1 00:00:07,839 --> 00:00:10,719 Hey, humans. How's it going? Susan Ruth here. 2 00:00:10,719 --> 00:00:12,820 Thanks for listening to another episode 3 00:00:13,279 --> 00:00:14,740 of Hey, Human podcast. 4 00:00:16,054 --> 00:00:17,434 This is episode 435, 5 00:00:17,975 --> 00:00:20,315 and my guest is Alex Brito, 6 00:00:20,855 --> 00:00:22,315 diagnosed with something called 7 00:00:22,695 --> 00:00:23,195 neuromyelitis 8 00:00:24,214 --> 00:00:25,914 optica spectrum disorder, 9 00:00:26,774 --> 00:00:28,714 otherwise known as NMOSD. 10 00:00:30,469 --> 00:00:31,769 It's a rare condition. 11 00:00:32,309 --> 00:00:34,809 It attacks the central nervous system 12 00:00:35,270 --> 00:00:37,770 known for giving severe, unpredictable 13 00:00:38,869 --> 00:00:41,369 vision loss, chronic pain, paralysis, 14 00:00:42,309 --> 00:00:43,449 any number of things 15 00:00:43,750 --> 00:00:45,524 for anybody that knows anything about 16 00:00:45,925 --> 00:00:49,545 autoimmune disorders, like rheumatoid arthritis or MS, or 17 00:00:49,685 --> 00:00:51,225 it could attack a body 18 00:00:51,685 --> 00:00:54,164 in a myriad of ways depending on the 19 00:00:54,164 --> 00:00:56,024 person. She had a misdiagnosis, 20 00:00:57,045 --> 00:00:59,304 vision loss, temporary paralysis. 21 00:01:00,005 --> 00:01:00,984 Alex remains 22 00:01:02,460 --> 00:01:04,000 a incredibly strong 23 00:01:04,700 --> 00:01:07,759 powerhouse of a human. She's passionately committed 24 00:01:08,299 --> 00:01:10,079 to helping those with disabilities. 25 00:01:10,540 --> 00:01:11,759 She teaches adaptive 26 00:01:12,379 --> 00:01:12,879 technology 27 00:01:13,180 --> 00:01:15,439 to people with vision loss, and 28 00:01:15,825 --> 00:01:18,625 she maintains an active lifestyle. She's a power 29 00:01:18,625 --> 00:01:21,665 lifter, which is badass, and she's the 1st 30 00:01:21,665 --> 00:01:23,665 blind woman to earn a yellow belt in 31 00:01:23,665 --> 00:01:26,305 Krav Maga. I really enjoyed talking with Alex. 32 00:01:26,305 --> 00:01:28,244 I'm excited for you to hear this episode. 33 00:01:29,090 --> 00:01:30,150 Check out heyhumanpodcast.com 34 00:01:31,170 --> 00:01:33,010 for links and to learn more about my 35 00:01:33,010 --> 00:01:35,650 guests and the show. Hey Human Podcast is 36 00:01:35,650 --> 00:01:37,989 on YouTube under official Susan Ruth. 37 00:01:38,290 --> 00:01:40,310 I'm on patreon at susanruthism. 38 00:01:41,335 --> 00:01:44,234 My TikTok and Instagram is also susanruthism. 39 00:01:45,094 --> 00:01:45,995 Check out susanruth.com 40 00:01:46,534 --> 00:01:47,975 to learn more about me and my other 41 00:01:47,975 --> 00:01:50,855 artistic endeavors, and you can find my music, 42 00:01:50,855 --> 00:01:53,734 my albums on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, 43 00:01:53,734 --> 00:01:56,310 wherever you get your music. Rate, review, and 44 00:01:56,310 --> 00:01:59,030 subscribe to Hey Human Podcast on Apple Iheart 45 00:01:59,030 --> 00:01:59,689 and Spotify 46 00:02:00,069 --> 00:02:02,650 podcast places, or wherever you get your podcasts, 47 00:02:03,030 --> 00:02:04,329 and thank you for listening. 48 00:02:04,790 --> 00:02:05,609 Be well, 49 00:02:06,069 --> 00:02:06,810 be kind, 50 00:02:07,349 --> 00:02:08,090 be loved, 51 00:02:08,629 --> 00:02:09,849 and here we go. 52 00:02:11,125 --> 00:02:13,544 Alex Brito, welcome to Hey Human. 53 00:02:14,324 --> 00:02:16,004 Thank you. Thank you for having me. Glad 54 00:02:16,004 --> 00:02:16,745 to be here. 55 00:02:17,125 --> 00:02:20,425 Absolutely. Welcome. Welcome. Let's jump right in. 56 00:02:20,805 --> 00:02:24,085 Tell me where you're from and what shaped 57 00:02:24,085 --> 00:02:26,129 you as you were growing up. Oh, I'm 58 00:02:26,129 --> 00:02:28,310 from California, the Central Coast, 59 00:02:28,689 --> 00:02:31,510 San Luis Obispo County in a little town, 60 00:02:31,969 --> 00:02:32,710 called Oceano. 61 00:02:33,569 --> 00:02:35,569 I've lived here pretty much all my life. 62 00:02:35,569 --> 00:02:37,090 I did move away for 1 year in 63 00:02:37,090 --> 00:02:37,590 Missouri. 64 00:02:38,855 --> 00:02:41,754 That must have been culture shock. Yeah. Definitely. 65 00:02:42,294 --> 00:02:42,794 Definitely. 66 00:02:43,415 --> 00:02:45,735 Especially as a teenager, we moved right when 67 00:02:45,735 --> 00:02:46,794 I was a teen. And, 68 00:02:47,415 --> 00:02:49,514 I I enjoyed it, but definitely different. 69 00:02:50,135 --> 00:02:51,974 And we came back because my niece was 70 00:02:51,974 --> 00:02:54,599 born, so first grandbaby in the in the 71 00:02:54,599 --> 00:02:55,099 family. 72 00:02:55,879 --> 00:02:57,900 Mom wanted to be back, which was okay. 73 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:00,459 I have 2 brothers and one sister, 74 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:03,479 and we've just grown up close all our 75 00:03:03,479 --> 00:03:05,000 all our lives. I have my mom and 76 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:05,500 dad 77 00:03:05,905 --> 00:03:08,144 still in the picture with me. They've raised 78 00:03:08,144 --> 00:03:09,525 us, you know, to be just 79 00:03:10,864 --> 00:03:11,364 education, 80 00:03:12,384 --> 00:03:12,884 sports. 81 00:03:13,185 --> 00:03:14,164 So our sports 82 00:03:14,544 --> 00:03:15,205 of choice, 83 00:03:15,745 --> 00:03:18,384 was baseball and softball. Did you play in 84 00:03:18,384 --> 00:03:19,044 high school? 85 00:03:19,990 --> 00:03:21,689 No. I didn't get to, 86 00:03:22,229 --> 00:03:24,710 because by that point, I was, you know, 87 00:03:24,710 --> 00:03:25,610 dealing with 88 00:03:26,949 --> 00:03:28,250 the effects of 89 00:03:28,550 --> 00:03:29,050 NMO. 90 00:03:30,389 --> 00:03:31,990 So but I did do color guard. I 91 00:03:31,990 --> 00:03:33,770 was the 1st legally blind 92 00:03:34,455 --> 00:03:35,915 student to do color guard 93 00:03:36,534 --> 00:03:38,955 for the high school, which is really cool. 94 00:03:39,175 --> 00:03:41,754 That is really cool. Did your vision go 95 00:03:42,135 --> 00:03:44,135 all the way right away, or was it 96 00:03:44,135 --> 00:03:45,115 a slow progression? 97 00:03:45,655 --> 00:03:48,449 It was a slow progression. So it started 98 00:03:48,449 --> 00:03:51,269 when I was 12. My journey with 99 00:03:51,729 --> 00:03:53,509 my vision loss and NMO 100 00:03:53,889 --> 00:03:55,269 actually started at 12, 101 00:03:55,889 --> 00:03:56,870 back in 97. 102 00:03:59,090 --> 00:04:01,349 And it I just lost it gradually 103 00:04:02,504 --> 00:04:03,004 by 104 00:04:03,465 --> 00:04:03,965 2,003. 105 00:04:04,425 --> 00:04:06,344 How does one come to terms with something 106 00:04:06,344 --> 00:04:07,784 like that at the very beginning? And I 107 00:04:07,784 --> 00:04:09,724 understand you were misdiagnosed at first. 108 00:04:10,185 --> 00:04:10,685 Yeah. 109 00:04:11,064 --> 00:04:12,685 So it started when I was 12, 110 00:04:12,985 --> 00:04:15,084 and, you know, that's when 111 00:04:15,705 --> 00:04:17,725 NMO wasn't a thing. 112 00:04:18,759 --> 00:04:21,000 It was, I believe, being researched at the 113 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:22,860 time, but not an actual 114 00:04:24,439 --> 00:04:26,139 disease that's been declared, 115 00:04:27,879 --> 00:04:30,040 that I know of. You know what? 12, 116 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:32,764 that was hard. That was that was hard 117 00:04:32,764 --> 00:04:33,985 to wake up one day 118 00:04:35,725 --> 00:04:37,904 with, no vision in one eye 119 00:04:38,285 --> 00:04:39,024 and just 120 00:04:40,444 --> 00:04:41,805 not know what's going on. 121 00:04:42,524 --> 00:04:44,225 They initially thought it was a virus 122 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:47,199 where I was treated with some, you know, 123 00:04:47,199 --> 00:04:49,600 medications to hopefully help bring the vision back, 124 00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:50,100 which 125 00:04:50,639 --> 00:04:51,620 didn't do anything. 126 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:54,899 And then again a few months later, 127 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:57,699 I had another attack on my body, 128 00:04:59,004 --> 00:04:59,504 which 129 00:05:00,285 --> 00:05:01,584 were different symptoms, 130 00:05:02,365 --> 00:05:02,865 meaning, 131 00:05:03,324 --> 00:05:03,985 you know, 132 00:05:04,285 --> 00:05:04,944 it it affected 133 00:05:05,324 --> 00:05:07,904 this time, it was pain in my neck, 134 00:05:08,285 --> 00:05:10,305 and I felt sunburned and tremors. 