Day 1: Jennifer and Lee Arrived at Sandals Negril Jamaica in the Caribbean (2012)

We headed straight to the beach after checking into the room.

Lee didn’t waste any time wading into the crystal clear blue Caribbean waters.

Lee Takes First Swim in Caribbean Waters at Sandals Negril Jamaica – 7 Mile Beach

The Drive from Montego Bay to the Sandals Negril Jamaica Resort:

Drive from Montego Bay to Sandals Negril Jamaica

Orange Bay, On Way to Sandals Negril Jamaica #caribbeanresorts

We’re Almost to Sandals Negril Jamaica, Gotta Go… #vacation

First Things First:

When in Jamaica, do as the Jamaicans do. Ya-man. 😂

Our First View of the Grounds and the Ocean:

Our first view of the grounds at Sandals Negril Jamaica.

A Collection of First Photos Including the Room:

7 Mile Beach at Sandals Negril Jamaica:

The Status of Our Health:

This is a reminder to not judge a book by the cover. Just because someone is smiling and spending time on a beach in Jamaica does not mean they are not struggling. Lee and I went through some very painful experiences in our childhoods, in the military, and during the medical retirement process in 2010; we use traveling and vacations to help us cope. We didn’t feel safe in Rumford, Maine but we were trapped until the market changed in the entire area. In the meantime, we chose to love one another, help each other, and invest in us. This was our five year wedding anniversary and celebration of love. We looked forward to our beach heavy vacation and I loved seeing Lee enjoying himself after everything he had been through. I wasn’t doing well either but I did the best I could for the sake of our anniversary trip. We both made resting and relaxing the priority.

I had been slowly gaining weight (inflammation) since 2001. I attributed it to CPTSD and compounded trauma ever since I was a kid. My body has been in a constant state of chronic stress since I was two years old. My military career didn’t help because they treated women in combat support roles like shit. And I started getting sick at my second base but I was so fucked up mentally from childhood and the military that when my father died by suicide shortly after 9/11, I thought it broke me. Turns out it was chronic lead poisoning from a toxic military base in Massachusetts. What you see in this picture is a person’s body bloated with inflammation. The lead is embedded in the entire body and of course the inflammatory response is trying to help the body but things will only get worse until you get the lead out. At this stage of progression, it is obvious that I am puffy with inflammation and I slowly gained weight despite eating healthy and exercising since forever. Now, I understand what happened because the lead stores in our fat cells to protect the body. I had really bad fatigue the VA called “major depression,” despite telling them I felt like I was slowly dying. But I always walked and we went on vacations to spend time in the sun, water, mountains, and beaches which was a saving grace for both of us while our health slowly deteriorated and we looked for answers. Because of all the judgement, we want to share our story of survival to show that people wouldn’t be people with disabilities if doctor’s did their fucking jobs. Doctors blew Lee and I off in the Maine healthcare system and fat shamed me. As a result of them dropping the ball, it cost me twenty years of my life. Lee and I are truly thankful for each other and our love.

Video of Our First Day at 7 Mile Beach, Sandals Negril Jamaica: