Episode: 184 Part 2: Good Food and Stubborn Wives | Living a Natural Life After a Terminal Diagnosis

Kody Hanner and Ron Hanner share a raw, practical story about marriage, parenting, homesteading, and rebuilding health after Ron was told he had end-stage liver disease and might have only a year to live. What follows is a story of fear, grit, and gradual change that led their family to rethink food, home life, and what it means to fight for one another. This episode matters because it connects nutrition, mindset, family systems, and healing in a way that feels lived in rather than theoretical.

In this episode:

• Kody and Ron explain how they met, blended two families, and quickly built a new life together in Oregon
• Ron describes the shock of being told he was "a little cirrhotic" and later diagnosed with compensated end-stage liver disease at 35
• They talk through the emotional fallout, including fear, withdrawal, PTSD, and the strain the diagnosis put on the marriage
• Kody shares how the doctor’s vague advice to pursue a more natural lifestyle became the first thing she could grab onto
• They break down the drastic changes they made to food, including cooking from scratch, avoiding preservatives, and sourcing cleaner ingredients
• The move to homesteading in North Idaho becomes a major turning point as they begin producing more of their own food
• Ron explains how he managed chronic pain and disability through a spinal cord stimulator instead of narcotics
• They discuss homeschooling, family meetings, chore systems, and how they learned to make the whole household part of the process
• Kody and Ron share how they moved toward cleaner living with homemade cleaners, tallow and lard, fewer artificial scents, and more herbal remedies
• The episode closes on their broader message: be proactive, be intentional, and do not hide from the hard things

Ron's Links

• Hanner Homestead: www.hannerhomestead.com
• Hanner Homestead IG: www.instagram.com/thehannerhomestead
• Hanner Homestead FB: www.facebook.com/thehannerhomestead

Kody's Links

• Homestead Education Curriculum – http://thehomesteadeducation.com/homesteadeducationcurriculum
• Homestead Family Reading List – https://www.thehomesteadeducation.com/homestead-summer-reading-list/
• Instagram – https://instagram.com/homestead_education
• Facebook – https://facebook.com/thehomesteadeducation
• Raising Self-Sufficient Kids Book - https://www.thehomesteadeducation.com/product/raising-self-sufficient-children/