135 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:14,139 And that's where I 136 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:17,160 finally got, I guess, what we thought was 137 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:19,240 the answer to my problems because I did 138 00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:21,420 a, you know, scan, and and it showed 139 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:24,139 some scarring in my spinal cord 140 00:05:26,194 --> 00:05:27,574 and optic nerves, 141 00:05:28,915 --> 00:05:31,154 and that's where I was diagnosed with, multiple 142 00:05:31,154 --> 00:05:31,654 sclerosis. 143 00:05:35,074 --> 00:05:37,495 I really didn't understand what it was, 144 00:05:38,115 --> 00:05:38,615 but 145 00:05:39,589 --> 00:05:41,269 I knew it was something serious because I 146 00:05:41,269 --> 00:05:42,329 knew my mom 147 00:05:43,029 --> 00:05:45,449 just how she reacted, you know, crying. 148 00:05:45,910 --> 00:05:47,910 But we just went ahead and did whatever 149 00:05:47,910 --> 00:05:50,149 treatment plans we needed at that time for 150 00:05:50,149 --> 00:05:51,610 me to hopefully get better, 151 00:05:52,975 --> 00:05:54,595 which they didn't seem to help, 152 00:05:55,055 --> 00:05:56,915 because I did have an attack, 153 00:05:57,295 --> 00:05:58,435 which, you know, 154 00:05:58,894 --> 00:06:00,514 on my body every 3 months. 155 00:06:02,095 --> 00:06:04,014 So it was something different every time. It 156 00:06:04,014 --> 00:06:07,314 was, you know, more vision loss or paralysis. 157 00:06:08,629 --> 00:06:11,270 And by the time 2,003 came around, I 158 00:06:11,270 --> 00:06:12,810 was completely blind 159 00:06:13,589 --> 00:06:14,730 and, paraplegic. 160 00:06:15,589 --> 00:06:18,649 When you are one of 4 children 161 00:06:19,509 --> 00:06:21,990 in a household that's especially close as you 162 00:06:21,990 --> 00:06:23,050 say yours was, 163 00:06:23,794 --> 00:06:24,034 how 164 00:06:25,154 --> 00:06:26,454 I mean, I can't even 165 00:06:27,474 --> 00:06:28,454 begin to imagine 166 00:06:29,235 --> 00:06:31,495 that for a young child anyway. 167 00:06:32,034 --> 00:06:34,134 But then the focus of the household 168 00:06:34,435 --> 00:06:35,814 has to turn to you 169 00:06:36,594 --> 00:06:38,694 for all importance because 170 00:06:39,289 --> 00:06:41,689 of the extra support you would need and 171 00:06:41,769 --> 00:06:43,149 both physically and mentally. 172 00:06:44,009 --> 00:06:46,649 What did everybody come together? Did it cause 173 00:06:46,649 --> 00:06:48,189 issues in the family unit? 174 00:06:49,449 --> 00:06:50,669 So that's that's, 175 00:06:51,849 --> 00:06:53,789 you know, really good question. It 176 00:06:54,125 --> 00:06:55,645 it was a lot. It was a lot 177 00:06:55,645 --> 00:06:57,404 to take on as far as being, you 178 00:06:57,404 --> 00:06:58,545 know, this teenager, 179 00:06:59,725 --> 00:07:00,944 wondering why me. 180 00:07:01,485 --> 00:07:01,985 And 181 00:07:02,525 --> 00:07:03,025 then 182 00:07:04,525 --> 00:07:07,089 me feeling, you know, that jealousy, 183 00:07:07,470 --> 00:07:09,310 I guess that's the worst I could say 184 00:07:09,310 --> 00:07:10,129 now of 185 00:07:10,589 --> 00:07:12,849 they get to do everything still. And 186 00:07:13,310 --> 00:07:15,149 I'm limited, but I'm I'm still trying to 187 00:07:15,149 --> 00:07:16,449 do as much as I can 188 00:07:16,750 --> 00:07:18,669 because they never put pity on me. They 189 00:07:18,669 --> 00:07:20,189 never showed pity on me. I could say 190 00:07:20,189 --> 00:07:22,384 that. And my siblings helped, 191 00:07:23,884 --> 00:07:26,285 and they never were like, well, that's not 192 00:07:26,285 --> 00:07:27,425 fair. I can't. 193 00:07:28,045 --> 00:07:29,964 Why do I have to? They never never 194 00:07:29,964 --> 00:07:30,705 did that. 195 00:07:31,884 --> 00:07:33,185 I'd always felt bad. 196 00:07:33,740 --> 00:07:35,420 I guess, at the point when I was 197 00:07:35,420 --> 00:07:37,180 paralyzed. I think that's where it really affected 198 00:07:37,180 --> 00:07:38,000 me the most, 199 00:07:38,300 --> 00:07:39,980 because, you know, they had to help me 200 00:07:39,980 --> 00:07:40,480 change 201 00:07:41,580 --> 00:07:42,639 my depends 202 00:07:43,019 --> 00:07:43,519 or 203 00:07:44,699 --> 00:07:46,000 empty out my commode. 204 00:07:47,019 --> 00:07:47,519 And 205 00:07:47,854 --> 00:07:49,555 they really had to grow up fast. 206 00:07:50,334 --> 00:07:50,834 And 207 00:07:52,014 --> 00:07:53,935 sorry. I didn't realize that was gonna affect 208 00:07:53,935 --> 00:07:56,334 me. It's a big deal. Yeah. But I'm 209 00:07:56,334 --> 00:07:57,314 just so thankful 210 00:07:58,254 --> 00:08:00,735 that I had and still have the love 211 00:08:00,735 --> 00:08:02,514 and support from them. They don't, 212 00:08:02,894 --> 00:08:03,475 you know, 213 00:08:04,830 --> 00:08:06,529 ever make me feel any different. 214 00:08:06,910 --> 00:08:07,970 They're just like, okay. 215 00:08:08,589 --> 00:08:10,430 You know? Well, what do you need, sis? 216 00:08:10,430 --> 00:08:13,550 Or and they'll, you know, especially my sister. 217 00:08:13,550 --> 00:08:15,250 My sister and I are very, very close. 218 00:08:15,790 --> 00:08:16,529 If I, 219 00:08:17,495 --> 00:08:19,095 you know, get tired, she's like, well, I 220 00:08:19,095 --> 00:08:21,654 told you. You know, you should've ordered this. 221 00:08:21,654 --> 00:08:22,154 Or 222 00:08:22,855 --> 00:08:25,115 you know? But she's always looking out, and 223 00:08:26,694 --> 00:08:29,274 I'm just really thankful that they, again, really 224 00:08:29,735 --> 00:08:32,075 never treated me different and encouraged me 225 00:08:32,759 --> 00:08:33,660 to grow up 226 00:08:34,279 --> 00:08:36,200 as regular as I could be, and my 227 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:37,100 parents too. 228 00:08:39,080 --> 00:08:39,899 They never 229 00:08:40,279 --> 00:08:41,580 cried in front of me 230 00:08:44,440 --> 00:08:45,960 to show that they were hurting. No one 231 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:48,754 ever did. Did they allow for you to 232 00:08:50,095 --> 00:08:52,575 have all your feelings, all your the big 233 00:08:52,575 --> 00:08:54,894 feelings that would come with this? Or did 234 00:08:54,894 --> 00:08:56,835 they say suck it up, you know? 235 00:08:57,215 --> 00:08:58,975 They did, but they did that too, but 236 00:08:58,975 --> 00:09:01,549 in in in an encouraging way. 237 00:09:01,929 --> 00:09:02,429 Because, 238 00:09:02,889 --> 00:09:04,509 I and I believe, 239 00:09:05,209 --> 00:09:07,129 and I know it's because they didn't want 240 00:09:07,129 --> 00:09:08,269 me to fall in that 241 00:09:09,329 --> 00:09:12,409 that Yeah. My life is over. Because I 242 00:09:12,409 --> 00:09:15,309 remember when I was 13 going to 243 00:09:16,384 --> 00:09:17,684 a support group for 244 00:09:18,304 --> 00:09:18,804 MS. 245 00:09:19,424 --> 00:09:21,264 And the ladies, you know, it was a 246 00:09:21,264 --> 00:09:23,205 women's group. They were all in their fifties, 247 00:09:23,264 --> 00:09:23,764 older, 248 00:09:24,304 --> 00:09:26,625 but it was it was that, why me? 249 00:09:26,625 --> 00:09:29,504 This is my poor my poor life. And 250 00:09:29,504 --> 00:09:30,644 it it really 251 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:34,360 traumatized me. So my mom's like, we're not 252 00:09:34,360 --> 00:09:35,019 going back. 253 00:09:35,399 --> 00:09:36,379 You know? Because 254 00:09:37,399 --> 00:09:40,360 that's not what she wanted for me in 255 00:09:40,360 --> 00:09:42,139 in a bad way, but it was, like, 256 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:43,500 that's 257 00:09:44,075 --> 00:09:45,434 what she didn't want me to think life 258 00:09:45,434 --> 00:09:46,575 was gonna be like. 259 00:09:46,955 --> 00:09:47,455 Right. 260 00:09:47,835 --> 00:09:48,634 And so, 261 00:09:48,955 --> 00:09:50,654 it was just, you know, 262 00:09:51,914 --> 00:09:53,835 never give up. We just gotta keep moving 263 00:09:53,835 --> 00:09:54,335 and 264 00:09:55,355 --> 00:09:56,875 do what we have to and hopefully get 265 00:09:56,955 --> 00:09:58,014 things get better. 266 00:09:58,670 --> 00:10:01,389 When the right diagnosis finally was given to 267 00:10:01,389 --> 00:10:03,389 you, that must have been one heck of 268 00:10:03,389 --> 00:10:05,470 a relief on one point. I mean, that's 269 00:10:05,470 --> 00:10:07,070 a weird thing to say about any kind 270 00:10:07,070 --> 00:10:08,370 of rare disease. But 271 00:10:08,750 --> 00:10:11,009 is this a a mutation on a gene? 272 00:10:11,394 --> 00:10:13,495 Is this just by chance that 273 00:10:13,954 --> 00:10:15,954 one day you're walking along and some virus 274 00:10:15,954 --> 00:10:17,875 hits and then your body reacts to it? 275 00:10:18,034 --> 00:10:19,894 Can you explain a little bit about it? 276 00:10:20,434 --> 00:10:21,735 So NMO, neuromyelitis 277 00:10:22,195 --> 00:10:25,100 optica spectrum just disorders, NMOSD. 