147: Marriage with MS: A Wife's Journey
Podcast Guest: Lindsay Kelly
September 22nd, 2025
Listen to the Show:
In this Episode
Life coach and creator Lindsay Kelly shares her real-world journey of marriage and motherhood alongside her husband’s progressive MS—covering caregiving burnout, boundaries, identity, mental health, gratitude, and practical coping tools. Learn how resilience, community, and coaching can strengthen marriages through chronic illness and hard seasons.
“The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views of the Utah Marriage Commission.”
Time Markers
00:00 — Welcome
01:21 — Meet Lindsay Kelly
02:56 — MS backstory begins
05:38 — Personality changes explained
07:20 — The diagnosis clarity
09:36 — New roles overnight
11:45 — Caregiving while parenting
13:52 — Burnout and breaking point
16:11 — Assisted living decision
18:58 — Relief, grief, acceptance
20:35 — Sharing on social media
22:40 — Community finds her
24:09 — Identity after upheaval
25:11 — Coaching vs. therapy
26:58 — Resilience lessons learned
28:57 — Guilt, grief, gratitude
30:14 — Boundaries with family
31:37 — Becoming 100% whole
33:59 — It’s okay to feel
35:44 — Practical boundaries 101
37:45 — Daily gratitude practice
39:02 — Free masterclass invite
40:38 — Key to connection (laugh more)
41:47 — Takeaway: self-forgiveness
45:21 — Closing and resources
Insights
Lindsay's
The message is about self-forgiveness and honesty. We often beat ourselves up for past mistakes or how we handled hard seasons, but the truth is we’ve never walked that path before. The lesson is to forgive yourself for not knowing, for feeling weak, or for saying or doing things you now wish you hadn’t. Growth comes from getting honest with yourself and with God, recognizing what you want to change, and letting Him guide you. Every mistake or struggle can be seen as an experience that shapes you into who you’re meant to become.
Liz’s
This reflection highlights Lindsay’s courage and commitment. From the start, she chose to marry Reid knowing about his MS diagnosis, even without fully understanding what that journey would look like. Over the years, she’s continued to say “yes” to the challenges—caring for him, providing for their family, and raising their children—while never losing sight of her role as his wife. What stands out most is her respect: despite the hardships of caregiving and being the sole provider, she has consistently honored and upheld her husband with dignity, showing deep love and devotion.
Dave’s
It’s normal—and healthy—to experience the full range of emotions: anger, sadness, shame, anxiety, and worry. The key is not to get stuck there. Feel the feelings, but don’t “set up camp” in negativity for too long, since that harms your well-being. Instead, lean on resources and relationships—coaching, counseling, books, podcasts, or trusted friends—that can guide you through hard times.
About Lindsay:
Lindsay Kelly is a mom of six from Layton, Utah who grew a following of over 1.5 million people by sharing her everyday life the hard parts, the funny parts, and everything in between.
She’s a coach who helps women who feel tired, powerless, or emotionally alone in their relationships and life find their smile again. Her honest posts, coaching and videos have helped people all over the world feel less alone and more hopeful.
Visit our site for FREE relationship resources and regular giveaways:
Facebook: StrongerMarriage.org
Instagram: @strongermarriagelife
TikTok: @strongermarriagelife
Dr. Dave Schramm:
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/DrDaveUSU
Facebook Marriage Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/770019130329579
Facebook Parenting Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/542067440314642
Dr. Liz Hale: