Annelise: [00:00:01] And I mean, my doctor, like, you could tell that he was just completely in [00:00:06] shock and couldn't believe that we were already here again.Annelise: so he tells me that it's [00:00:11] here, and then he tells me that he suspects that it's in my spine as well. And then a week [00:00:16] later, I break my back picking up my dog.Curtis: Picking up your dog.Annelise: Mm-hmm. [00:00:21] Yeah. And so then we find that it's there, and then from that point forward, we [00:00:26] find that it's all over the place, in my bones. Um, [00:00:31] and that starts the, the fight ahead.[00:00:36] Curtis: Hi, everybody. Welcome to the Run to the Hard Podcast. Um, today's guest is [00:00:41] my friend Annalise Hinds, and, um, I asked her, oh, a couple months [00:00:46] ago if she would be willing to tell her story on the podcast. And, um, [00:00:51] first of all, Annalise is a... Let's see. How can I describe [00:00:56] you? You're independent, super optimistic, [00:01:01] hardworking, and just have a personality that draws [00:01:06] people in, and I love that about you.Curtis: Um, but Annaliese has a story, and, um, I've known [00:01:11] her for, I don't know, six years. I was gonna say six, seven, but that's just a terrible joke. [00:01:16] Um, but I've known her for, for a little bit. I've known her family. And, um, [00:01:21] back when my wife Michal got sick and was in the hospital, um, Annaliese [00:01:26] was, uh, following our story, and she would message me.Curtis: She would message and let us know she was praying [00:01:31] for us and encouraging me along the way. And crazy enough, two weeks [00:01:36] after my wife passed away, Annaliese, at 25 years of age, I'll never forget [00:01:41] when I saw the Facebook post, is diagnosed with breast cancer. And I was like, "You gotta be [00:01:46] kidding me." And so all the sudden the script gets turned and now I'm [00:01:51] praying for this young lady that I know who has breast cancer and, and goes through...Curtis: I [00:01:56] mean, it was a period of life. It was a struggle, all the surgeries, the chemo, the [00:02:01] radiation and everything. And so, um, she did survive breast cancer. [00:02:06] Um, uh, Annaliese is married to her husband Connor, and she [00:02:11] has a son named Dawson, and so she's a mama. Um, but her [00:02:16] story takes another drastic turn. About eight months ago at the beginning of the year, [00:02:21] um, Annaliese starts getting headaches.Curtis: And, um, again, we've kind of [00:02:26] followed each other's story on Facebook, and again, I'm just shocked when the announcement comes out. [00:02:31] But Annaliese has an MRI and come to find out that [00:02:36] the breast cancer that was at bay because of the drugs and things that she was taking had [00:02:41] metastasized into her bones.Curtis: And when they went in and, uh, finally scanned her, [00:02:46] she has Stage 4 bone cancer from her head to her toes. [00:02:51] And, um, rough. Rough. And I, I'll be honest with you, [00:02:56] all of us gasped. We could not believe it. And, um, [00:03:01] honestly, she probably would've passed away within weeks if they hadn't got her on a [00:03:06] miracle drug, is what she calls it, quickly.Curtis: And she's on chemo therapy right now [00:03:11] that's keeping her alive. It's not healing her, but it is giving her life [00:03:16] every single day, and for that we're grateful. And so just the fact that you gave me a little bit [00:03:21] of time to do this podcast, I want you to know how grateful I am that you are willing to do this, but I [00:03:26] want you to know that somebody's gonna get helped today.Curtis: Let me tell you just a- [00:03:31] another quick snippet. So, um, in between chemo [00:03:36] Annaliese is sick for a week, she has time with family and friends for a week, and sometimes she gets the [00:03:41] flu, and, and I mean, she's going through all of it, right? And so I keep trying to get her on the [00:03:46] podcast, and one day she doesn't feel good, and so we have to cancel and try another time.Curtis: And [00:03:51] on Friday, I finally got ahold of her. I said, "Hey, can we, can we try this next week?" And she said, "I, I'm [00:03:56] feeling pretty good right now." She said, "In fact, I just left the James. I just gave [00:04:01] 45 care packages to cancer patients." And I was like, "You gotta be kidding [00:04:06] me." And folks, this is what she's choosing to do with her extra time [00:04:11] at this phase of her life.Curtis: And so Annaliese, thank you for doing this. Welcome to the program.[00:04:16] Annelise: Thank you. Thank you so much for having me. It's an honorCurtis: Well, [00:04:21] phew. I, um, I don't get too nervous about doing [00:04:26] these interviews, but for whatever reason, um, this one has had me choked up [00:04:31] for a while. Um, mainly because I just know... [00:04:36] I think that's because I know you, I know your family, and I'm, I'm trying [00:04:41] to understand kind of where you're at in this process. Um, we're gonna [00:04:46] talk about this new ministry, this mission you're on with care packages and stuff down the [00:04:51] road, but I also wanna give people a snippet of your life because, yes, [00:04:56] married a great guy.Curtis: You married into a great family. Life's been pretty good, [00:05:01] um, but that's not exactly how you grew up either, and you have told me your whole [00:05:06] story. And again, shocked. I was like, "You gotta be kidding me. God, what are you doing?" [00:05:11] Right? And so early on, um, tell me a [00:05:16] little bit about your mom and then, then I believe by, by about the age of six, Mom gave you up [00:05:21] to a grandma, and then you were raised by a grandma.Curtis: So tell me a little bit about Mom.Annelise: Yeah. [00:05:26] So, um, I stayed with my mom, lived with my mom until I was, um, about [00:05:31] six years old. And then, um, addiction took over her life [00:05:36] and, um, I was no, no longer able to live with her. She was not able to take care of me anymore. [00:05:41] So, um, her mom, my grandmother, got involved, at this time living in North [00:05:46] Carolina.Annelise: Um, she got involved and took custody of me. Um, [00:05:51] and then I lived with her until I was around 12 years old. [00:05:56] Um, and then, you know, during that time, she was going through a lot of her own [00:06:01] mental struggles and, um, one day she, she came to me on a [00:06:06] Monday around 12 years old and says, um, "I c- I can't take care of you anymore.Annelise: I [00:06:11] don't want this responsibility. Um, I want you to [00:06:16] go live in Kentucky with your, your other grandma, your dad's [00:06:21] mom."Curtis: Okay, we gotta back up a second 'cause there's six years. [00:06:26] So from six to 12, you're in school, you're in elementary school, now you're going into [00:06:31] junior high. What does Annaliese look like as a, as a little kid? What's your [00:06:36] life like?Annelise: I, I don't have a relationship with my mom, [00:06:41] so due to, like, the addiction and everything, you know, we weren't able to [00:06:46] see each other. Um, she was just in that lifestyle. [00:06:51] Um, and so, you know, I'm with my grandma, uh, my Grammy [00:06:56] is what I call her, and she, you know, has her own [00:07:01] struggles in life. You know, she's dealt with mental illness her whole life, so [00:07:06] it's not great there with, with her either.Annelise: You know, there's... It, it's a lot of [00:07:11] ups and downs. You know, I'm, I'm going to school trying to live a normal life, [00:07:16] um, and meanwhile, you know, I don't, I don't have a relationship with my [00:07:21] dad either. You know, he left whenever I was one. Um, and so [00:07:26] no parents, just, you know, [00:07:31] from six to, to 12, I'm just trying to, to get through, you know?