278 00:10:25,480 --> 00:10:26,920 I always forget to put that SD in 279 00:10:26,920 --> 00:10:28,779 there. You know, it's a disease 280 00:10:29,559 --> 00:10:31,179 attacking my immune system, 281 00:10:32,120 --> 00:10:35,399 and it affects the optic nerves and spinal 282 00:10:35,399 --> 00:10:37,899 cord. And that's the simplest way I can 283 00:10:38,375 --> 00:10:40,054 describe it. You know? And it can affect 284 00:10:40,054 --> 00:10:42,315 everyone differently. Not everyone gets 285 00:10:42,934 --> 00:10:45,034 the same attacks on their body. 286 00:10:45,575 --> 00:10:48,154 And some people may just have one relapse, 287 00:10:49,254 --> 00:10:50,794 and some people, 288 00:10:51,730 --> 00:10:54,230 it can just continue affecting them. 289 00:10:55,570 --> 00:10:57,169 And that's why there's so many treatments on 290 00:10:57,169 --> 00:10:59,110 there out there that in hopes that, 291 00:11:00,370 --> 00:11:03,029 you know, one treatment may not work for 292 00:11:03,490 --> 00:11:05,570 me, it may work for someone else in 293 00:11:05,570 --> 00:11:07,544 slowing down the progression of the disease. 294 00:11:08,184 --> 00:11:10,664 That makes it quite complicated, I suppose, the 295 00:11:10,664 --> 00:11:12,424 the fact that it does manifest in so 296 00:11:12,424 --> 00:11:14,365 many different ways because how do 297 00:11:14,745 --> 00:11:16,044 you how do you treat something 298 00:11:16,985 --> 00:11:17,485 unilaterally 299 00:11:18,024 --> 00:11:18,524 that 300 00:11:19,464 --> 00:11:21,644 doesn't have a favorite pathway? 301 00:11:22,259 --> 00:11:23,800 Right. Right. Yeah. 302 00:11:25,059 --> 00:11:27,480 What do you feel about the word disability? 303 00:11:28,259 --> 00:11:29,879 I know that some people 304 00:11:30,420 --> 00:11:32,660 really don't like that. They say differently abled. 305 00:11:32,660 --> 00:11:35,059 Some people are fine with disability. What does 306 00:11:35,059 --> 00:11:36,899 that word what does it feel like to 307 00:11:36,899 --> 00:11:37,399 you? 308 00:11:37,995 --> 00:11:39,514 I guess I'm fine with it. I've never 309 00:11:39,514 --> 00:11:41,134 been asked, you know, it's it's 310 00:11:41,595 --> 00:11:42,815 a disability. It's 311 00:11:43,514 --> 00:11:45,674 it's just a word, I guess you'd say. 312 00:11:45,674 --> 00:11:46,975 I don't I've never 313 00:11:49,355 --> 00:11:50,495 thought of it any 314 00:11:50,875 --> 00:11:51,375 differently. 315 00:11:51,995 --> 00:11:52,495 Yeah. 316 00:11:53,279 --> 00:11:55,059 And you're completely blind? 317 00:11:55,440 --> 00:11:57,059 Yes. I'm completely blind. 318 00:11:57,600 --> 00:12:00,179 And so, when I was re diagnosed, 319 00:12:00,799 --> 00:12:02,100 I mentioned I was 320 00:12:02,959 --> 00:12:03,459 completely 321 00:12:04,639 --> 00:12:05,860 blind and paraplegic, 322 00:12:06,444 --> 00:12:07,644 and that's when I was put in a 323 00:12:07,644 --> 00:12:09,184 new treatment plan. And 324 00:12:09,725 --> 00:12:11,884 that new treatment actually had me walking within 325 00:12:11,884 --> 00:12:12,544 the year. 326 00:12:13,245 --> 00:12:13,745 Wow. 327 00:12:14,284 --> 00:12:16,204 Yeah. So I'm walking, and I did have 328 00:12:16,204 --> 00:12:17,264 a little flare up 329 00:12:17,644 --> 00:12:18,625 in 2020, 330 00:12:19,164 --> 00:12:21,504 which affected my legs again. 331 00:12:23,129 --> 00:12:25,210 But I'm still walking still walking. I did, 332 00:12:25,210 --> 00:12:27,549 you know, some more treatments, and 333 00:12:27,929 --> 00:12:29,049 I do have a little bit of a 334 00:12:29,049 --> 00:12:31,210 side effect, my little drag on my leg, 335 00:12:31,210 --> 00:12:32,909 but I'm still moving around, 336 00:12:33,289 --> 00:12:34,269 which I'm thankful. 337 00:12:35,075 --> 00:12:36,674 And my mom keeps telling me this. She 338 00:12:36,674 --> 00:12:38,054 goes, I always think it's weird, 339 00:12:38,835 --> 00:12:39,495 well, not 340 00:12:40,434 --> 00:12:42,695 think it weird, but to see the doctor's 341 00:12:42,754 --> 00:12:44,674 reactions when I would be asked, if you 342 00:12:44,674 --> 00:12:47,315 could get one thing back, your vision or 343 00:12:47,315 --> 00:12:48,054 your legs, 344 00:12:49,475 --> 00:12:50,695 what would you want? 345 00:12:52,329 --> 00:12:53,149 My legs. 346 00:12:53,929 --> 00:12:56,089 And she she says they already saw that 347 00:12:56,089 --> 00:12:57,069 reaction like, 348 00:12:57,769 --> 00:13:00,169 You know, because I'm thankful. I'm very thankful 349 00:13:00,169 --> 00:13:01,549 that I've been able to see 350 00:13:02,649 --> 00:13:04,029 up until I was 18. 351 00:13:05,235 --> 00:13:07,554 I am very thankful for that so that 352 00:13:07,554 --> 00:13:09,235 I know what colors are. I know what 353 00:13:09,235 --> 00:13:09,894 my family 354 00:13:10,514 --> 00:13:11,335 looks like. 355 00:13:12,835 --> 00:13:14,595 But walking, that was a hard one. That 356 00:13:14,595 --> 00:13:16,914 was to have that taken from being able 357 00:13:16,914 --> 00:13:18,455 to move and play sports. 358 00:13:19,919 --> 00:13:22,000 And just to have that autonomy, probably, of 359 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:23,220 being able to move around. 360 00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:24,580 Yeah. 361 00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:25,759 Sure. So 362 00:13:27,039 --> 00:13:28,019 I read an article 363 00:13:28,559 --> 00:13:29,700 a while back now, 364 00:13:30,320 --> 00:13:30,820 neuroscientists 365 00:13:31,360 --> 00:13:32,580 that had worked on 366 00:13:33,039 --> 00:13:33,539 a 367 00:13:34,334 --> 00:13:34,834 receptor 368 00:13:35,534 --> 00:13:36,034 that 369 00:13:36,414 --> 00:13:38,815 I believe it was brain implanted and then 370 00:13:38,815 --> 00:13:41,615 the receptor came out and sat on the 371 00:13:41,615 --> 00:13:42,115 tongue. 372 00:13:42,815 --> 00:13:43,315 And 373 00:13:43,774 --> 00:13:44,274 it 374 00:13:45,214 --> 00:13:46,595 acts in a way 375 00:13:47,230 --> 00:13:48,830 sort of the way the optic nerve would 376 00:13:48,830 --> 00:13:51,870 act and that it allows for images to 377 00:13:51,870 --> 00:13:52,370 be, 378 00:13:53,470 --> 00:13:55,710 received by the brain for what is the 379 00:13:55,710 --> 00:13:58,210 surroundings are. It's really fascinating. 380 00:13:58,910 --> 00:14:00,750 Have you read about Yeah. I have. You 381 00:14:00,750 --> 00:14:02,289 you probably read braille. Yes? 382 00:14:03,054 --> 00:14:03,554 Slowly. 383 00:14:03,934 --> 00:14:05,934 Before I was reading pretty fast, and then 384 00:14:05,934 --> 00:14:07,695 I lost some sensation there. But, yeah, I 385 00:14:07,695 --> 00:14:09,455 can read it very slow. I actually use 386 00:14:09,455 --> 00:14:12,254 screen reading programs. Oh, great. Mhmm. So, yeah. 387 00:14:12,254 --> 00:14:15,295 Sure. That makes sense. Yeah. So, but, yeah, 388 00:14:15,295 --> 00:14:16,975 I did read that. And it was very 389 00:14:16,975 --> 00:14:19,589 interesting. There was also, I think, an implant, 390 00:14:19,589 --> 00:14:20,490 like, a camera 391 00:14:21,190 --> 00:14:21,850 that would 392 00:14:22,710 --> 00:14:24,149 come out, like, the side of your head 393 00:14:24,149 --> 00:14:26,549 or something. And there's just it's amazing on 394 00:14:26,549 --> 00:14:29,350 what they're trying to do. And within your 395 00:14:29,350 --> 00:14:31,975 lifetime, within my lifetime, there may be even 396 00:14:31,975 --> 00:14:33,495 though you say as long as you can 397 00:14:33,495 --> 00:14:35,174 walk, you're fine, but there, you know, there 398 00:14:35,174 --> 00:14:37,355 may be advances such that 399 00:14:37,894 --> 00:14:39,434 you will be able to see again. 400 00:14:39,894 --> 00:14:40,955 Yeah. Yeah. 401 00:14:41,495 --> 00:14:43,495 Does that feel like false hope, or is 402 00:14:43,495 --> 00:14:46,000 that something you look forward to? I look 403 00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:48,240 forward to it, and it's one of those 404 00:14:48,240 --> 00:14:50,579 things I've always said. It's, 405 00:14:51,039 --> 00:14:52,720 you know, my miracle was to come to 406 00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:55,539 get my vision, but someone else needed it, 407 00:14:55,679 --> 00:14:56,899 that miracle first. 