The New Normal

For this episode, I sat down with my dad and walked through everything from his side.We’ve talked about parts of this over time, but it’s usually been pieces here and there—so this time we went through it from the beginning.From the day everything happened, to Riverside, to Shepherd, and what it was like when I came home.And then we shifted into his own experience—his health issues, his stroke, and what it was like going through something like that himself.It’s a straightforward conversation. Nothing forced, nothing scripted.Just what it looked like for him, the way he lived it.

For this episode, I sat down with my wife, Rachel, and just had a real conversation.We talk all the time—but we realized we haven’t actually just sat and talked like this in a while.So we started from the beginning—how we met, first impressions, and what it was like getting to know each other.And then we got into what life actually looks like now… from her side.Not just what I’ve been through—but what it’s like being with someone who’s gone through something like that.We also talk about something we don’t really open up about much—our experience trying to have a kid, and what that’s been like for both of us.It’s not a perfect conversation. It’s not scripted.Just real life, from both sides.

For this episode, I’m just doing a real-life check-in.Nothing heavy. Nothing big to unpack.Just where I’m at right now.I’m a couple weeks into a new job, back into a routine, and honestly… things just feel smooth.That might not sound like much, but for me, it’s a big shift.In this episode, I talk about what my days actually look like, the small parts of life I’ve started to enjoy again, and what it feels like to just be living without constantly trying to figure everything out.It’s not perfect—but it’s good.And sometimes, that’s more than enough.

Up until now, you’ve heard this story from my perspective.But I wasn’t the only one going through it.In this episode, I sit down with my mom to talk about what it was like for her to experience everything from the outside — from the moment everything happened to the days and weeks that followed.We talk about the moments I don’t remember, the fear she carried, and what it felt like to watch someone you love go through something you can’t control.There were things she went through that I didn’t even realize at the time.This episode is about that side of the story.Because when something like this happens, it doesn’t just affect one person — it affects everyone around them.

There are parts of going through something like this that people don’t really see.In this episode, I talk about the side of recovery that doesn’t always get talked about — the internal weight that can come with it.I share what it’s like seeing people from my past and feeling like I’m not the same person anymore. The thoughts that come up when I compare who I used to be to who I am now. And the quiet shame that can come with that.I also talk about something that’s even harder to explain — survivor’s guilt.Knowing someone who went through something similar and isn’t doing as well, and trying to make sense of why I’m where I am and they’re where they are.This episode is about being honest about those thoughts. Not fixing them. Not pretending they don’t exist. Just saying them out loud.Because sometimes the hardest parts are the ones no one sees.

After going through something life-changing, you’d think the fear would eventually go away.But for me, it didn’t.In this episode, I talk about the moment I realized I might not be as “out of the woods” as I thought — and how that changed the way I see my health and my future.From that point on, I started noticing every little symptom. My mind would jump from something small to something serious, convincing me that it wasn’t a matter of if something would happen again… but when.I share what that fear actually feels like, the two voices in my head that constantly battle each other, and how I’ve learned to live with that tension.This isn’t about having all the answers.It’s about being honest about what it feels like to move forward when part of you is still waiting for the next bad thing to happen.

After the hospital, after rehab, and after therapy ends, a new question appears: now what?In this episode, I talk about the moment my recovery structure ended and I realized I was now responsible for figuring out what life was supposed to look like moving forward.For a long time, that question of purpose didn’t have a clear answer. And to be honest, there are still moments where I wrestle with it.This podcast is part of that search.I share how the idea for the show came about, why it felt like something I was being led toward, and why I’ve continued even during moments where I wondered if it mattered.If you’ve ever felt like life changed in a way that left you wondering what your purpose is now, you’re not alone.Sometimes the first step toward finding purpose isn’t believing you have one — it’s simply letting go of the belief that you don’t.

Sometimes it takes a life-changing moment to realize what really matters.In this episode, I talk about the perspective that came from lying in a hospital bed after my stroke. I didn’t think about money, possessions, or the things I spent so much time chasing before everything happened.Instead, I thought about the experiences I had, the people in my life, and the simple things I used to do every day without even thinking about them.Things like swallowing, talking, getting dressed, or helping someone when they needed it.I also share how the hardest part wasn’t just the physical challenges — it was the fear that my body might not always show up for the people I love the way I want it to.But over time I learned that life doesn’t stop being meaningful just because it changes. Sometimes it just means learning to find a different way forward.This episode is about perspective, gratitude, and the realization that what truly matters in life often isn’t what we spend the most time chasing.