[00:07:36] Annelise: And, um, yeah, so that's what, that's what it was like.Curtis: [00:07:41] So you don't have a relationship with your dad during any of this [00:07:46] time.Annelise: No, he, he lived in another state. He lived in Minnesota[00:07:51] Curtis: So Grammy calls his mother and says, "I [00:07:56] can't do this anymore. You gotta take her."Annelise: Yeah, I think that, you know, [00:08:01] that was really her only option at that time. You know, like obviously [00:08:06] she loved me and she cared about me, so foster care wasn't an option in her mind. So that was the, [00:08:11] the best choice for her, um, at that time. And [00:08:16] I don't really think that there was a lot of thought of what's best for [00:08:21] me at that time.Annelise: Um, I think that, you know, she just thought, "I [00:08:26] can't do this anymore and I need to figure out how to get her [00:08:31] somewhere else."Annelise: At this point, my dad's mom, I'd seen her [00:08:36] a few times in my life, and very young when I saw her, so not [00:08:41] really any memories of her. Um, very limited [00:08:46] time with her. So my grammy tells me on a Monday and, and on Friday [00:08:51] I'm on my way to Kentucky in a moving truckCurtis: To [00:08:56] North Carolina now toAnnelise: And from North Carolina to now Ken- yeah, now Kentucky. [00:09:01] YeahCurtis: Now, there's a grandmother and a [00:09:06] grandfather, correct?Annelise: Mm-hmm.Curtis: And so this is the first time you've had a [00:09:11] male and a female in your life raising you?Annelise: actually, so [00:09:16] my Grammy was married to, um, my, my papa. It's-- He's not my blood [00:09:21] grandfather, but, um, he was all that I knew. They were married for my whole [00:09:26] childhood, and he was there, um, and was really a super positive [00:09:31] influence in my life at that time. He was really the only thing that was normal [00:09:36] during that time that I was in North Carolina.Annelise: So, so now, yeah, we're in [00:09:41] Kentucky now. Um, my... They decided at that time, uh, [00:09:46] my grandparents, that he would retire and she would continue to work, so there would [00:09:51] be at least one parent in the home, um, to help take care.Annelise: And then, [00:09:56] um, so yeah, I'm in middle school during that time, [00:10:01] um, and I have a best friend, and her name's Emily.Annelise: [00:10:06] And when I was 15, um, she was like, "Why don't you [00:10:11] just move in with me?" You know? And so I was like, "Okay, this is [00:10:16] great." Like, she has two parents and, you know, [00:10:21] it-- I, I'm gonna have my own room, and it's all, it's just normal. Everything's normal. She has [00:10:26] s-siblings and, y-you know, I'm gonna be living there [00:10:31] with them, and I ended up calling her mom, Mom, you know, 'cause [00:10:36] again, I have no relationship with my mom at this time.Annelise: So she was Mom to [00:10:41] me. Um, so then I stay with her until, [00:10:46] um, from like 15 to 17, so like [00:10:51] senior year-ish. Um, and my grandma [00:10:56] diesCurtis: Which grandma?Annelise: The grandma in KentuckyCurtis: Okay. [00:11:01] So at 15 to 17, I'm gonna get back to [00:11:06] grandma in a second, but from 15 to 17, like who's paying the bills? Like are you [00:11:11] working? Are youAnnelise: I worked, I worked the whole, you know, from the time I was able to [00:11:16] get a job. And when I lived with my friend, [00:11:21] um, I was paying for, like, my own car insurance, gas, [00:11:26] and, uh, I got gifted a car actually by my [00:11:31] Grammy, North Carolina, by her husband. They, they gifted me a car when I [00:11:36] turned 16, which was a huge blessing.Annelise: But aside from that, you know, um, [00:11:41] like I'm really at this point just like an adult. You know, I'm, [00:11:46] you know, my... I'm, I'm living with my friend and, like, living in their house for free. Like, I'm not paying rent or [00:11:51] anything. Um, but everything else, like, I'm paying for. And [00:11:56] so then, yes, my grandma in Kentucky dies, and I have a relationship [00:12:01] with her this whole time that I'm living with my friend.Annelise: So there's not, there's no void [00:12:06] there in a relationship. Um, I just am not living with her. Um, [00:12:11] and we only live like 10 minutes away from each other, so I'm still seeing her. Um, [00:12:16] but she dies suddenly. Um, and at that [00:12:21] point when she dies, um, my grandfather [00:12:26] is now alone there, you know, and he's never lived without her [00:12:31] before. So I'm like, maybe I should move in with [00:12:36] him and just help him until I graduateAnnelise: and I have a long distance relationship [00:12:41] with a boy, um, during this time, and I met him [00:12:46] through the friend that I was living with. Um, so I [00:12:51] already knew in my mind that I'm gonna move to Ohio when I graduate high [00:12:56] school.Annelise: Like, that was the, the plan for me. I really didn't have plans to go to college or [00:13:01] anything like that. Like, I'm just getting by. Like, I'm just trying to get [00:13:06] to the next phase of life at this point. Um, so I move back in with my [00:13:11] grandpa and I, at this point, like I'm just an adult. Like, you [00:13:16] know, I'm, I'm living there with him, but you know, I'm still working, saving up money [00:13:21] to be able to move out of state when I graduate.Annelise: Um, but I'm, you know, [00:13:26] I'm cooking and like for him and cleaning and helping him [00:13:31] just function and, and get through this, this process without my grandma. [00:13:36] Um, so then I graduate [00:13:41] and a week after I graduate high school I move to Ohio. Um, [00:13:46] and I move in with the boyfriend and his family and we live there [00:13:51] for six months and then I'm like, I want my own place.Annelise: Like, [00:13:56] you know, I had saved upAnnelise: enough money, um, and I'm like, I want my own [00:14:01] place. So then, um, a few minutes down the road from his [00:14:06] house is this place called Holiday Haven and, um, [00:14:11] his family knows of someone named John Hines who has rental [00:14:16] properties there in Holiday Haven and he finally gets one [00:14:21] ready, um, and it's what's known as the A-frame in the front there.[00:14:26] Annelise: And um, um, we go look at it and I'm like, "This is [00:14:31] it." Like, this is perfect. That-- This is gonna be my first house and so we move [00:14:36] inCurtis: I got, I gotta say time out for a second here because [00:14:41] people who are listening are like, "Wait a minute." So at 15, you [00:14:46] basically, you move in with a friend, you're working your own job, [00:14:51] you save up enough money when you graduate to move away. [00:14:56] Now you're 18 years of age and you're getting into your first home.Curtis: Like...[00:15:01] Annelise: yeah.Curtis: And so I'm trying to paint a picture like, so when I [00:15:06] started, um, this interview, I was trying to describe you, and I said, "This is the [00:15:11] Annaliese that, that I know, is that she's outgoing, she's hardworking, she's [00:15:16] independent." I mean, this happened years ago. Like, you [00:15:21] have been this person for a while,Annelise: Mm-hmm. YeahCurtis: and you're gonna [00:15:26] figure it out.Annelise: Yeah, there's no choice, you know?[00:15:31] Curtis: I, um, I wanted to share this with you because I found it interesting at, at [00:15:36] 17, 18 years of age, you move back in with your grandpa and you're helping him, [00:15:41] and you're cleaning, and you're cooking and doing these things. And I couldn't help but think, [00:15:46] um, about Ella her senior year. Mom passes away.Curtis: You know, the kids are living with [00:15:51] their dad, but Ella stayed with me and I, I, I wanna give you props [00:15:56] because I don't know what I would've done if I didn't have Ella [00:16:01] at home. I'm dead serious. Like, I was a [00:16:06] wreck. And so we, we confided in each other and we helped each other, but [00:16:11] the fact that she was... The fact that I didn't have to come home to an empty house [00:16:16] was so helpfulAnnelise: and that's, that's a huge [00:16:21] part of itCurtis: Yeah.Curtis: And we, we, we made it through, and the Lord [00:16:26] has helped us. But I was thinking of that moment because I didn't want to just brush over and be [00:16:31] like, "Oh, yeah, I went home and, and helped my grandpa." No, I want people to know [00:16:36] you probably saved your grandpaAnnelise: Yeah. Yeah.Curtis: Because that is a [00:16:41] rough time in life. And so I wanted to acknowledge and let you know that that [00:16:46] is going to be rewarded in eternity someday, that you did that thing.