408 00:14:58,625 --> 00:14:59,605 By all means, 409 00:15:00,545 --> 00:15:01,985 I'll go back to the end of the 410 00:15:01,985 --> 00:15:04,465 line. Because I'm I'm I'm content, and I 411 00:15:04,465 --> 00:15:04,965 know 412 00:15:05,585 --> 00:15:07,125 some people may think that's 413 00:15:07,585 --> 00:15:09,045 kinda weird to hear, but 414 00:15:09,585 --> 00:15:11,429 I am. I'm very content with my life. 415 00:15:11,509 --> 00:15:13,029 I don't get me wrong. There are moments 416 00:15:13,029 --> 00:15:14,389 where it's like, oh, I wish I could 417 00:15:14,389 --> 00:15:16,490 just open up a book and read 418 00:15:17,509 --> 00:15:19,110 the page you know, see and read the 419 00:15:19,110 --> 00:15:20,330 pages or 420 00:15:21,429 --> 00:15:22,730 really know what my 421 00:15:23,509 --> 00:15:25,964 family looks like now because I just get 422 00:15:25,964 --> 00:15:27,345 my AI generated 423 00:15:28,044 --> 00:15:28,544 screen, 424 00:15:29,804 --> 00:15:32,924 picture describers now that tell me what pictures 425 00:15:32,924 --> 00:15:33,585 look like. 426 00:15:34,284 --> 00:15:35,504 Well, I am 427 00:15:36,524 --> 00:15:38,764 sort of tan and flushed cheeks. I have 428 00:15:38,764 --> 00:15:41,459 black hair with fringy bangs, and I'm wearing 429 00:15:41,459 --> 00:15:43,720 a gray sweatshirt and a pink t shirt. 430 00:15:43,779 --> 00:15:45,639 And I have big kinda big teeth. 431 00:15:47,539 --> 00:15:49,860 Thank you for the description. I really appreciate 432 00:15:49,860 --> 00:15:51,699 that. And I love that more people are 433 00:15:51,699 --> 00:15:52,179 doing that, 434 00:15:53,514 --> 00:15:55,514 just that little description, because it just helps. 435 00:15:55,514 --> 00:15:57,355 It's just that, okay, and you get a 436 00:15:57,355 --> 00:15:58,894 general idea. Mhmm. 437 00:15:59,274 --> 00:16:00,174 When you dream, 438 00:16:00,714 --> 00:16:02,095 are your dreams quite vivid? 439 00:16:02,794 --> 00:16:04,654 I see I can see in my dreams, 440 00:16:05,754 --> 00:16:07,934 but I know in my dreams I'm blind. 441 00:16:08,750 --> 00:16:11,629 Oh, that's an interesting twist. Yeah. It's so 442 00:16:11,629 --> 00:16:13,629 weird because I know I'm I'm blind in 443 00:16:13,629 --> 00:16:15,789 my dream, but I can see in my 444 00:16:15,789 --> 00:16:16,289 dreams. 445 00:16:16,990 --> 00:16:18,909 Do you have a deep faith? Do you 446 00:16:18,909 --> 00:16:21,524 believe do you believe in God? Is spirituality 447 00:16:21,524 --> 00:16:23,284 a part of your life? Or do you 448 00:16:23,284 --> 00:16:25,205 do you have those kind of conversations? Were 449 00:16:25,205 --> 00:16:26,884 you ever mad if you do believe in 450 00:16:26,884 --> 00:16:28,504 God? Were you ever mad at God? 451 00:16:29,605 --> 00:16:31,125 No. I was never mad at God, and 452 00:16:31,125 --> 00:16:32,585 I did grow up, you know, 453 00:16:33,570 --> 00:16:34,070 but 454 00:16:35,009 --> 00:16:36,850 I do believe in God, and I was 455 00:16:36,850 --> 00:16:38,309 raised Catholic, and 456 00:16:38,929 --> 00:16:40,610 I mean, I don't attend church, but I 457 00:16:40,610 --> 00:16:42,309 do believe and I do pray. 458 00:16:42,850 --> 00:16:44,289 I was just never mad. It was just 459 00:16:44,289 --> 00:16:47,730 that why me kind of just always asked 460 00:16:47,730 --> 00:16:48,230 that. 461 00:16:49,205 --> 00:16:51,304 I just knew there was a a reason, 462 00:16:51,764 --> 00:16:53,684 and I've heard that from people. There's a 463 00:16:53,684 --> 00:16:55,545 reason why this happened to you. But, 464 00:16:56,325 --> 00:16:58,725 I guess just my reason now, I believe, 465 00:16:58,725 --> 00:17:02,024 is just to keep living my life and 466 00:17:03,389 --> 00:17:04,609 showing people that 467 00:17:05,070 --> 00:17:05,809 no matter, 468 00:17:07,230 --> 00:17:09,230 you know, my situation, I'm just gonna keep 469 00:17:09,230 --> 00:17:10,049 pushing forward. 470 00:17:12,109 --> 00:17:14,509 Yes. Do you want children someday? And if 471 00:17:14,509 --> 00:17:17,309 so, is this a genetic component that concerns 472 00:17:17,309 --> 00:17:17,809 you? 473 00:17:18,265 --> 00:17:19,644 Oh, you're gonna be crying again. 474 00:17:20,184 --> 00:17:23,164 So I've been trying. I've always wanted children, 475 00:17:24,424 --> 00:17:25,944 but my husband and I have had no 476 00:17:25,944 --> 00:17:26,444 luck. 477 00:17:27,865 --> 00:17:28,365 And, 478 00:17:28,825 --> 00:17:29,724 we don't know. 479 00:17:31,359 --> 00:17:33,460 I I don't know if it's animal related 480 00:17:33,519 --> 00:17:34,019 or 481 00:17:35,039 --> 00:17:37,359 just fertility issues in both of us. You 482 00:17:37,359 --> 00:17:39,059 know, unfortunately, we can't afford, 483 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:42,480 those type of treatments, but Sure. I would 484 00:17:42,480 --> 00:17:44,720 have loved to. I'm gonna be turning 40 485 00:17:44,720 --> 00:17:45,460 this year. 486 00:17:46,005 --> 00:17:46,744 Still young. 487 00:17:47,445 --> 00:17:49,125 Yeah. And so I know it's one of 488 00:17:49,125 --> 00:17:49,525 those, 489 00:17:51,045 --> 00:17:52,984 and then my clock is ticking, but, 490 00:17:54,085 --> 00:17:55,545 I would love to have children. 491 00:17:57,940 --> 00:18:00,440 And my sister did, offer herself 492 00:18:00,980 --> 00:18:03,940 just to be our surrogate when we're ready. 493 00:18:03,940 --> 00:18:04,440 So 494 00:18:04,980 --> 00:18:07,000 we're ready, but it's just one of those 495 00:18:07,299 --> 00:18:07,799 looking. 496 00:18:08,900 --> 00:18:11,460 Yeah. Now how to make it happen. Yeah. 497 00:18:11,460 --> 00:18:13,160 Absolutely. How'd you meet your husband? 498 00:18:13,914 --> 00:18:15,134 Actually, we met on 499 00:18:15,595 --> 00:18:16,795 a a party line. So, 500 00:18:17,674 --> 00:18:18,795 I don't know if you ever heard those, 501 00:18:18,795 --> 00:18:21,214 like like, a dating map, but you 502 00:18:21,595 --> 00:18:23,454 just call in a number and 503 00:18:24,234 --> 00:18:25,134 talk to people. 504 00:18:26,539 --> 00:18:27,819 And, yeah, I know it was just one 505 00:18:27,819 --> 00:18:29,420 of those. I was getting ready to go 506 00:18:29,420 --> 00:18:30,480 take some exams. 507 00:18:31,660 --> 00:18:33,339 I was in community college by then, and 508 00:18:33,339 --> 00:18:34,799 he happened to be on there. 509 00:18:35,500 --> 00:18:38,240 And we connected, sent a couple of messages, 510 00:18:38,380 --> 00:18:38,880 and 511 00:18:40,255 --> 00:18:43,294 been together 16 years. Oh, wow. What's the 512 00:18:43,294 --> 00:18:43,794 secret? 513 00:18:45,134 --> 00:18:47,294 Well, we took actually a whole year to 514 00:18:47,294 --> 00:18:49,534 meet. We only lived about 20 minutes apart, 515 00:18:49,534 --> 00:18:50,914 but we talked every day, 516 00:18:51,534 --> 00:18:53,775 and it's really been a journey. There's been 517 00:18:53,775 --> 00:18:54,755 moments where 518 00:18:55,599 --> 00:18:57,919 it's not perfect, and it's still a work 519 00:18:57,919 --> 00:18:58,579 in progress 520 00:18:58,960 --> 00:19:01,299 till That's every relationship. Yeah. Yeah. 521 00:19:02,639 --> 00:19:04,639 I'd be concerned if anyone ever said their 522 00:19:04,639 --> 00:19:06,639 relationship was perfect, that I know. They weren't 523 00:19:06,639 --> 00:19:08,579 actually living in a real relationship. 524 00:19:09,815 --> 00:19:11,575 So but it's just he's been great. He's, 525 00:19:11,575 --> 00:19:13,335 you know, he's when I told him I 526 00:19:13,335 --> 00:19:14,795 was blind, he's, like, okay. 527 00:19:15,734 --> 00:19:17,434 And he knows all my issues 528 00:19:17,815 --> 00:19:19,835 that I have, you know, whether they're embarrassing 529 00:19:19,894 --> 00:19:21,755 that I thought were embarrassing, but 530 00:19:22,549 --> 00:19:25,210 he's always he's never made me feel 531 00:19:25,669 --> 00:19:26,730 ashamed of, 532 00:19:27,109 --> 00:19:30,329 you know, incontinence issues or feeling 533 00:19:30,630 --> 00:19:33,049 that, you know, I'm hurting today. He's 534 00:19:33,429 --> 00:19:35,210 he's been supportive in that way. 535 00:19:35,589 --> 00:19:36,089 Yeah. 536 00:19:38,384 --> 00:19:40,484 What's something that you wish people knew about 537 00:19:40,625 --> 00:19:42,865 what it's like to be blind? And to 538 00:19:42,865 --> 00:19:43,605 be in 539 00:19:43,984 --> 00:19:45,285 a a place of disability, 540 00:19:45,904 --> 00:19:47,605 even just in anything. 541 00:19:48,144 --> 00:19:49,525 Being blind, it's 542 00:19:55,799 --> 00:19:57,659 being blind. Let's see. Not 543 00:19:58,839 --> 00:20:01,079 not so scary. It's not as bad as 544 00:20:01,079 --> 00:20:02,839 it was when I first started. And I 545 00:20:02,839 --> 00:20:05,980 say that because the the advancement in technology 546 00:20:06,440 --> 00:20:06,940 is 547 00:20:08,065 --> 00:20:08,565 amazing. 