Bachelor Nation's Trista Sutter is pulling back the curtain on her family's situation.
The reality TV personality, who became the first-ever Bachelorette star in 2003 and married contestant Ryan Sutter later that year, opened up about her husband's recent Lyme disease diagnosis. Just last month, the couple finally received answers about Ryan's year-long health battle after he previously told his Instagram followers that he was suffering from a mystery illness.
Speaking to Ben Higgins and Ashley Iaconetti on their Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous podcast, Trista discussed how she's been coping with her husband's diagnosis.
"It's been hard," she tearfully shared on the Tuesday, June 29 episode. "And not because I want any attention on me...I want him to be better. I want him to wake up feeling great. I want him to be able to spend time with our family and make memories. And when you don't feel good, it just takes away from life."
Trista reiterated, "I'm not doing great...I've been struggling for sure."
The mom of two admitted that between the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and raising her two kids, Maxwell, 13, and Blakesley, 12, there's been a lot going on.
"I don't know if it's been COVID or all that Ryan has been dealing with, with insurance companies, and doctors and then just life," she said. "And trying to be happy for my kids. They're 12 and 13, and they're relatively independent, but I want them to have a great summer and for them to have a great school year, so my focus has to be on them."
Back in May, Trista echoed similar sentiments about Ryan's Lyme disease.
"It's been hard," Trista shared on her Better Etc. podcast. "It's a really difficult thing to see the person that you love most in this world struggling. And he's a big strong guy, and to see him get emotional and feel helpless in a way in that all I could do was really advocate for him. So, that's what I did."
At the time, Ryan also detailed his health issues and revealed that he started experiencing symptoms in early 2020. However, the couple didn't disclose his medical journey until November of that year.
"My body would just itch for no reason," he recalled. "I'd get some pretty severe headaches…swollen lymph nodes, nausea, night sweats, fevers, really really deep bone aches and muscle aches and joint aches, periods of extreme fatigue—almost paralyzing fatigue…. All things that I just had never really experienced before in my life. I mean, I've done a lot of things that have made me tired, but this was beyond tired."
Along with his diagnosis, the former Bachelorette contestant explained that he also contracted COVID-19, as well as experienced other health issues that affected his immune system.
But despite everything he's been through, Ryan remained positive, sharing, "I truly believe that we're on the right path now. I'm very thankful for where we are and for everyone who's helped us get there, whether that's doctors, our family support or even all the people that have written in on social media or in other avenues."