[00:16:51] Curtis: So thank you. All right. So now you're, you're in Ohio of all places. You were [00:16:56] in, you know, warmer states growing up and you moved to Ohio. You've [00:17:01] got this boyfriend, got your first home. Obviously, you know, [00:17:06] there's not been a ton of spiritual influence until a little bit later, and so you're just trying [00:17:11] to hold on and do life.Curtis: I get that. But then things change [00:17:16] again.Annelise: Yeah, so we're living here in the [00:17:21] house, um, together, me and the ex-boyfriend now. Um, [00:17:26] and about a year into living there, [00:17:31] like, I realized, like, this with him is not what I want for my life. [00:17:36] It, and, you know, it... We separated and, and he moved [00:17:41] back in with his parents, and I'm st- still in the house. Um, [00:17:46] and it's warm outside, and I knew that my landlord, John [00:17:51] Heinz, had sons.Annelise: And the, the [00:17:56] one son that later, you know, is now my husband, [00:18:01] comes home from college, and he drives by my house in this [00:18:06] loud, obnoxious blue truck. And I'm like, "Who is this guy?" [00:18:11] Like, what, what, who is this guy? And, um, so I'm [00:18:16] seeing him. He's coming in and out of Holiday Haven.Curtis: Which that's, that's not his normal entrance, by the way[00:18:21] Annelise: Yeah, yeah. And so he... I'm on the mower one day mowing [00:18:26] my lawn, and he drives by in that obnoxious truck, and he [00:18:31] stops and roll d- rolls down his window and he's like, "Uh, can I have your phone [00:18:36] number please?"Annelise: And I'm like, "No. No, you can... I [00:18:41] s- I'll give you my, I'll, you can have m- Snapchat. We can add each other on Snapchat." So [00:18:46] that, that's what we did, and that's how, that's how that, that thing started there. [00:18:51] So, umCurtis: I mean, that was pretty bold just to roll down his window and ask for a number, [00:18:56] but I meanAnnelise: That's Connor Hinds. He'sCurtis: for him Annelise: confident guy. [00:19:01] He's a confident guy. So that's where that story starts. [00:19:06] Um, and so that was in 2017. [00:19:11] So yeah, I'm, I'm at this point like 19. I'm 19 [00:19:16] now.Curtis: And you're on your own, got your own place, you're working. And [00:19:21] just for context here, at this point, you're working for a local bank and doing [00:19:26] well on your own. I just want to make sure people kind of know [00:19:31] how all this is happening.Annelise: So I'm working at a bank in [00:19:36] Lancaster and, um, like it was going great and, and I had decided [00:19:41] like that that's was gonna be my career. Um, and so [00:19:46] then, um, Connor and I, we are not together for [00:19:51] very long and then we're like, "We're, we're gonna get married." So we do that. We get [00:19:56] married in March of 2018, so I'm now 20.Annelise: [00:20:01] And married for a very short time. Um, he's working, [00:20:06] with, PJ, who is a, he's from Holiday Haven as well, um, laying commercial [00:20:11] flooring, and I'm still working at the bank. Um, and then, uh, [00:20:16] in October of 2018, we find out that Dawson's gonna be [00:20:21] joining us. So we find out that I'm pregnant and, [00:20:26] um, Connor decides that [00:20:31] he wants to start his own business.Annelise: Um, [00:20:36] and I'm pregnant. We are young. We have very little money, but he has a [00:20:41] background in construction because [00:20:46] of Holiday Haven. His grandfather started it. You know, [00:20:51] he created it, built all the houses. So he has a background in this and he decides that [00:20:56] he wants to start his own business, Hyde's Contracting.Annelise: [00:21:01] So all I have is a car. Like I just have a car. We, we, and it's ... We, we got a [00:21:06] family vehicle 'cause we know we're gonna have a baby, so I have a car and we're like, "Okay, well, we're gonna sell the car and [00:21:11] you can have this money to start your business." And we're full, full s- [00:21:16] speed ahead with that. Like, he had like two jobs lined up, quit [00:21:21] his job that's bringing in steady income and we're, we're gonna be doing [00:21:26] this.Annelise: He was so confident and, I mean, I [00:21:31] just, why would I not follow with him, you know? I mean, at the, up [00:21:36] to this point, like, he's never s- you know, strayed me away or strayed me [00:21:41] in the wrong direction. So I'm like, "Let's Curtis: you sell your car for?Annelise: [00:21:46] $1,500Curtis: And that was the seed money to start HinesAnnelise: [00:21:51] He had tools, uh, to, enough to get started, but not, like, [00:21:56] anything, like, to back him. Like, w- we didn't wanna go to these people and be like, "Yeah, we're, we're starting [00:22:01] out," like, but, but you've gotta p- pay for all the material up front. Like, we didn't want it to be like [00:22:06] that, so we needed to have s- something.Annelise: And so [00:22:11] here we are. It's 2026 and he is... You know, I mean, that was [00:22:16] 2019,Annelise: so, and he's successful and [00:22:21] beenCurtis: I've, and I've had Connor, you know, bid me jobs and stuff, and he's busy. Like, I, [00:22:26] I want him to do some work for me, but he's like, "Well, maybe I can get to it this year. It might be next year." I'm like, [00:22:31] "Really?" He's like, "No, I'm slammed. Like, we're, we got stuff to do." And so what a blessing. [00:22:36] So let me just, let me just say as a, a, a [00:22:41] man looking in on the situation, thank you for encouraging your [00:22:46] husband to go for it.Curtis: I can't tell you how many friends and people that I've known in my [00:22:51] lifetime who got to that point where they're like, "I wanna do something different. I wanna [00:22:56] take this huge risk and do it," and somebody freezes up, the mom or the dad or [00:23:01] somebody's like, "Ah, we just can't do it because we're comfortable in our current situation."Curtis: Because you [00:23:06] both had jobs. You were comfortable. You had a place, but itAnnelise: We wanted [00:23:11] more.Curtis: Yeah. And, and for you to say... And you're pregnant.Annelise: And I'm [00:23:16] pregnant. YeahCurtis: And, and, and you're like, "Nope, we're gonna go for it." So thank you [00:23:21] for doing that. That's huge, and I wanna acknowledge it, and I know Connor knows [00:23:26] that. He's a good man, and he knows that about you, but I want the world to recognize what a [00:23:31] blessing that, that is and was, so good stuff.Annelise: Yeah, and I mean, [00:23:36] you know, his family had this wonderfully successful business, and I knew he [00:23:41] had that ex- example, you know. And Grandpa Larry had [00:23:46] dedicated his entire life to being a Christian, living [00:23:51] i- in a godly way. So I was like, "Why not? [00:23:56] Let's just do it."Curtis: Sure.Annelise: YeahCurtis: Tell me about your, um, faith [00:24:01] journey, 'cause, you know, this is all new to you at this point,Curtis: and [00:24:06] you're marrying into this family and things are good. I mean, there's a [00:24:11] business starting, and t- tell us a little bit about kind of where you were in your faith journey at that point.