548 00:20:09,345 --> 00:20:11,184 I actually teach the blind how to use 549 00:20:11,184 --> 00:20:12,164 assistive technology. 550 00:20:12,625 --> 00:20:13,125 So, 551 00:20:14,065 --> 00:20:16,005 you know, screen readers and 552 00:20:17,664 --> 00:20:19,825 being able to use, you know, an iPhone 553 00:20:19,825 --> 00:20:21,365 with a screen reader and 554 00:20:21,970 --> 00:20:23,910 be on social media, it's 555 00:20:25,730 --> 00:20:28,450 it's so much more advanced today than it 556 00:20:28,450 --> 00:20:29,670 was when I was 557 00:20:30,049 --> 00:20:32,150 when I first started my vision loss journey 558 00:20:33,090 --> 00:20:35,410 because there was really nothing. There was barely 559 00:20:35,410 --> 00:20:36,870 the Internet. You know? 560 00:20:37,234 --> 00:20:39,494 Yeah. I don't think the world is 561 00:20:40,115 --> 00:20:40,615 very 562 00:20:41,234 --> 00:20:44,115 receptive sometimes to people with disabilities, if not 563 00:20:44,115 --> 00:20:45,475 a lot of times. And it's just not 564 00:20:45,475 --> 00:20:47,174 a world set up to accommodate 565 00:20:47,475 --> 00:20:49,795 people that are anything other than whatever the 566 00:20:49,795 --> 00:20:51,015 quote norm is. 567 00:20:52,109 --> 00:20:53,710 Even though we all are eventually 568 00:20:54,430 --> 00:20:57,150 probably, if we live long enough, we'll face 569 00:20:57,150 --> 00:20:59,710 a disability, it's it's something that seems to 570 00:20:59,710 --> 00:21:02,369 be mostly ignored for the most part. 571 00:21:03,230 --> 00:21:05,069 Yeah. That is true. There is still a 572 00:21:05,069 --> 00:21:07,335 lot of work in progress, you know, like 573 00:21:07,335 --> 00:21:08,234 you said, accommodating 574 00:21:09,174 --> 00:21:11,434 for people with disabilities out there. 575 00:21:12,375 --> 00:21:13,115 But just, 576 00:21:14,214 --> 00:21:15,595 you know, if there's an issue, 577 00:21:16,775 --> 00:21:17,994 bring it up, you know, 578 00:21:18,859 --> 00:21:19,759 Talk to people 579 00:21:20,460 --> 00:21:22,160 and just be mindful that 580 00:21:24,460 --> 00:21:26,480 a person with a disability isn't 581 00:21:28,940 --> 00:21:31,180 someone to be pitied on, but just someone 582 00:21:31,180 --> 00:21:31,680 to 583 00:21:33,204 --> 00:21:35,684 reach out to and and see if, you 584 00:21:35,684 --> 00:21:37,365 know, what they can do to make things 585 00:21:37,365 --> 00:21:37,865 better 586 00:21:38,484 --> 00:21:39,625 is a big help. 587 00:21:41,365 --> 00:21:43,524 A very, very big, big help. You know, 588 00:21:43,524 --> 00:21:45,464 as simple as offering a menu 589 00:21:46,164 --> 00:21:48,650 in braille or holding a door open for 590 00:21:48,650 --> 00:21:50,650 someone that might be struggling a little if 591 00:21:50,650 --> 00:21:51,549 they need it. 592 00:21:52,569 --> 00:21:53,390 But don't 593 00:21:53,849 --> 00:21:55,529 one thing is don't go up and grab 594 00:21:55,529 --> 00:21:56,109 a person. 595 00:21:56,650 --> 00:21:58,329 I've had someone try to grab my arm 596 00:21:58,329 --> 00:22:00,170 before. Oh, let me let me take you 597 00:22:00,170 --> 00:22:01,150 across the street. 598 00:22:03,105 --> 00:22:05,424 And I appreciate that, but, you know, in 599 00:22:05,424 --> 00:22:07,825 that moment, I'm counting my steps. I'm listening 600 00:22:07,825 --> 00:22:08,724 to my surroundings 601 00:22:09,505 --> 00:22:11,045 to know when to cross the street, 602 00:22:12,545 --> 00:22:13,684 and that could be 603 00:22:14,640 --> 00:22:15,700 a dangerous situation 604 00:22:16,160 --> 00:22:16,900 as well. 605 00:22:17,599 --> 00:22:18,660 Also, super 606 00:22:19,039 --> 00:22:21,200 vulnerable place to have just somebody come and 607 00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:23,059 grab at you even if they 608 00:22:23,519 --> 00:22:25,920 have good intentions. Yeah. You don't know that. 609 00:22:25,920 --> 00:22:28,180 You can't read someone's face or body language. 610 00:22:28,674 --> 00:22:30,595 Yeah. And I've had some training in martial 611 00:22:30,595 --> 00:22:32,375 arts, so I've had 612 00:22:32,994 --> 00:22:34,295 that learning to, like, 613 00:22:34,994 --> 00:22:37,234 know those when someone's grabbing you. Okay. Don't 614 00:22:37,234 --> 00:22:38,454 react in in a 615 00:22:38,914 --> 00:22:41,315 in a self defense mode. But Yeah. I 616 00:22:41,315 --> 00:22:43,174 read that you do Krav Maga? 617 00:22:43,710 --> 00:22:45,789 Yes. I I've done Krav Maga. I have 618 00:22:45,789 --> 00:22:47,650 a yellow belt in Krav Maga. 619 00:22:48,109 --> 00:22:51,390 Badass. Yeah. I love it. Oh, yeah. It's 620 00:22:51,549 --> 00:22:53,150 it was in a is one of the 621 00:22:53,150 --> 00:22:54,849 best experiences I've had, 622 00:22:55,470 --> 00:22:58,289 just doing that and getting that certification 623 00:22:59,355 --> 00:23:01,295 in 8 months of training. 624 00:23:02,394 --> 00:23:05,535 I imagine you actually have, in some ways, 625 00:23:06,075 --> 00:23:07,994 more of a leg up because you do 626 00:23:07,994 --> 00:23:08,494 probably 627 00:23:08,875 --> 00:23:09,375 have 628 00:23:09,914 --> 00:23:12,414 extra skills in listening and sensing, 629 00:23:12,875 --> 00:23:15,339 things that we, who can see, take for 630 00:23:15,339 --> 00:23:15,839 granted 631 00:23:16,380 --> 00:23:18,460 because we think that the one sense is 632 00:23:18,460 --> 00:23:19,919 all we need, is that 633 00:23:20,220 --> 00:23:21,519 do you find that 634 00:23:21,900 --> 00:23:24,619 you end up teaching others about the other 635 00:23:24,619 --> 00:23:26,720 senses more than they maybe 636 00:23:27,019 --> 00:23:28,400 knew about for themselves? 637 00:23:29,125 --> 00:23:30,804 Maybe they pick it up, but I'll always 638 00:23:30,804 --> 00:23:32,884 explain, like, I I and it is true. 639 00:23:32,884 --> 00:23:35,285 I do feel those different senses where if 640 00:23:35,285 --> 00:23:37,944 someone's by me, it's a pressure I feel, 641 00:23:38,404 --> 00:23:39,544 and then my reaction 642 00:23:40,005 --> 00:23:42,519 is my hands are a lot faster. That 643 00:23:42,519 --> 00:23:45,339 was something that was noticed during training was, 644 00:23:45,720 --> 00:23:46,619 like, really fast 645 00:23:46,920 --> 00:23:47,660 in reacting. 646 00:23:49,880 --> 00:23:51,740 And just listening, I do. 647 00:23:52,759 --> 00:23:54,940 That was something I did pick up. 648 00:23:56,234 --> 00:23:57,994 And I was actually talking with my husband 649 00:23:57,994 --> 00:23:59,134 the other night about 650 00:24:00,634 --> 00:24:02,234 remembering growing up, and my mom would say, 651 00:24:02,234 --> 00:24:03,855 yeah, you would say dad's home, 652 00:24:04,154 --> 00:24:06,075 and he would, you know, roll up in 653 00:24:06,075 --> 00:24:08,335 the car, like, 3 or 4 minutes later 654 00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:10,839 because I could hear his car could hear 655 00:24:10,839 --> 00:24:12,519 his car and they're like, oh, he's not 656 00:24:12,519 --> 00:24:13,880 home, and then there he comes, you know, 657 00:24:13,880 --> 00:24:14,940 3 minutes later. 658 00:24:15,400 --> 00:24:17,099 Does that also work with 659 00:24:17,960 --> 00:24:21,099 hearing people's voices and hearing what's actually 660 00:24:21,400 --> 00:24:24,355 being said behind what's being said? Do you 661 00:24:24,355 --> 00:24:26,134 find that you pick up on that more? 662 00:24:26,914 --> 00:24:28,855 No. I've never paid attention to that actually. 663 00:24:29,554 --> 00:24:31,095 Not to go pay attention to that. 664 00:24:33,154 --> 00:24:35,234 Just because so many people say things, but 665 00:24:35,234 --> 00:24:37,589 they're thinking other things. I just wondered if 666 00:24:37,589 --> 00:24:39,670 there was maybe an inflection that you picked 667 00:24:39,670 --> 00:24:41,589 up on. Yeah. You can pick that up, 668 00:24:41,589 --> 00:24:43,509 but I've I've never thought of it as, 669 00:24:43,509 --> 00:24:45,750 you know, maybe a blind thing or not, 670 00:24:46,390 --> 00:24:47,829 because you can, you know, pick up on 671 00:24:47,829 --> 00:24:48,329 tones. 672 00:24:48,644 --> 00:24:50,484 I'm not blind, so I all I can 673 00:24:50,484 --> 00:24:52,565 do is ask because it just seems like 674 00:24:52,565 --> 00:24:53,625 it would hypersensitize 675 00:24:54,565 --> 00:24:56,505 every other aspect of your being. 676 00:24:56,964 --> 00:24:58,644 Mhmm. Because I know that when I'm in 677 00:24:58,644 --> 00:25:00,184 a very, very dark room, 678 00:25:01,140 --> 00:25:02,519 the first thing I do 679 00:25:02,820 --> 00:25:04,900 in order to maneuver that dark room let's 680 00:25:04,900 --> 00:25:05,859 say I have to get up to pee 681 00:25:05,859 --> 00:25:07,220 or something in the middle of the night. 