 3 of my friends prior to me and they each ended up like me, disabled, no longer able to live a normal life. This doctor continues to do surgery every day! I was unable to eat food for 3 years. I lived on Ensure drinks and a feeding tube. After lots of therapy and losing 30 lbs I was determined to start eating something. Speech therapy taught me how to swallow again, the doctor had messed up during my surgery for a spinal fusion and cut my esophagus and pharyngeal system. The nerve damage and pain have been crippling. This all occurred in 2015. In 2020, the plate and screws he had put in my spine came out and I coughed it out through my mouth! Only 3 others have ever been recorded of having a similar situation. The professor at UCI was shocked that I hadn’t died or become paralyzed. I found out the following month that I had breast cancer. I weighed 103 lbs but, I fought hard through months of chemo and radiation. I’m now in remission and I feel stronger than I ever have! God has been my savior! Without him and my family I never would have survived! I’m able to eat food again but, I have to be careful because I still choke.
Thanks for listening. I wear your brand proudly!