[00:24:16] Annelise: Yeah, so prior to being [00:24:21] a part of the Heinz family, very little [00:24:26] influence, um, with, with, with God. Like, you know, I [00:24:31] had attended, um, in high school some youth groups, like, [00:24:36] um, with the friend that I lived with. Like, we, we did that every so often. And so that was, [00:24:41] that was really it. That was all that I had. But it wasn't, like, in the home or, [00:24:46] you know, we're not going every Sunday.Annelise: So, um, [00:24:51] until I met the Heinz, I had never [00:24:56] experienced W- when you make a decision in your [00:25:01] life, not just doing it because that's what you need to do at that time, but, [00:25:06] you know, the Heinz, every decision that they make, they pray [00:25:11] first before they make that decision. Or Annelise: i- i-- they're dr- they're [00:25:16] guided in that way because of how strong their faith is. Um, and so that, [00:25:21] that was where it began for me, um, was, was when I [00:25:26] became a part of the family and saw it all throughout, you know, with Grandpa Larry, [00:25:31] Grandma Alice, and then John, their son, and then [00:25:36] they spread that to all of their children, my husband, and, [00:25:41] and so on.Annelise: So that's where it started for meCurtis: [00:25:46] Then 2022 happens.Annelise: Mm-hmm.Curtis: And we, we know [00:25:51] each other, and again, I, I said it at the very beginning, you know, you're, you're trying to encourage [00:25:56] me and our family and pray for us, you know. And that's why I wanted to pick up where you talked about praying [00:26:01] for, is you, you're learning how to pray, you're learning how to ask God for help in, in, [00:26:06] in decision-making.Curtis: But then, you know, here's this family over here with a, with a mom with [00:26:11] five kids, and, and I remember because I was moved by it. Um, I was moved by the fact [00:26:16] that you're 24, 25 years of age, and you're encouraging a [00:26:21] 51 or 2-year-old. Does that make sense?Curtis: And so that happened [00:26:26] a few times, but you were one of the ones I was like, "How, what in the world?"Annelise: Ja[00:26:31] Curtis: you know, I just, I remember thinking about that. And then [00:26:36] two weeks after she passes,Annelise: Yeah.Curtis: Us the storyAnnelise: [00:26:41] Yeah, so, um, just to touch on Michal, uh, that was [00:26:46] very... What happened with Michal, um, uh, we [00:26:51] learned all of that through Facebook, and that was very moving for our whole [00:26:56] family, you know. Not, not just me, but all, all of the Heinz, um, the whole [00:27:01] family. You know, it was something that we were constantly talking about, praying for [00:27:06] her, um, for you, for her children, you know.Annelise: And so [00:27:11] yeah, it was j- it was very, it touched our lives very [00:27:16] much so at, at that time. And then, um, yeah, so then in [00:27:21] 2022, um, I'm 25 years old and, um, [00:27:26] I have a lump in my right breast. And, uh, my [00:27:31] husband, Connor, he is encouraging me to go have this looked at. And [00:27:36] I'm 25, not thinking that this could be anything, C0ffe [00:27:41] And my grand- my grandmother, the one that I lived with in North Carolina, [00:27:46] she had breast cancer but wasn't diagnosed until she was, like, 60 years old. [00:27:51] And she had already, at that point, beaten it, you know, so it, we're, we're a few [00:27:56] years past that. Um, and so [00:28:01] I'm diagnosed at stage three, um, [00:28:06] inflammatory invasive ductal carcinoma.Annelise: Um, and inflammatory breast [00:28:11] cancer is, um, rare. It's in less than 3% of all breast [00:28:16] cancer diagnoses is it, is it, um, inflammatory. [00:28:21] And it gets to this point when it goes undiagnosed for so long. Um, [00:28:26] when it's inflammatory, it means that it is on the skin now. So not only do [00:28:31] you have a tumor, but it's on your skin.Annelise: Um, and [00:28:36] so I had been undiagnosed for several months, um, [00:28:41] and I, and I had to fight for a diagnosis. Um, and I finally [00:28:46] get that at the Stephanie Spielman. Um, and [00:28:51] So it's a year and a half of intense treatment. You know, it was stage three when I w- [00:28:56] was diagnosed, which is later stage. So, um, [00:29:01] immediately, a week and a half after I'm diagnosed, I start intense [00:29:06] chemotherapy. I have eight rounds of that. That takes, um, [00:29:11] several months. So diagnosed on October 25th, um, 2022, [00:29:16] and then chemo all the way till February, and then it's immediately double [00:29:21] mastectomy, radiation, 33 rounds. Um, [00:29:26] and we get to the end of it and, um, we, we make it, [00:29:31] and my doctor says, um, "To, to maintenance [00:29:36] this, to maintain it where it's at so that it doesn't spread further, we're gonna [00:29:41] put you on, um, a drug called Verzenio," and it's a chemotherapy [00:29:46] pill. And so I'm living fine. You know, it takes me like [00:29:51] a year to get back to normal. And, and I [00:29:56] wanna say that the f- the first time that I had cancer, um, [00:30:01] I was not... My faith was not what it is [00:30:06] now. You know, I was very, um, a lot of pity parties,Curtis: [00:30:11] Mm-hmmAnnelise: and, um, didn't lean on God for [00:30:16] support and guidance and, you know, not a lot of faith.Annelise: So [00:30:21] I was angry a lotCurtis: I was gonna say, you told me that you were mad at God during that time. [00:30:26] Like, are you serious? I've had this whole life of struggle. It just gets good, [00:30:31] and what in the world?Annelise: Yeah, because I mean, everything was, you know, was finally [00:30:36] normal for the first time in my life, and then, um, we get the [00:30:41] diagnosis and it's like, what else? What, what more do I [00:30:46] need to, to go through? You know. And so, yeah, so I [00:30:51] take, uh, this drug for, um, two years, [00:30:56] and we think that it's working and, um, and it turns out that, [00:31:01] that it wasn't, and that my cancer had, um, mutated, [00:31:06] and there's no way to really know, and that's just the scary thing [00:31:11] about cancer, um, at times, especially when you have a rare [00:31:16] form, you know, it misbehaves.Annelise: And so, um, [00:31:21] then that gets us to the beginning of this year, and I start having [00:31:26] headaches right here. Um, and my doctor says, [00:31:31] uh, " We want a brain MRI right away," because one of the [00:31:36] things that he told me in the beginning is that, um, when we look ahead [00:31:41] at, at a reoccurrence, they, they can't-- breast cancer likes to go to the brain first or the [00:31:46] spine.Annelise: And so, yeah, I, I get the scan, [00:31:51] and I mean, less than 24 hours later, he calls me on the phone and, um, he's [00:31:56] sitting, I can tell that he's in the room with his colleagues, [00:32:01] and I'm on speaker phone, I can tell that, and he asks me if he can talk to me. And [00:32:06] I'm sitting down at dinner, and I'd just taken my first bite of food, and I was like, [00:32:11] "He's getting ready to tell me that, that it's back."Annelise: And I [00:32:16] genuinely was not expecting it. Like, I was and I [00:32:21] wasn't.Annelise: I had known that reoccurrence was possible, but that quickly, [00:32:26] like, you know, it was just like... And I mean, my doctor, like, you could tell [00:32:31] that he was just completely in shock himself and [00:32:36] couldn't believe that we were already here again. [00:32:41] And so he tells me that it's here, and then he tells [00:32:46] me that he suspects that it's in my spine as well. And then a week [00:32:51] later, I break my back picking up my dog.Curtis: Picking up your dog.Annelise: Mm-hmm. [00:32:56] Yeah. And so then we find that it's there, and then from that point forward, we [00:33:01] find that it's a- e- all over the place in, in my bones. [00:33:06] Um, and that starts the, the fight ahead.Annelise: Um, [00:33:11] and there's a drug Just take a moment, take a moment right there [00:33:16] because Um [00:33:21] I, I'm not gonna... I'm not saying that you [00:33:26] are away from God, but you have definitely had a moment with God where you're a little bit mad. [00:33:31] You've kind of done your own thing for a little bit. You're still... Things are good, [00:33:36] 'cause I, I've known you for a while now, and I'm... Things are still good. You beat cancer.Curtis: [00:33:41] Business is going good. Your kid's doing good. Connor's doing good. The family has made a lot of [00:33:46] transitions. They've moved. Some have gone to Florida, and, you know, there's things like that going on. But [00:33:51] tell me about that moment. Who were you with? Who did you [00:33:56] go to first? And just kind of the, [00:34:01] I don't know, what's the God moment like at that point?Annelise: [00:34:06] So the God moment comes [00:34:11] I'd say about four days after [00:34:16] th- I get the phone call. So I'm at dinner, um, with Connor [00:34:21] and Dawson and our best friend Tristan, um, and we're sitting down to dinner [00:34:26] there and, and he calls and he says... And you know, I, um, wa- run [00:34:31] out of the restaurant. Uh, and Connor knew that I had taken the call from [00:34:36] OSU.Annelise: Um, but and so obviously I run out and he, [00:34:41] he's follow- follows behind me, and I right there on the parking lot [00:34:46] just, you know,Curtis: Lose itAnnelise: lose