682 00:25:07,220 --> 00:25:08,660 The first thing I do is show my 683 00:25:08,660 --> 00:25:10,340 eyes. And as soon as I show my 684 00:25:10,340 --> 00:25:12,039 eyes, I can navigate the room. 685 00:25:12,500 --> 00:25:13,000 Uh-huh. 686 00:25:13,380 --> 00:25:14,359 Do you get that, 687 00:25:14,734 --> 00:25:16,355 I guess, that sense of direction, 688 00:25:16,815 --> 00:25:18,654 you do that. I mean, I think it's 689 00:25:18,654 --> 00:25:20,974 bad, and I think it just when your 690 00:25:20,974 --> 00:25:23,715 eyes close, the rest of your senses 691 00:25:24,815 --> 00:25:25,715 get more heightened. 692 00:25:26,174 --> 00:25:28,460 Mhmm. It's a theory. I've been pretty it 693 00:25:28,460 --> 00:25:30,059 just that's what it feels like to me. 694 00:25:30,059 --> 00:25:32,700 Like, suddenly, as you said, you almost feel 695 00:25:32,700 --> 00:25:35,500 what's around you without even touching it. You 696 00:25:35,500 --> 00:25:36,480 sense it there 697 00:25:36,940 --> 00:25:37,839 like a bat, 698 00:25:38,220 --> 00:25:39,039 like echolocation 699 00:25:39,419 --> 00:25:40,079 or something. 700 00:25:41,054 --> 00:25:42,494 Yeah. And actually, I do that when I 701 00:25:42,494 --> 00:25:42,994 read. 702 00:25:43,534 --> 00:25:44,894 But my mom says I always have my 703 00:25:44,894 --> 00:25:46,654 eyes closed since I say I keep them 704 00:25:46,654 --> 00:25:48,034 closed so I don't get wrinkles. 705 00:25:48,734 --> 00:25:49,234 But 706 00:25:50,254 --> 00:25:51,774 but when I read, I actually do close 707 00:25:51,774 --> 00:25:53,954 my eyes so I could picture it 708 00:25:54,400 --> 00:25:55,220 in my head. 709 00:25:56,160 --> 00:25:59,460 So you're deciding to go to school and 710 00:25:59,759 --> 00:26:00,819 now help people. 711 00:26:01,119 --> 00:26:03,359 Was that a no brainer? I've always gone 712 00:26:03,359 --> 00:26:04,819 to school. I didn't finish, 713 00:26:05,440 --> 00:26:07,039 I I only have, like, a few credits 714 00:26:07,039 --> 00:26:08,579 for my community college. 715 00:26:09,154 --> 00:26:11,174 I've always wanted to do massage therapy. 716 00:26:12,115 --> 00:26:14,755 And there was a school here, and I'm 717 00:26:14,755 --> 00:26:17,335 enrolled with Department of Rehab, and they help 718 00:26:17,394 --> 00:26:20,615 people with disabilities get, you know, education or 719 00:26:20,835 --> 00:26:21,734 or careers. 720 00:26:22,799 --> 00:26:24,399 And they offered, you know, to pay for 721 00:26:24,399 --> 00:26:25,700 my schooling, and 722 00:26:26,079 --> 00:26:28,179 the local school I had here just 723 00:26:28,559 --> 00:26:29,059 wouldn't 724 00:26:30,399 --> 00:26:32,980 take me in. Nope. You know, you need 725 00:26:33,119 --> 00:26:35,279 someone certified to help you in the class. 726 00:26:35,279 --> 00:26:36,075 I did that. 727 00:26:36,554 --> 00:26:37,054 Nope. 728 00:26:37,355 --> 00:26:39,115 We can't do this. You know, whatever they 729 00:26:39,115 --> 00:26:40,954 threw at me, I was able to yes. 730 00:26:40,954 --> 00:26:42,315 I can I can do this? I can 731 00:26:42,315 --> 00:26:43,774 do it the way you guys want, 732 00:26:44,075 --> 00:26:46,014 but it was the vision thing they didn't 733 00:26:47,835 --> 00:26:48,654 see past. 734 00:26:49,950 --> 00:26:52,130 So that was discouraging, and 735 00:26:53,869 --> 00:26:56,529 and when I had gotten just another evaluation 736 00:26:56,750 --> 00:26:57,970 for some new technology, 737 00:26:58,669 --> 00:26:59,809 the person who actually 738 00:27:01,470 --> 00:27:02,450 did my evaluation, 739 00:27:02,829 --> 00:27:03,855 Paul, he 740 00:27:04,414 --> 00:27:05,154 he said, 741 00:27:05,654 --> 00:27:06,945 hey. You know, 742 00:27:07,375 --> 00:27:08,654 he got a new client. He goes, you 743 00:27:08,654 --> 00:27:09,634 wanna teach him 744 00:27:10,335 --> 00:27:12,575 how to use, it's called Jaws. It's a 745 00:27:12,575 --> 00:27:14,734 screen reader that we put on our computers, 746 00:27:14,734 --> 00:27:16,894 and it reads everything to us, allowing us 747 00:27:16,894 --> 00:27:18,115 to navigate. 748 00:27:19,279 --> 00:27:21,200 And I said, sure, just jokingly. He goes, 749 00:27:21,200 --> 00:27:23,500 no, really. Do you would you like to 750 00:27:23,679 --> 00:27:25,919 teach him? And I said, okay. And, you 751 00:27:25,919 --> 00:27:28,240 know, started there, and then I enrolled in 752 00:27:28,240 --> 00:27:30,980 a school for the blind that's in Arkansas 753 00:27:31,039 --> 00:27:32,900 and did my training for a year 754 00:27:33,285 --> 00:27:35,705 as an assistive technology instructor. 755 00:27:36,725 --> 00:27:37,465 And so, 756 00:27:37,845 --> 00:27:38,825 I just graduated 757 00:27:39,205 --> 00:27:40,345 here in September. 758 00:27:41,205 --> 00:27:42,424 Congrats. Certifications. 759 00:27:42,725 --> 00:27:44,965 Thank you. And but it's just been so 760 00:27:44,965 --> 00:27:46,585 gratifying. It's been really 761 00:27:47,869 --> 00:27:50,349 so gratifying because it's I've worked with all 762 00:27:50,349 --> 00:27:51,250 different ages, 763 00:27:51,789 --> 00:27:52,289 and 764 00:27:52,669 --> 00:27:53,569 just that 765 00:27:54,269 --> 00:27:54,769 oh, 766 00:27:55,069 --> 00:27:57,710 okay. I can I can check my email 767 00:27:57,710 --> 00:28:00,369 now? I can go online and shop. 768 00:28:02,105 --> 00:28:03,565 It's just been so fulfilling. 769 00:28:05,065 --> 00:28:05,565 Fulfilling. 770 00:28:06,025 --> 00:28:06,525 Yeah. 771 00:28:07,625 --> 00:28:09,705 And it's just I guess this is what 772 00:28:09,705 --> 00:28:11,484 I was meant to do. I love it. 773 00:28:12,265 --> 00:28:14,365 It's it's a lot of work. I'm 774 00:28:14,839 --> 00:28:16,220 on the computer all day 775 00:28:17,000 --> 00:28:18,680 and then studying at night because I can 776 00:28:18,759 --> 00:28:20,059 I'm continuing my education 777 00:28:20,920 --> 00:28:21,740 with Cadis. 778 00:28:22,119 --> 00:28:25,339 It's a certified assistive technology instructor specialist. 779 00:28:26,119 --> 00:28:28,519 So it's a master's level program. And, 780 00:28:29,275 --> 00:28:30,795 yeah, and so it's just a lot of 781 00:28:30,795 --> 00:28:31,615 work, but 782 00:28:32,714 --> 00:28:34,654 it it it is paying off. 783 00:28:35,355 --> 00:28:38,174 Yeah. That's really lovely to give back also. 784 00:28:38,394 --> 00:28:40,734 Absolutely. Do you have a service animal? 785 00:28:41,450 --> 00:28:44,329 Yes. I have Pawnee. She's my 2nd guide 786 00:28:44,329 --> 00:28:44,829 dog. 787 00:28:45,930 --> 00:28:48,089 She's a black lab, and my first one 788 00:28:48,089 --> 00:28:48,829 was Samantha. 789 00:28:49,609 --> 00:28:50,109 Oh. 790 00:28:50,569 --> 00:28:53,289 And so 2 different personalities. Miss Samantha walked 791 00:28:53,289 --> 00:28:55,630 around sassy and classy. You know, we 792 00:28:56,065 --> 00:28:57,365 strut our stuff on 793 00:28:58,225 --> 00:29:01,205 the campus, and miss Pani, she's a she's 794 00:29:01,265 --> 00:29:02,244 a little rocket, 795 00:29:03,664 --> 00:29:04,965 just full of energy 796 00:29:05,345 --> 00:29:06,805 and really, really fast. 797 00:29:08,384 --> 00:29:09,845 I say really fast, but 798 00:29:11,589 --> 00:29:13,690 I'm just so grateful for even, you 799 00:29:13,990 --> 00:29:16,009 know, being able to get a service animal 800 00:29:16,869 --> 00:29:18,809 Yeah. Have that sense of freedom. 801 00:29:20,389 --> 00:29:22,789 When they when the animals come to you, 802 00:29:22,789 --> 00:29:23,289 do 803 00:29:23,909 --> 00:29:25,755 I know that they come trained, but then 804 00:29:25,755 --> 00:29:28,234 you add your own kind of whatever you 805 00:29:28,234 --> 00:29:29,674 need on top of that. Is that how 806 00:29:29,674 --> 00:29:30,335 that works? 