התמלול המלא של 002. A Rough Start

offer us a whole lot of hope at that point. 00:03:00.729 --> 00:03:08.460 All your limbs were icy cold because your vital organs were beginning to shut down. 00:03:11.710 --> 00:03:14.409 The hope was quickly fading. 00:03:16.189 --> 00:03:41.379 Your dad and I pretty much lost it. We were in the middle of a hallway near Radiology, and there were people everywhere, but it was like a loud silence. We sat in the hallway and cried and pleaded with God and made all kinds of promises if he would just spare you. 00:03:42.789 --> 00:04:02.550 And you came out of the CT scan and they took you back upstairs, and they said, if he makes it to the nightmare. 00:04:03.069 --> 00:04:05.180 So we prayed all night. 00:04:09.389 --> 00:04:57.718 And at that point, they said you had had a small stroke and that it had affected your left side, and it was the pressure on the brain, the spinal fluid. And we couldn't understand why the antibiotics weren't working because the pressure was still so high. And when we got to come in and see you after they were done doing whatever it is they had to do, your left eye was closed and the left side of your face had palsy. Your mouth hung open. You had eleven lines coming out of you, between the tube, down your throat tube, down your nose, into your stomach, numerous IVs oxygen on your nose. 00:04:57.814 --> 00:05:15.649 Just incredible tubes and lines everywhere. If I wanted to hold you, I couldn't have 22 days in the hospital. They did all these labs and stuff and said, okay, he's ready to go home. He's going to need physical therapy, he's going to need occupational therapy. 00:05:16.470 --> 00:05:20.259 They did a hearing test on you, and you were deaf on the one side. 00:05:21.670 --> 00:05:29.319 The neurologist and several of the doctors that worked on you over that period of time said, he may never really be right. 00:05:30.569 --> 00:05:42.149 You're lucky he's alive. He's deaf in one ear. He's going to struggle, but you survived. 00:06:07.209 --> 00:06:43.802 What a wild ride. It's been 30 years figuring out who I am and how I fit into the world, and this square one was the genesis of all that. I don't remember being sick. I was only a baby. But I do remember every step of the way changing because of that sickness. It meant a lot of different things along the way, but ultimately, it taught me to be a better human. I was kinder, more curious, more thoughtful, and better at figuring things out than I might not have been if I never got sick. Each of us has our own challenges, so please don't get me wrong. This isn't a pity party. 00:06:43.865 --> 00:07:02.310 This is more of a pep talk. No matter what you're going through, find a way to look at the things around you differently. I had to do this because of my loss of sight and hearing, because of my speech development issues, because of my cognitive issues and my memory loss. But I didn't let it stop me. 00:07:02.459 --> 00:07:14.262 In fact, I was the youngest kid in my karate dojo, and they almost didn't want to let me in. But I was insistent saying how curious I was about the world of karate. Wanting to learn the art form of tongsudo. 00:07:14.406 --> 00:07:20.540 I was really excited when they accepted me. Seven years old and ready to rock. But that's a story for another time. 00:07:20.910 --> 00:07:31.454 I'm excited to share these different stories because I've always wanted to, but never have taken the initiative from being bullied in elementary school. And a sea of different challenges on the way to college and beyond. 00:07:31.622 --> 00:07:35.057 Have learned that adapting to survive is part of who we are. 00:07:35.144 --> 00:07:53.410 And I feel like I'm quicker at adapting than others. But of all the things I tried when I was a kid, nothing really ever stuck the same way that photography did. In the next episode, you'll learn why my camera was the missing link in my life and how a little forest up the road changed my entire world. Until next time. Stay curious.