it. Yeah. So he has to [00:34:51] take the phone, um, and finish the conversation. And Dr. Sardasai, my [00:34:56] doctor, that was at like 6:00, and he told me that he, he said, "I'm [00:35:01] available to you all night tonight.Annelise: I'm, I have my cellphone. This is my cellphone number. When you [00:35:06] collect yourself you can call me back and I can tell you what's about to happen." [00:35:11] So we call him back around 7:00, and he explains [00:35:16] more in detail to us, answers all my questions. Um, and then [00:35:21] we of course tell [00:35:26] Our immediate family, which s- which really starts with my mom, [00:35:31] um, and John and Melissa, my, my mother and father-in-law.Annelise: Um, [00:35:36] and they're extremely [00:35:41] faithful. I mean, so i- [00:35:46] immediately my father-in-law is, um, you know, [00:35:51] praying obviously. Um, tha- that... And that's the first place that he goes [00:35:56] is, is to God. So, um, I wasn't [00:36:01] ready for that in that moment. Um, and so that's when I, what [00:36:06] I say when, you know, that came about four days later.Annelise: Um, I'm [00:36:11] processing, and I'm having a phone call with him, and he [00:36:16] tells me something that I'm not ready to hear. But then [00:36:21] obviously I hear it, and, and God has put that conversation on my [00:36:26] heart. So, um, but he tells me that, [00:36:31] you know, it's not really up to me. You know, I, [00:36:36] you know, I wanna be here with my child, and I wanna take care of my [00:36:41] son, but, um, God already has my plan [00:36:46] decided.Annelise: And, uh, you know, even though I may want that, um, [00:36:51] it's, it's a part of God's plan. And I'm mad at him for telling me [00:36:56] this. And I'm like thinking to myself like, "How can you say this to me? Because [00:37:01] what you're telling me is you want me to be okay [00:37:06] if I have to leave my son early. You know, that's what you're telling me."[00:37:11] Annelise: And, you know, that's the last thing that I'm thinking [00:37:16] about right now, you know? And so I reflect on that, [00:37:21] um, and I think about it for a while, and then [00:37:26] You know, it was just like a switch [00:37:31] happened for me. Um, I, I just [00:37:36] spent time, a lot of time thinking over the, those first few weeks, [00:37:41] and I was like, I, I don't want this to be like it was last time.[00:37:46] Annelise: Like, I don't wanna be like that. I have to turn this over [00:37:51] to Go- like, I can't do this by myself, you know? Like, and I have this huge [00:37:56] support system here, like, you know, earth side. You know, I've got ... [00:38:01] And my husband and, you know. But spiritually, like, I just can't do it by [00:38:06] myself. Um, and so that's when I started [00:38:11] accepting some of those things and, and the fact that, like, my father-in-law [00:38:16] is right.Annelise: Like, you know, this is temporary. Us being here [00:38:21] is temporary, you know? And so the amount of time that I [00:38:26] get here, um, is not up to me, you know? And, [00:38:31] but what I'm gonna do with that time and how I'm gonna live, that, that is [00:38:36] up to me. Um, and so I wanna do it wellCurtis: [00:38:41] It's good. It's hard but goodAnnelise: mm-hmm. [00:38:46] It's hard. Um, but it's the most rewarding [00:38:51] part of this so far is knowing [00:38:56] that I am never alone, you know?Curtis: That's [00:39:01] an interesting word, rewarding.Annelise: Mm-hmmCurtis: Can you elaborate?[00:39:06] Annelise: Rewarding because [00:39:11] Because I'm never alone, I, I [00:39:16] I don't know. I just feel [00:39:21] that I'm better because of it. [00:39:26] You know, I, I... My life is better. I'm rewarded [00:39:31] internally because of it[00:39:36] Curtis: Well, we see it. Just so you know, I, I'm [00:39:41] amazed. I just-- Every time we talk, I'm like, "Wait, you're doing what? You're going [00:39:46] where? You're doing..." I-- Seriously, it's just, I mean, from the outside looking in, I'm [00:39:51] like, "Holy cow." You know, I'm a dude. We, we get a cold [00:39:56] and we're babies, and you know this is true. You know?Curtis: Like, we're [00:40:01] babies, and I, I just, manAnnelise: Yeah. Um, [00:40:06] one of the, the instances [00:40:11] during this is, um You know, bef- [00:40:16] when I was sick before, I didn't have anyone that [00:40:21] understood what I was going through. You know, like, um, I met a few people [00:40:26] online, but no one physically near me that understood. [00:40:31] Um, so, you know, it's just one of those God things. [00:40:36] Um, a few months before I got diagnosed, um, the [00:40:41] principal at the upper school of Dawson School, New Hope, um, [00:40:46] Christian Academy, was diagnosed with breast cancer, um, Miss Allison [00:40:51] Catlas,Annelise: who has since become, um, very, [00:40:56] very, very, very important to my journey.Annelise: Um, [00:41:01] and, you know, she's diagnosed and at, at that time, [00:41:06] you know, I had-- I was, you know, so far out from my cancer [00:41:11] journey in the beginning when she got diagnosed that, you know, I wasn't, [00:41:16] I didn't, I was kinda over cancer. You know, I didn't want... [00:41:21] Really, I didn't want that to be all... Yeah, I wanted to forget, not [00:41:26] that it happened, but just move f- I was m- trying to move forward.Curtis: Yeah[00:41:31] Annelise: And whatever compelled me to do this, [00:41:36] uh, we know that it's God doing this, but I decided [00:41:41] to message her on Facebook one day and just kinda say, "Hey, I'm [00:41:46] here for you. I, I get it. I, you know, I was there and I know what this [00:41:51] is like." And she responds, like, obviously with open arms, [00:41:56] uh, and because I think, like, she needed me as much as I needed her, and we just didn't [00:42:01] even realize it at that time.Annelise: Um, and then, [00:42:06] you know, she's going through her journey, and I'm, you know, there for her, and then I get [00:42:11] the, the diagnosis ag- you know, the reoccurrence. And, [00:42:16] but since then, um, we've, we've just only gotten closer. [00:42:21] And you, you know Miss Catlas, too. I,Curtis: Yeah. So [00:42:26] I've known her for, for years, went to church with her, and, um, [00:42:31] again, followed her story. Her son is my oldest [00:42:36] stepson's best friend. And so when she got cancer, same thing. I'm like, "You [00:42:41] gotta be kidding me." So we've kinda walked that path with her. And, I remember when [00:42:46] you got rediagnosed, um, I knew that you had a relationship with her, [00:42:51] and I reached out to her and, and was like, "Hey, what's going on?"Curtis: And, and, um, and she was [00:42:56] like, "You're not going to believe this, but Annaliese and I get to [00:43:01] go on the same day for our treatments, and she is [00:43:06] my cancer buddy." And I was like, "You gotta be kidding me." She's like, [00:43:11] "No." She said, "What an answer to prayer." And Annaliese, I [00:43:16] reached out to her, and I was like, "Hey, can you give us a message?"Curtis: And so if you don't [00:43:21] mind I have a message from [00:43:26] our friend. I hope I can pull this off. I'm gonna try to do this [00:43:31] on my phoneAnnelise: Yeah, [00:43:36] we got to do our last three, her last three treatments together[00:43:41] Curtis: Oh my goodness. Okay, let me see if I can pull this [00:43:46] off Hey, Annaliese, it's the other half of the A-Team, Allison. [00:43:51] Um, I wanted to just tell you how incredibly [00:43:56] proud I am of you. Um, the way that you [00:44:01] have walked through, um, something really hard [00:44:06] is something to be admired. You know, when I was first diagnosed with cancer, I [00:44:11] was praying that the Lord would bring me a friend who knew exactly what it was like, because [00:44:16] every decision seemed like a big one.Curtis: Um, every decision seemed hard, [00:44:21] and I just couldn't bring myself to [00:44:26] make one more hard decision and explain one more hard thing [00:44:31] to anyone. So when you came along in [00:44:36] my inbox and, um, knew exactly how I was feeling, I just knew that you were [00:44:41] an answer to my prayer. And then when you were [00:44:46] re-diagnosed and the Lord orchestrated it so that we could get chemotherapy together and [00:44:51] have bad days together and have great days together, um, I just knew that I had [00:44:56] found a friend for life.Curtis: And I am so just inspired by [00:45:01] your spirit. I'm inspired by your motherhood. I'm inspired by your marriage. [00:45:06] And I'm just so thankful that I get to call you friend, and I'm [00:45:11] so proud of you. And, um, I know we're gonna be friends forever. [00:45:16] So, um, keep on keeping on. Keep fighting the good fight. Keep inspiring [00:45:21] people.Curtis: Um, you're the best. I love you so much.Annelise: [00:45:26] Thanks for that.Curtis: Sorry.