807 00:29:30,875 --> 00:29:33,355 So we have to be, quote, unquote, cane 808 00:29:33,355 --> 00:29:35,455 certified using our white canes, 809 00:29:36,154 --> 00:29:38,234 and they come and evaluate us to make 810 00:29:38,234 --> 00:29:39,615 sure we know how to navigate, 811 00:29:41,009 --> 00:29:41,750 cross streets, 812 00:29:42,210 --> 00:29:43,110 walk in different 813 00:29:44,610 --> 00:29:46,630 terrains. Is that the word? You know? 814 00:29:47,650 --> 00:29:48,150 And 815 00:29:49,009 --> 00:29:50,390 making sure we can 816 00:29:52,644 --> 00:29:54,404 keep up with the amount of care that 817 00:29:54,404 --> 00:29:55,704 these dogs 818 00:29:56,164 --> 00:29:56,664 have. 819 00:29:57,204 --> 00:29:59,765 So then we're flown out to the school 820 00:29:59,765 --> 00:30:01,144 or drive out drone 821 00:30:01,525 --> 00:30:02,664 drive out to the school 822 00:30:03,204 --> 00:30:05,605 and get 2 weeks of training. I went 823 00:30:05,605 --> 00:30:07,144 to Guide Dogs For the Blind, 824 00:30:08,279 --> 00:30:10,680 and it's 2 weeks of pretty much intense 825 00:30:10,680 --> 00:30:11,180 training, 826 00:30:12,440 --> 00:30:14,299 6 AM till about 10 o'clock, 827 00:30:14,840 --> 00:30:17,320 working with your dog, you know, waking up, 828 00:30:17,320 --> 00:30:18,940 feeding them, grooming them, 829 00:30:19,880 --> 00:30:20,380 walking, 830 00:30:21,075 --> 00:30:23,554 and, you know, taking some courses. They offer, 831 00:30:23,554 --> 00:30:25,634 like, little lecture series and stuff like that, 832 00:30:25,634 --> 00:30:26,934 but it's just a really 833 00:30:27,315 --> 00:30:29,335 hands on experience with your 834 00:30:30,355 --> 00:30:33,575 dog and showing that you can do it. 835 00:30:34,069 --> 00:30:36,390 Do they assign the dog to you? Do 836 00:30:36,390 --> 00:30:38,789 you go through a litter and say, that 837 00:30:38,789 --> 00:30:39,349 one? Or 838 00:30:40,390 --> 00:30:42,150 So they actually you do it. It's a 839 00:30:42,150 --> 00:30:44,390 process. They interview you. They get to know 840 00:30:44,390 --> 00:30:45,130 your personality. 841 00:30:45,670 --> 00:30:47,269 You can put in a request of what 842 00:30:47,269 --> 00:30:48,650 type of dog you want. 843 00:30:49,134 --> 00:30:51,394 It can make you list you're waiting 844 00:30:51,934 --> 00:30:52,835 a little longer. 845 00:30:53,134 --> 00:30:53,634 But, 846 00:30:54,414 --> 00:30:57,134 again, it's the personality. And then when you're 847 00:30:57,134 --> 00:30:58,194 there on campus, 848 00:30:58,734 --> 00:30:59,234 they 849 00:31:00,494 --> 00:31:03,500 evaluate you with how fast you walk, 850 00:31:03,960 --> 00:31:06,440 how fast you would like your dog to 851 00:31:06,440 --> 00:31:06,940 go, 852 00:31:08,200 --> 00:31:08,700 and 853 00:31:09,320 --> 00:31:11,160 then they have a certain amount of dogs 854 00:31:11,160 --> 00:31:11,900 that have 855 00:31:12,440 --> 00:31:14,759 gone through certain phases of the training. So 856 00:31:14,759 --> 00:31:17,825 I think phase 8 is the they're ready 857 00:31:17,825 --> 00:31:21,664 to be assigned to a person. So Bonnie 858 00:31:21,664 --> 00:31:23,605 was just one of those bunches, you know, 859 00:31:24,784 --> 00:31:26,804 of dogs waiting to be assigned, and 860 00:31:27,184 --> 00:31:28,005 my instructor 861 00:31:28,450 --> 00:31:30,130 said, I know the the dog for you. 862 00:31:30,130 --> 00:31:32,230 I think you can handle her because she's 863 00:31:33,330 --> 00:31:35,090 a she's a little diva. She can be 864 00:31:35,090 --> 00:31:36,390 rambunctious, and, 865 00:31:37,570 --> 00:31:38,710 she likes to push, 866 00:31:39,090 --> 00:31:40,914 see how far she can get. Do the 867 00:31:40,914 --> 00:31:43,734 animals stay with you until they pass away? 868 00:31:43,954 --> 00:31:46,275 How does that because I know that when 869 00:31:46,275 --> 00:31:48,595 I lost my dog, Mikey, it was probably 870 00:31:48,595 --> 00:31:50,434 the biggest pain I've ever felt in my 871 00:31:50,434 --> 00:31:52,994 whole life. Do do the dogs go back 872 00:31:52,994 --> 00:31:56,190 as elderly dogs to the places they come 873 00:31:56,190 --> 00:31:57,569 from? How does that work? 874 00:31:57,950 --> 00:31:59,569 So after a year, they're 875 00:32:00,029 --> 00:32:00,529 yours. 876 00:32:00,990 --> 00:32:02,829 Well, and I say that, you know, within 877 00:32:02,829 --> 00:32:04,529 that 1st year, if you 878 00:32:05,869 --> 00:32:06,369 mistrain 879 00:32:06,990 --> 00:32:08,130 mistrain them, 880 00:32:08,515 --> 00:32:10,355 They can pull the dog, you know, say, 881 00:32:10,355 --> 00:32:12,115 you know, this isn't a safe environment for 882 00:32:12,115 --> 00:32:12,775 the dog. 883 00:32:13,954 --> 00:32:15,335 But after the year, you 884 00:32:16,355 --> 00:32:17,654 can keep your dog 885 00:32:18,914 --> 00:32:20,214 up until they're passing. 886 00:32:20,994 --> 00:32:22,855 Some dogs, you know, might need a career 887 00:32:22,914 --> 00:32:23,414 change, 888 00:32:23,759 --> 00:32:25,700 and depending on your living situation, 889 00:32:26,799 --> 00:32:27,859 you can return 890 00:32:28,160 --> 00:32:30,640 the guide dog, and they they'll find a 891 00:32:30,640 --> 00:32:32,900 dog you know, someone to adopt them. 892 00:32:34,240 --> 00:32:35,039 But if not, 893 00:32:35,680 --> 00:32:36,980 guide dogs for the blind, 894 00:32:37,279 --> 00:32:38,019 they will 895 00:32:38,804 --> 00:32:40,505 care for your dog up until 896 00:32:41,204 --> 00:32:43,224 the last another the end of 897 00:32:44,244 --> 00:32:44,744 July. 898 00:32:45,204 --> 00:32:48,085 Yeah. That was that was really hard, putting 899 00:32:48,085 --> 00:32:49,304 my Samantha down. 900 00:32:49,605 --> 00:32:52,005 Yeah. My first dog. Yep. And I I 901 00:32:52,005 --> 00:32:53,950 know the feeling you're going through. It's it's 902 00:32:53,950 --> 00:32:57,250 a very painful feeling. It's really painful. Yeah. 903 00:32:57,309 --> 00:32:57,809 It's 904 00:32:58,110 --> 00:33:00,509 seems unfair that dogs live such a short 905 00:33:00,509 --> 00:33:01,490 amount of time. 906 00:33:01,950 --> 00:33:03,170 Mhmm. Yeah. 907 00:33:03,950 --> 00:33:06,029 I'm glad you got a new love bug 908 00:33:06,029 --> 00:33:09,255 though. It's good. Yes. She's she's so much 909 00:33:09,255 --> 00:33:11,355 fun. It's just a big puppy, and 910 00:33:11,894 --> 00:33:13,275 I'm just really thankful that, 911 00:33:14,054 --> 00:33:14,714 you know, 912 00:33:15,174 --> 00:33:17,414 they know work time, they know play time, 913 00:33:17,414 --> 00:33:19,194 and no matter what, they love you. 914 00:33:19,869 --> 00:33:22,269 They just get excited. The moment I cross 915 00:33:22,269 --> 00:33:24,349 that street, and it's like, yes. And I 916 00:33:24,349 --> 00:33:25,710 do I do get excited and do a 917 00:33:25,710 --> 00:33:27,409 little cheer and good girl, and 918 00:33:27,950 --> 00:33:29,009 they just know. 919 00:33:30,669 --> 00:33:32,769 Oh, I love that so much. Yeah. 920 00:33:33,384 --> 00:33:35,625 They don't have guide cats, do they? That's 921 00:33:35,625 --> 00:33:36,444 not No. 922 00:33:37,144 --> 00:33:39,464 They're working on guide ponies. I know there's 923 00:33:39,464 --> 00:33:41,085 some guide miniature ponies. 924 00:33:42,025 --> 00:33:42,605 Oh, wow. 925 00:33:43,625 --> 00:33:44,585 I'd say what would 926 00:33:45,144 --> 00:33:47,224 Harder to get into a cab with a 927 00:33:47,224 --> 00:33:47,724 pony. 928 00:33:50,440 --> 00:33:52,759 I think that yeah. I think ponies, I 929 00:33:52,759 --> 00:33:54,519 think I haven't heard any other one. Oh, 930 00:33:54,519 --> 00:33:56,839 there's a actually a robot guide dog they're 931 00:33:56,839 --> 00:33:58,299 showing around right now. 932 00:33:59,160 --> 00:33:59,660 Really? 933 00:34:00,134 --> 00:34:02,295 Yeah. So that's interesting. I don't think I 934 00:34:02,295 --> 00:34:02,795 would 935 00:34:03,174 --> 00:34:04,634 want one, but there is 936 00:34:06,134 --> 00:34:06,795 a guide 937 00:34:07,575 --> 00:34:08,635 robot dogs. 938 00:34:09,015 --> 00:34:11,335 I mean, I get the appeal of that, 939 00:34:11,335 --> 00:34:13,349 I suppose, but it's just 940 00:34:13,910 --> 00:34:14,970 it's not the same. 941 00:34:15,430 --> 00:34:15,930 No. 942 00:34:16,309 --> 00:34:17,530 No. They're gonna have malfunctions. 943 00:34:18,390 --> 00:34:20,070 Yeah. That's true. Of the road. You're like, 944 00:34:20,070 --> 00:34:20,570 ah. 945 00:34:21,110 --> 00:34:22,789 Yeah. I mean, I suppose a dog can 946 00:34:22,789 --> 00:34:25,349 malfunction too, but Yeah. It just doesn't feel 947 00:34:25,349 --> 00:34:27,269 the same. I was thinking also earlier about 948 00:34:27,269 --> 00:34:28,410 what you were talking about, 949 00:34:28,805 --> 00:34:30,885 AI being able to say what you're reading 950 00:34:30,885 --> 00:34:32,565 or what you're looking at and all that. 951 00:34:32,565 --> 00:34:33,065 And 952 00:34:33,605 --> 00:34:35,285 this is the only thing in my humble 953 00:34:35,285 --> 00:34:37,364 opinion that AI should be used for because 954 00:34:37,364 --> 00:34:39,704 as a I'm a creative and it terrifies 955 00:34:39,765 --> 00:34:41,625 me to think that AI is coming for 956 00:34:41,765 --> 00:34:42,905 the jobs when 957 00:34:43,460 --> 00:34:46,179 AI is so well suited for helping in 958 00:34:46,179 --> 00:34:47,239 so many ways. 959 00:34:47,779 --> 00:34:49,539 And it just seems like people wanna take 960 00:34:49,539 --> 00:34:50,760 it and have it, 961 00:34:51,699 --> 00:34:53,400 you know, do all these other things. 