Episode 63: You Don’t Have to Nearly Lose Your Life to Start Choosing It In this episode Dr. Jen opens with a personal update about the loss of her dog, a grief-filled reminder that healing often requires stepping back. The episode then shifts into an interview with Abby Brassfield, who shares the story of her sudden flu complication, 75 days in ICU, a medically induced coma, and the long process of rebuilding her body, nervous system, and sense of self.We discuss what it means to survive something life-altering and then return to a life that no longer fits the old version of you. Abby also shares how faith, community, breath work, therapy, and daily self-advocacy helped her recover and eventually build a new path as a CrossFit coach and consultant. Key topics Jenette and her co-host reflect on the grief of losing a beloved dog and the specific, non-transferable love that comes with that kind of bond Abby Brassfield introduces herself as a wife, mother of three boys, athlete, nature lover, writer, speaker, coach, and founder of On the Horizon Consulting Abby describes life before illness as busy, stressed, boundary less, and operating in a constant low-grade fight-or-flight state She explains how grief, winter illness, and burnout seemed to set the stage for a flu infection that rapidly turned into necrotizing pneumonia Abby shares the emergency timeline from flu diagnosis to ER admission, ventilator support, helicopter transfer, and medically induced coma She recounts vivid coma dreams and a near-death experience involving searching for her family, seeing deceased loved ones, and feeling a choice to return Abby describes being placed on ECMO and later transferred to a specialized hospital in Northern Virginia for ongoing ICU care She reflects on the emotional shock of being told she needed a double lung transplant after waking up with only 23 percent lung function Abby explains the mindset shift that led her to write, “I’m gonna get better and go home to my family” She details the long recovery process, including relearning how to walk, pulmonary rehab, PT, OT, oxygen support, and rebuilding strength Abby talks about learning to ask for help, receive community support, and stop apologizing for needing care She shares the nervous system tools that supported her healing, including CBT, IFS, yoga, breath work, acupuncture, walking, meditation, and CrossFit Abby explains how becoming a CrossFit coach and starting a consulting firm helped her rebuild identity, purpose, and flexibility after illness The conversation closes with a focus on self-prioritization, micro moments of care, and trusting that small daily choices matter Timestamps 00:00 - Opening the show with a reminder to slow down and take care of yourself 00:28 - Why Jenette and her co-host took a week off 00:53 - Jenette shares the emotional story of her dog Osita’s decline and death 02:44 - Vet visits, testing, and the moment they thought it might be something treatable 04:40 - Grief, pet loss, and the non-transferable love we carry for specific beings 07:05 - Why taking a week off was necessary and why rest matters 09:25 - Introducing Abby Brassfield and previewing her ICU survival story 11:18 - Abby describes who she was before illness: busy, stressed, and living in fight-or-flight 13:40 - Grief, a rapid flu infection, and the start of pneumonia 14:38 - Emergency hospitalization, ventilator support, and helicopter transfer 16:30 - Medical coma, tracheotomy, and vivid coma dreams 18:26 - The near-death experience and the feeling of being told to go back 21:23 - ECMO life support and transfer to a specialized ICU 23:17 - What the near-death experience felt like and why it changed her perspective 24:15 - How surviving changed Abby’s outlook on life and purpose 25:14 - Whether trauma was necessary and how the experience reshaped her trajectory 26:59 - Community prayer, support, and the feeling of being pulled back to life 27:57 - Waking up, hearing the doctors’ plan, and fighting for her recovery 29:24 - Being told she was being evaluated for a double lung transplant 30:20 - Writing “I’m gonna get better and go home to my family” 31:18 - Learning to walk again and using visualization as part of healing 33:50 - The grief and adjustment of going home after ICU 34:19 - ICU to step-down transition and the reality of ongoing recovery 35:13 - Life at home on oxygen, in a recliner, with help from friends and caregivers 36:07 - Learning to ask for help and unlearning perfectionism 39:04 - Nervous system recovery and the tools that helped 41:29 - Becoming a CrossFit coach and finding purpose after illness 43:21 - Starting a consulting firm and rebuilding life around joy and flexibility 44:20 - How to put yourself on the list without making it all-or-nothing 45:20 - Micro moments of self-care and making time during everyday routines 46:46 - Building trust with your body through small, consistent choices 47:42 - The power of deciding to live and not giving up on yourself 48:41 - Abby’s plan to write a book and closing gratitude Connect with the Hosts & Guest! 📱 Abby Brassfield: Instagram: @abbeybrassfield Email: abbey@onthehorizonconsults.com 📱 Dr. Jen & Dr. Mel Instagram: Health In Motion Wellness , Health In Motion Chiropractic Facebook: Health in Motion Wellness , Health In Motion Chiropractic Websites: www.drauchter.com , www.healthinmotion-wellness.com Our YOUTUBE channel: www.youtube.com/@gutfeelingslifeunfiltered?si=KIF1oOQm64FhEE6Y 💬 Enjoying the podcast? 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