[00:45:31] Annelise: That's okay.Annelise: Yep. That, that, that explains it [00:45:36] well.Curtis: So goodAnnelise: Yeah. Yeah, we got to do [00:45:41] our last three-- her last three treatments together. Um, and I [00:45:46] had to coordinate that with my doctor so that I could be there at the same day and [00:45:51] time with her. But, um, yeah, it, it was... [00:45:56] I didn't realize how much I needed somebody until, [00:46:01] until she came along.Annelise: So Curtis: And in the middle of the [00:46:06] hardest things, those, those God moments, those little surprises are what [00:46:11] carry usAnnelise: Mm-hmm.Curtis: Through. Annelise: Yeah. Yeah, and that's what [00:46:16] that was. He brought us right togetherCurtis: To help each other.Annelise: [00:46:21] Mm-hmm. Yeah. To help, to help each otherCurtis: So, um, [00:46:26] she rang the bell recently, um, and right now she's doing good. Uh, [00:46:31] she has changed positions at the school. She's still there. She still works faithfully, [00:46:36] still involved in the kids' lives, but we, um, we continue to pray for her. Um, [00:46:41] let me tell you about, um, [00:46:46] these kids, 'cause I know that you, you worry [00:46:51] about Dawson, you worry about Connor, and, um, I'll never forget when John called me right after you got your [00:46:56] diagnosis.Curtis: He said, "You gotta pray for my, you gotta pray for my daughter-in-law." And I [00:47:01] was, I was heartbroken, but, you know, even while he was having that hard [00:47:06] conversation with you, you know, we were already praying. These [00:47:11] kids, because of what they've been through, they're sensitive to this stuff, [00:47:16] and we have a long prayer list at night.Curtis: We have [00:47:21] Annalise. I mean, you get prayed for every night. We have Mrs. Catless.Annelise: Mm-hmm[00:47:26] Curtis: We have, um, a g- couple families in our church that, you know, have lost loved [00:47:31] ones, and so, um, these kids have learned the [00:47:36] beautiful lesson of prayer, and their mother Michal taught it to them years and years ago. And I'll [00:47:41] never forget first time I, um, went and visited when, um, well, I don't even [00:47:46] think we were fully dating yet.Curtis: We were just trying to get to know each other, and it was getting late in the [00:47:51] evening, and she's like, "Curtis, come into the hallway. We have to have prayer time for everybody." And, and [00:47:56] then she, I think she said, "And by the way, you can pray for us." [00:48:01] You know? I'm just starting to get to know everybody. But that, [00:48:06] that started this thing where then w- you know, but then we start dating, and then we're engaged, and, [00:48:11] um, and then, you know, when I'm there in the evening and I could have prayer time with them, and then we [00:48:16] get married and, and then prayer time is established at night.Curtis: And it, it takes a [00:48:21] while. At that point, there's five of them, two of us, so that's seven, and we [00:48:26] all pray. We all do it. And so sometimes, you know, I'm a little grouchy, [00:48:31] I'm ready for bed, and I'm like, "Oh, man," 'cause then the kids wanna talk, and Michal's, like, loving [00:48:36] it, and what was supposed to be a few minutes turns into a half hour of like, "How was your [00:48:41] day?"Curtis: And cracking jokes, and I'm over here going, "Oh, my word. Let's just get this done. I [00:48:46] wanna go to bed." You know what I mean? Like, what a terrible, what a terrible [00:48:51] thought, you know, for me, but I'm... Uh, that's just g- you know, this is a long time. I'm tired. I've had a [00:48:56] long day, and we got all this stuff to do, and, you know, I still wanna visit with my wife before I go to bed, [00:49:01] and let's just get prayer time over.Curtis: And man, I regret some of those, you [00:49:06] know, thoughts back then because now prayer time is , it's a [00:49:11] special time.Annelise: Mm-hmm.Curtis: And we get to lift you [00:49:16] up, and I'm so grateful to be on that teamAnnelise: Yes, [00:49:21] absolutely. Yeah, and it's, you're right, the, the... [00:49:26] You don't realize how, what you have until it's gone, you know? And the, the, [00:49:31] that's a part of this that has [00:49:36] changed my perspective on just life in general, because you [00:49:41] don't take for granted the, the random Tuesdays, you know? You don't, you don't [00:49:46] say, "Oh, gotta go to practice again.Annelise: Gotta..." [00:49:51] You know, all those things. You say, you, you say, "I get to do this. I get [00:49:56] to, to, you know, do those things." So yeah, it's a [00:50:01] great thing that-Curtis: So I'll never forget, a few weeks ago, you know, we were trying [00:50:06] to get this podcast thing done and, and I'd saw a post where you were, [00:50:11] um, trying to get... You were raising money, you were raising, uh, gifts, and you were [00:50:16] actually trying to get sponsors. And I, I'll never forget, I called and I was like, "What is this thing you're doing?"Curtis: You're like, "I'm making [00:50:21] care packages for cancer patients." And I was like, "What?"Annelise: [00:50:26] YeahCurtis: Tell us about that journey.Annelise: Yeah, so, um, up at the Stephanie [00:50:31] Spielman, um, where I, uh, treat at, um, the fourth floor [00:50:36] is the chemotherapy floor. And, um, they have a table [00:50:41] in the waiting room, and you can just put stuff on it that we can all take [00:50:46] for free. Like, you can just bring donations in. And I was like, what if [00:50:51] I just, like, figured out how many rooms are in this place and got enough [00:50:56] packages for every room?Annelise: W- and then, so then I'd [00:51:01] start that, and there's 65 rooms. And so at this point, [00:51:06] I think that I have emailed or messaged on Instagram like [00:51:11] 1,200 companies, um, and, um, [00:51:16] shared it across Facebook. I've gotten, you know, monetary donations. Um, very [00:51:21] large companies have donated. Um, and I've delivered 100 [00:51:26] so far. But I don't wanna be doneAnnelise: because it's [00:51:31] like, I mean, they just...Annelise: And I don't even [00:51:36] deliver them personally. Like, I just get to hear about them being delivered. You know, I just take 'em [00:51:41] up and the nurses hand them out, and they... Just the joy that, [00:51:46] like I, I never wanna stop doing thatCurtis: Hmm.Annelise: It's just, [00:51:51] just brings so much joy. And Allison helps [00:51:56] me do that. You know, she's helping me do it.Annelise: You know, she reached out to the company [00:52:01] Proverbs 31, and they donated 100 devotionalsAnnelise: to us. [00:52:06] Yeah. So, um, yeah, it's [00:52:11] great. It's been greatCurtis: So for this new series that I've been doing on [00:52:16] the podcast, I'm in year four of Michal's passing. I'm starting into year five. [00:52:21] And so, um, people have always asked me, you know, "What's, what's year one [00:52:26] like of loss? What's year two like of loss?" And, and then three, and then of course four. [00:52:31] And so I'm actually doing a podcast on Friday of this week, um, [00:52:36] talking about kind of the year four.Curtis: And my goal for this whole new [00:52:41] series has been not just healing [00:52:46] and progress, but doing something about it. [00:52:51] And I had to get you on because I want people to see that you don't have [00:52:56] to be stuck. And here you are in the middle of [00:53:01] it, and you're giving and finding ways to [00:53:06] help and bringing joy to other people.Curtis: And I'm motivated by [00:53:11] it. I'm like, "I've been stuck for four years. I need to get off my [00:53:16] duff and