962 00:34:53,940 --> 00:34:55,559 Oh, yeah. No. I 963 00:34:55,885 --> 00:34:56,704 I agree. 964 00:34:57,405 --> 00:34:58,465 Like with Jaws, 965 00:34:59,005 --> 00:35:00,704 or Fusion, the screen readers, 966 00:35:01,005 --> 00:35:03,744 we use keystrokes to make the commands 967 00:35:04,285 --> 00:35:05,345 happen on the keyboard. 968 00:35:05,885 --> 00:35:06,545 And now, 969 00:35:07,405 --> 00:35:09,345 Jaws just did this f 970 00:35:10,260 --> 00:35:12,679 f s a I companion update 971 00:35:13,219 --> 00:35:15,219 so people can ask it. You know, what's 972 00:35:15,219 --> 00:35:16,900 the keystroke? I'm like, oh god. I'm out 973 00:35:16,900 --> 00:35:17,800 of a job before. 974 00:35:18,179 --> 00:35:20,420 Oh, yeah. Oh, well, that's a good point 975 00:35:20,420 --> 00:35:20,920 too. 976 00:35:21,699 --> 00:35:22,599 I got it. 977 00:35:25,034 --> 00:35:25,534 Robots. 978 00:35:25,994 --> 00:35:27,835 Yeah. Robots everywhere. What else? 979 00:35:28,554 --> 00:35:31,194 I also pets it, and my the people 980 00:35:31,194 --> 00:35:33,375 I pets it just got those little robots. 981 00:35:33,514 --> 00:35:35,034 Because I go, you know, scoop the litters, 982 00:35:35,034 --> 00:35:36,574 and I'm like, oh, god. Now the 983 00:35:36,875 --> 00:35:38,635 the little robots are trying to take my 984 00:35:38,635 --> 00:35:40,014 job. Oh, god. 985 00:35:40,359 --> 00:35:42,780 I was like, oh, no. I imagine California 986 00:35:42,920 --> 00:35:44,940 is really good about supporting 987 00:35:45,559 --> 00:35:47,639 of all the states, California has gotta be 988 00:35:47,639 --> 00:35:49,019 at the top for helping 989 00:35:49,480 --> 00:35:49,980 provide 990 00:35:50,679 --> 00:35:53,339 industry and stability for disabled pupils. 991 00:35:54,144 --> 00:35:56,325 Yeah. The service has been really good here, 992 00:35:58,144 --> 00:36:00,465 as far as now, you know, with Department 993 00:36:00,465 --> 00:36:03,425 of Rehab getting services and and just different 994 00:36:03,425 --> 00:36:04,724 centers popping up. 995 00:36:05,345 --> 00:36:07,630 It it has been pretty good, you know, 996 00:36:07,630 --> 00:36:08,210 and there's 997 00:36:08,750 --> 00:36:10,590 when there's a will, there's a way in 998 00:36:10,590 --> 00:36:11,969 trying to find out those resources. 999 00:36:12,989 --> 00:36:14,130 Yeah. Absolutely. 1000 00:36:14,590 --> 00:36:16,190 Well, if people have any questions for you, 1001 00:36:16,190 --> 00:36:17,710 is there a good way to to reach 1002 00:36:17,710 --> 00:36:18,210 out? 1003 00:36:19,309 --> 00:36:22,184 I haven't created a website or anything yet, 1004 00:36:22,585 --> 00:36:23,805 but I'm hoping to, 1005 00:36:24,585 --> 00:36:26,925 would love to share the film. We were 1006 00:36:28,184 --> 00:36:29,724 couple patients and I were 1007 00:36:30,105 --> 00:36:33,005 involved in. Let's talk about that. Yeah. 1008 00:36:33,704 --> 00:36:35,724 So I did a film with Alexion. 1009 00:36:36,025 --> 00:36:37,485 It's called Rare Connections 1010 00:36:38,139 --> 00:36:38,719 in NMOSD. 1011 00:36:39,980 --> 00:36:42,460 And it's just a few of us patients 1012 00:36:42,460 --> 00:36:43,599 with NMO, 1013 00:36:44,059 --> 00:36:45,039 and, again, neuromyelitis 1014 00:36:45,500 --> 00:36:47,280 optica spectrum disorder, 1015 00:36:47,980 --> 00:36:49,440 and just sharing our journeys. 1016 00:36:50,860 --> 00:36:53,515 And so you can actually find that video 1017 00:36:53,515 --> 00:36:54,414 on YouTube 1018 00:36:55,355 --> 00:36:56,894 called Rare Connections 1019 00:36:57,195 --> 00:36:58,175 in NMOSD. 1020 00:36:59,594 --> 00:37:00,315 And it's, 1021 00:37:01,114 --> 00:37:02,014 a pretty powerful 1022 00:37:02,875 --> 00:37:03,775 short film, 1023 00:37:05,275 --> 00:37:07,034 and it's I'm just really thankful that I've 1024 00:37:07,034 --> 00:37:09,219 been able to do that. Are you touring 1025 00:37:09,219 --> 00:37:11,000 it out through festivals or anything? 1026 00:37:11,300 --> 00:37:13,219 Yeah. So it's been put in, a few 1027 00:37:13,539 --> 00:37:15,480 I know it was put in a festival 1028 00:37:15,860 --> 00:37:17,320 that just debuted 1029 00:37:18,099 --> 00:37:19,719 or showed last month. 1030 00:37:20,500 --> 00:37:22,099 And I believe they're just trying to 1031 00:37:23,894 --> 00:37:25,815 Alexion's trying to get it out in more 1032 00:37:25,815 --> 00:37:26,315 places. 1033 00:37:26,695 --> 00:37:27,594 It has been 1034 00:37:28,614 --> 00:37:29,114 recognized, 1035 00:37:29,974 --> 00:37:30,875 for me to 1036 00:37:31,574 --> 00:37:33,515 a pretty impactful video 1037 00:37:34,054 --> 00:37:35,914 to receive some awards, and 1038 00:37:36,980 --> 00:37:39,420 I'm surely glad to be able to have 1039 00:37:39,420 --> 00:37:41,380 a part of that and share my story 1040 00:37:41,380 --> 00:37:41,880 and 1041 00:37:45,139 --> 00:37:47,619 and spread awareness on that. Yeah. Absolutely. And 1042 00:37:47,619 --> 00:37:49,400 I'll put links to that on heyhumanpodcast.com's 1043 00:37:50,500 --> 00:37:51,639 links page also. 1044 00:37:52,215 --> 00:37:52,954 Thank you. 1045 00:37:53,815 --> 00:37:55,894 Yeah. And anytime you get awareness to something 1046 00:37:55,894 --> 00:37:56,715 that's specifically 1047 00:37:57,175 --> 00:37:57,994 so rare, 1048 00:37:58,535 --> 00:37:59,914 it hopefully will 1049 00:38:00,614 --> 00:38:01,835 create some funding. 1050 00:38:03,815 --> 00:38:06,454 Yeah. Just more research and funding and just 1051 00:38:06,454 --> 00:38:07,639 that, again, 1052 00:38:08,980 --> 00:38:10,980 that it may reach someone that may be 1053 00:38:10,980 --> 00:38:12,039 going through that journey 1054 00:38:13,059 --> 00:38:14,519 and didn't know. 1055 00:38:15,779 --> 00:38:16,279 Yeah. 1056 00:38:16,739 --> 00:38:19,400 Is it classified as an autoimmune disease then? 1057 00:38:19,460 --> 00:38:20,760 Yes. Yeah. Yes. 1058 00:38:21,219 --> 00:38:21,719 Mhmm. 1059 00:38:22,055 --> 00:38:22,875 Are you concerned 1060 00:38:23,815 --> 00:38:25,035 about this new presidency 1061 00:38:25,414 --> 00:38:29,595 and the the slashes to medic Medicare, Medicaid? 1062 00:38:29,655 --> 00:38:30,875 It's all the disability 1063 00:38:31,494 --> 00:38:31,994 programs 1064 00:38:32,295 --> 00:38:35,015 that they're talking about. It is. It's it's 1065 00:38:35,015 --> 00:38:35,835 very scary 1066 00:38:37,640 --> 00:38:39,180 to think, you know, what 1067 00:38:39,559 --> 00:38:40,539 is being threatened, 1068 00:38:42,119 --> 00:38:44,059 and I just hope it doesn't happen. 1069 00:38:45,400 --> 00:38:46,059 It just 1070 00:38:47,719 --> 00:38:50,039 hopefully, we can have a backup. I don't 1071 00:38:50,199 --> 00:38:52,039 I really don't know what the backup plan 1072 00:38:52,039 --> 00:38:54,265 is, but it's just it is very scary 1073 00:38:54,965 --> 00:38:56,885 to think because then that could affect my 1074 00:38:56,885 --> 00:38:57,864 treatment plans, 1075 00:38:58,644 --> 00:39:00,325 which I know I wouldn't be able to 1076 00:39:00,325 --> 00:39:00,825 afford. 1077 00:39:01,445 --> 00:39:04,025 Yeah. I know there are some financial services, 1078 00:39:04,244 --> 00:39:04,744 but, 1079 00:39:05,960 --> 00:39:08,440 you know, it's just so many things out 1080 00:39:08,440 --> 00:39:10,519 there that are resources that are gonna be 1081 00:39:10,519 --> 00:39:11,339 cut, and 1082 00:39:13,880 --> 00:39:15,659 no one's gonna be able to afford them. 1083 00:39:15,960 --> 00:39:18,219 So it's it's scary, and I just hope 1084 00:39:18,519 --> 00:39:20,380 for the best. That's all I could, 1085 00:39:20,925 --> 00:39:21,824 I mean, do 1086 00:39:22,925 --> 00:39:25,005 and just reach out to, you know, our 1087 00:39:25,005 --> 00:39:27,804 senators or just important people and let them 1088 00:39:27,804 --> 00:39:28,625 know that 1089 00:39:28,925 --> 00:39:30,204 we're human. We there's 1090 00:39:31,565 --> 00:39:33,105 lives are really being affected. 1091 00:39:34,460 --> 00:39:34,960 Absolutely. 1092 00:39:36,859 --> 00:39:37,359 Absolutely. 1093 00:39:37,819 --> 00:39:39,199 Alex, thank you. 1094 00:39:39,819 --> 00:39:41,659 Thank you. Thank you for having me. I 1095 00:39:41,659 --> 00:39:43,599 really appreciate it. Absolutely. 1096 00:39:44,699 --> 00:39:47,099 I appreciate your time as well. Thank you. 1097 00:39:47,099 --> 00:39:48,799 Thank you for listening, everybody. 1098 00:39:49,525 --> 00:39:50,025 Bye. 1099 00:39:50,324 --> 00:39:50,824 Bye. 1100 00:39:54,804 --> 00:39:57,445 Rate review and subscribe to Hey Human podcast 1101 00:39:57,445 --> 00:40:00,324 on Apple, Iheart, Spotify, wherever you get your 1102 00:40:00,324 --> 00:40:01,465 podcasts. Thanks. 1103 00:40:11,030 --> 00:40:11,530 Bye.