go do something."Curtis: And so I want people to hear that part, that, guys, I don't care [00:53:21] what your circumstances are. I do care. Don't take that the wrong way. There [00:53:26] is something about serving others that pulls you out of this[00:53:31] Annelise: AbsolutelyCurtis: And, and it's part of your faith journey.Curtis: It's part [00:53:36] of your cancer journey. Like, you're like, "Oh, my word." Just [00:53:41] hearing the stories, seeing the joy. And so [00:53:46] I can't help but talk about that and want you to share what, what that [00:53:51] has done for your whole family, like this [00:53:56] AnnalieseAnnelise: The more time that you [00:54:01] spend serving others, the less time you have to think about your own,Annelise: your own problems. [00:54:06] And I mean, that's like if you can just pour [00:54:11] your time into something for someone else, [00:54:16] you will completely, you can completely eliminate any time to [00:54:21] sit there and say, "I'm sorry for myself," like I'm, you know, this and that.Annelise: [00:54:26] Just turn that into good.Annelise: Just, [00:54:31] you know, um Oh, and I need to [00:54:36] ask you a question though.Curtis: OkayAnnelise: Uh, we'll circle it back a [00:54:41] little bit. Um During this, all [00:54:46] of this, um, and Connor would never say this, [00:54:51] um, um, this is coming from me. Um, a lot of [00:54:56] times, like people don't really ask how the spouse [00:55:01] of a cancer patient is doing or someone who is married to someone who is [00:55:06] terminally ill.Annelise: And they get, you know, it's a- when people [00:55:11] reach out to them, it's always, "How's Annalise? How's..." You know, and not a lot. [00:55:16] So How, from your [00:55:21] perspective as the spouse of, of who li- lived through it with someone, I [00:55:26] mean, how did you get through that? Like how, I mean[00:55:31] Curtis: Hmm [00:55:36] I'm nervous about my answer [00:55:41] because you're still on this side of, of heaven. Like it [00:55:46] hasn't happened yet. And so I'm, I'm having a little bit of a mental [00:55:51] battle right now.Annelise: Well,Curtis: Can I tell you this? Let me tell you, let me tell you a [00:55:56] story that is gonna ... I hope it'll bless you, is that I was kinda done with the podcast.[00:56:01] Curtis: There's been, uh, some things that have happened even this last year where I'm just like, "It's hard. [00:56:06] It's, it's a ton of work. Yes, I wanna give money away and help people with the foundation," 'cause we have [00:56:11] that, and we're able to help people. And, and, um, I was really struggling, [00:56:16] um, and, and almost to the point where I wanted to hang it up.Curtis: And then, um, had a [00:56:21] couple people message me and just say, "Hey, I wanna encourage you that we miss you. We, [00:56:26] we, we looked so forward to, you know, these [00:56:31] episodes that you were bringing, and, and we feel like we're missing Michal." Like, they wanted ... You know, I told the [00:56:36] story of Michal, and I told about our marriage and how God had taken two broke people and brought them [00:56:41] together.Curtis: And even though there was this tragic loss, you know, I was sharing the family with, with people, and the [00:56:46] kids, and, and, and they were saying, "We, we miss that. Like, we wanna know more." [00:56:51] And so that was the first thing that happened. But can I tell you ... Oh, my God. [00:56:56] [00:57:01] Connor called me [00:57:06] And he was like, "I don't know what to do." Like, [00:57:11] "You've done this. How am I gonna do this?" And, you know, we talked [00:57:16] for quite a while, and I said, "There's no real formula, bud." I said, [00:57:21] "It's, it's God and me and God and you. Like, He's gonna help you through this. And, and, and His [00:57:26] plan is still perfect. I'm still raising Michal's children [00:57:31] and, and our home is good, and He's helping us. [00:57:36] No, it doesn't look like it once did. It's different, but it's still [00:57:41] good, and He's got this." And that phone [00:57:46] call motivated me and said, "You gotta keep doing [00:57:51] this And I get to have you on. Like, how cool is that? [00:57:56] Like, like your story's gonna be out there for a long time. People are [00:58:01] gonna see this and be blessed by it and helped by it.Curtis: But [00:58:06] Connor calling me was one of the, um, pinnacle [00:58:11] times where I was like, "Okay, Lord, you gotta help me 'cause this is [00:58:16] hard stuff." But if, if this kid, and I still call him a kid, you guys are all [00:58:21] kids, can, can get brave enough to say, "I need help. [00:58:26] Help me through this," then I can be brave enough [00:58:31] And so, um, and then [00:58:36] of all things, I, um, find a message from Michal to one of her [00:58:41] friends from four years ago. I don't remember ever hearing it. And, um, it's [00:58:46] so good. Um, just she's bragging about her husband. She's [00:58:51] bragging about me. And, um, that was kind of the over the top moment, like, [00:58:56] "Okay. All right, babe, I hear you.Curtis: I'ma, I'll keep doing this thing. I'll keep going." And so [00:59:01] my answer is, um [00:59:06] God will sustain, and He has sustained. [00:59:11] It is not easy, and it has, um, [00:59:16] changed me in all kinds of ways. But at the end of the day, you made a statement, [00:59:21] um, just a few minutes ago. You said, "I'm better for this [00:59:26] Think about that. You said, "I'm better [00:59:31] for this."Curtis: What? And I love that because I, I guess I can say the same [00:59:36] thing. I'm better. My relationship with God is better.Curtis: [00:59:41] My, my Curtis: reliance on Him is stronger. His [00:59:46] presence is closer [00:59:51] And you're right. This is, [00:59:56] this is temporary. Everything we do has gotta be [01:00:01] pointing people to Him.Annelise: Mm-hmm.Curtis: And, um, man, am I proud of [01:00:06] you. I'm proud of what you're doing, proud of your faith[01:00:11] Annelise: Thank you. [01:00:16] I'm proud of you tooCurtis: I'm gonna look at [01:00:21] my notes 'cause I'm, I've lost it.Annelise: Sorry about thatCurtis: You [01:00:26] done messed me up Oh, man [01:00:31] [01:00:36] Here's my questions for my, um, guest this year, and some of these you've already answered. [01:00:41] The first one is, are you the same person you used to be?Curtis: No.[01:00:46] Curtis: And I think you've done a good job of explaining that. And then the [01:00:51] second question-- oh, this is good. Are you a, a better version of yourself? And I think we just, I think we just [01:00:56] answered that.Annelise: Yep. Trying still every day[01:01:01] Curtis: And then the third question I have is, how do you see God now after going [01:01:06] through this?[01:01:11] Annelise: It... Well, I guess I get a really good, um, [01:01:16] view because I went through it once without Him, [01:01:21] and now I'm going through itAnnelise: with Him. And then, and that was never without Him, butAnnelise: [01:01:26] I wasn't seeking the relationship with God. I [01:01:31] wasn't putting in the work, um, because it's like any [01:01:36] relationship, like there's work that, uh, is to be put in.Annelise: You know, I can't just s- [01:01:41] sit here and just expect things to get better [01:01:46] or whatever if I'm not also putting in the work. I'm not praying. I'm not [01:01:51] thanking, uh, God for the blessings that I continuously get [01:01:56] every day, even with what I'm going through. Um, [01:02:01] so going, going with it, going through this with [01:02:06] faith makes the world of difference, and it changes everything [01:02:11] to, to go through this with, with God[01:02:16] Curtis: As you're looking at life through kind of an eternal lens now, how do you view others [01:02:21] now?Curtis: your time is so important. Like every minute of every day, every [01:02:26] second of every day is an important, 'cause you might be sick one day and not sick another. And so I [01:02:31] know you, like whatever good time you have, you're utilizing [01:02:36] every second of it. And so how does that work with relationships?Curtis: [01:02:41] Because obviously everybody wants Annaliese time, but not everybody can have Annaliese time. You [01:02:46] want time with your son and with your husband and with family and with friends, and I know you're trying to do [01:02:51] all the things. And then all of a sudden you're like, "Oh yeah, by the way, I'm gonna build gift baskets."[01:02:56] Annelise: I am very intentional with my time now. [01:03:01] Very, very intentional. Like, um, to the point where, you know, [01:03:06] uh, my final week that I get before chemo, I get Monday, [01:03:11] Tuesday, Wednesday, and then I get chemo on a Thursday. So, um, I sleep a lot less [01:03:16] during that time because I... Like this morning, I had a-- I got up [01:03:21] at 4:30 this morning, and I'm emailing companies at, for these care [01:03:26] packages 'cause I don't wanna waste any of the time.Annelise: So, [01:03:31] um, I, but I like it like this. You know, [01:03:36] it's... I feel way more productive, I guess, um, because the time that [01:03:41] I have is, um Obviously, I know [01:03:46] everyone's time is important, um, but it's more precious. It [01:03:51] feels a little more precious, so I want to be doing things with my time that [01:03:56] are meaningful.Curtis: SureAnnelise: so yeahCurtis: So I [01:04:01] guess to rephrase the question, so now when you think of family and your [01:04:06] friends and the time that you have and how you wanna spend that, it's, it's precious.Annelise: [01:04:11] Precious, yesCurtis: like pay attention. And then I guess the second [01:04:16] part of that question is when you see people just nonchalantly going through life like no big deal and [01:04:21] I've got time, I've got forever, and I can put all that off till later, does that[01:04:26] Annelise: Well, I mean, I've had [01:04:31] instances where people I know, like personally, kinda live like [01:04:36] that. And, um, I, I'm pretty [01:04:41] honest with... Like, I'm not gonna just... It can happen to anyone, [01:04:46] you know? I mean, it's, uh, and that's the, the thing that people don't really [01:04:51] understand is that what's happening to me, it, like, it can happen [01:04:56] to, to anyone, you know?Annelise: So don't waste it, you know? [01:05:01] Don't, you know, spend your time doing things that are not [01:05:06] serving others, not serving your family, your friendsCurtis: [01:05:11] Hmm. Yeah, well that's why I wanted to do this, and that's why I've tried so hard [01:05:16] to find a day that you're healthy and that you could give us an hour and a half or two and, and do [01:05:21] this, 'cause I wanna encourage people, like time is short. This life is temporary, and [01:05:26] that, there is work to be done. And that's my motivation for this series, is that guys, we need [01:05:31] to get off our duffs and, and get to work.Curtis: There's a, a kingdom to be had, and there's a [01:05:36] whole bunch of people that need to get there. And God in His infinite [01:05:41] plan and wisdom chose us to deliver the message of all people, this [01:05:46] wounded, broken, tragic group of people to help [01:05:51] spread the good news of a forever in heaven.[01:05:56] Annelise: One of the things that, um, I think that would [01:06:01] shock people, does shock people when I say this, but, um, I would tell [01:06:06] anyone who listens that I think that I'm the luckiest girl in the world. [01:06:11] And I think that obviously the first thing that comes to mind, they're like, "Well, how can you [01:06:16] think that?" Like, look at...Annelise: But cancer is [01:06:21] literally the only thing bad about my life. Like, Connor and I are s- have [01:06:26] been so blessed i- in, in our life [01:06:31] a- and, like, God has just been present our [01:06:36] entire marriage. Um, and it's so obvious, like when you sit back and look [01:06:41] at everything that's happened since we've been married, that He's been [01:06:46] present in so many different ways.Annelise: Like, you know... [01:06:51] And so I, I, I will tell anyone who listens that I, I think that I'm the luckiest girl in the [01:06:56] worldCurtis: awesome Annelise: of that, soCurtis: That's good. [01:07:01] Yep All right If you had, um, [01:07:06] just one topic or one thing that you wanna leave... Man, [01:07:11] I hate saying this 'cause you know what I'm trying to say, and I [01:07:16] hate, I hate it. We pray every day. This is our prayer for you every day. [01:07:21] Give Annaliese more days. Give Annaliese more days. Give Annaliese more days. [01:07:26] That's what we pray.Annelise: BibiCurtis: and, and the Lord can heal [01:07:31] you if he wants to.Curtis: Totally can, and we pray for that. Your family begs God for that [01:07:36] every day, and he can. But, um, whatever [01:07:41] your time is left, um, what's the message you wanna leave, leave the [01:07:46] world? Annelise: Kind of, I mean, just to [01:07:51] reiterate what we've really talked about a lot today on, on the [01:07:56] podcast, um Y- [01:08:01] you don't have to go through life alone, you know? Uh, I mean, [01:08:06] you're never alone. If you lean into God, you rely [01:08:11] on th- that, and you have faithfulness in [01:08:16] whatever plan that He has in your life, you'll, you'll be blessed r- [01:08:21] uh, you know, in, in many different ways.Annelise: And being blessed can come in [01:08:26] many different ways. And so lean into Him and serve, serve [01:08:31] others. Do, do... I- if you have an abundance of something, [01:08:36] give it away. Do, do something for other people. It [01:08:41] will make your life betterCurtis: Which is Michael's mantra, [01:08:46] almost verbatim. Run into the hard thing that [01:08:51] you're in, let God meet you there and do a mighty workCurtis: so that you can [01:08:56] go out and be a blessing to somebody elseAnnelise: Ja [01:09:01] ExactlyCurtis: I call it the secret to life. Michael, [01:09:06] Michael figured out the secret to lifeAnnelise: Literally. [01:09:11] Yeah, I mean, run to the hard, like that, that is her [01:09:16] motto, and it's like, that's so true. Like, don't, don't run away. Don't be hide. [01:09:21] Like, faith over fear,Curtis: HmmAnnelise: you know? Faith over fear in every [01:09:26] way possibleCurtis: Well, [01:09:31] we love you, and we're huge Annalise fans. I just want you to know that, [01:09:36] um, this whole family. And, um, we continue to pray for you every single day, [01:09:41] and we pray for more days, and, uh, we pray for Connor, for Dawson, for [01:09:46] the whole family. And, Thank you um, I'm gonna [01:09:51] pray us out today. And, um, man, I just wanna tell you how proud, [01:09:56] proud I am of you, how proud we of our-- we are of you and your family.Curtis: And, and, um, [01:10:01] just wanna encourage you to just keep being Annalise, keep doing you. [01:10:06] Um, all right. Lord, thank you for this precious [01:10:11] time. Um, thank you for Annalise's life. Thank you for her commitment [01:10:16] to serve others, um, even during this time. And, and [01:10:21] Lord, as we've been praying for weeks now, Lord, give Annalise more days.Curtis: And Lord, if [01:10:26] you choose to heal her, um, Lord, we would, we would, [01:10:31] we would go before the throne today asking for you to touch this body [01:10:36] And so Lord, as we, um [01:10:41] go out about our everyday life, help us to be reminded of, of [01:10:46] Annalisa's story that no matter what we're going through, what tragedy we've been through, what loss [01:10:51] we've been through, what, what terrible news we're gonna get maybe today, maybe tomorrow, [01:10:56] that, um, the secret to life is to [01:11:01] allow you in to meet us there in that spot and then to go out and to [01:11:06] serve and to help others.Curtis: And so that's her prayer for anybody who's listening [01:11:11] and feels stuck. Maybe they feel stuck in a loss. Maybe they feel stuck in a [01:11:16] relationship. They feel stuck in a tragedy. Um, maybe they just got this news. [01:11:21] And, um, Lord, we pray specific- specifically for those folks right now, [01:11:26] that you would come alongside them and comfort them.Curtis: And, um, Lord, we love you [01:11:31] and praise you and thank you for who you are and what you've done. We ask these things in your name. [01:11:36] Amen.Curtis: All right, everybody. We love you guys. Thank you for [01:11:41] tuning in. We'll talk to you soon [01:11:46] [01:11:51] [01:11:56] [01:12:01] [01:12:06] [01:12:11]