After a life-altering event, people talk a lot about “getting back to normal.”But what if there is no going back?In this episode, I talk about what life really looks like after the comeback moment. After returning to work. After the emotional peak. After the relief.What does it mean to live as someone who has changed?I share what I’ve learned about expectations, invisible struggles, rebuilding confidence, and letting go of the idea that life has to look the way it used to in order to be meaningful.Healing doesn’t mean going back.It means moving forward — differently.If you’ve ever felt pressure to be the old version of yourself again, this episode is for you.

Life really can change in a moment. And when it does, it can feel like everything you knew — and even who you were — got left behind.In this episode, I’m not just sharing more of my story. I’m talking directly to you — the listener who knows what it feels like when life shifts and nothing feels the same anymore.I talk about what people misunderstand about strength, why progress can feel invisible when you’re living inside it, what it’s like to grieve parts of the old you, and the night I realized peace doesn’t come when everything is fixed… it comes when you stop feeling alone. If you’ve ever felt like life changed and left you behind, I want you to hear this:You didn’t get left behind.You got changed.And that doesn’t make you less — it means you’re still becoming.

In this episode of The New Normal, I share what it really looked like to step back into life after everything changed. Coming back didn’t happen all at once — it happened in layers.From my first shift back in Central Sterile, to rebuilding confidence through Shed Hauling, to realizing I was still a nurse in PACU, each step showed me something I didn’t expect: I wasn’t as fragile as I thought.Then came the moment I never knew if I’d experience again — walking back into the operating room for the first time since my stroke… and realizing the case in front of me was the same type I left in.This episode is about identity, purpose, fear, faith, and what it feels like when you realize you’re not who you were before… but you’re still whole.If your life looks different from how it used to be, this episode is for you.

In this episode, I share what happened medically — along with what I experienced in real time and what I understand now looking back.This isn’t just my perspective, and it isn’t just the medical version. It’s both. I walk through what was happening to my body, what was happening around me, and what I remember experiencing as everything was unfolding.I also talk about the things I didn’t understand then — and what I can only see now with time, distance, and processing. Including the people, timing, and moments that shaped my survival and recovery.At the end of the episode, I reflect on how I now see God’s presence through parts of the experience that I couldn’t recognize in the moment.If you’ve ever had life change in a way that didn’t make sense at first — this episode is for you.

Seven years after everything changed, life didn’t go back to normal — it became something new.In this episode, I talk honestly about what life looks like now: what I lost, what I gained, and what never went back to the way it was. We explore identity after change, the lingering grief, the slow acceptance, and what the “new normal” actually means when you stop trying to fit back into your old life.This isn’t a story about fixing things or finding closure. It’s about learning how to live when life doesn’t go back — and realizing you’re not alone in the long after.

Leaving The Shepherd Center wasn’t the end of recovery — it was the beginning of learning how to live without structure.This episode follows the return home: stepping away from a place built to hold you together and re-entering a world that didn’t slow down. I talk about the quiet shock of being back in familiar spaces, the pressure to be okay, and the long middle of healing — including months of outpatient therapy, slow progress, and learning to carry life forward without a system around you.This isn’t about milestones or inspiration. It’s about endurance, persistence, and living between help and independence.If you’ve ever left the place that kept you together and wondered how to live after it, this episode is for you.

This episode follows my arrival at The Shepherd Center, the place where survival gave way to rehabilitation, and the reality of long-term recovery set in. I talk about the early days there, starting therapy early, learning to navigate a new body, and the people who challenged me to stop feeling sorry for myself and start engaging with what was in front of me.Shepard was focused on work, routine, and community, and I slowly realized that life wasn't over; it was just different.If you have ever been told "this is where healing begins" before you were ready, this episode is for you.Handiaccessories------https://handiaccessories.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoqg2vx7ZABg4lL6-FK5GozFlkEPOgWo5XBgqsbnbnRYpuJMODc0

After the incident, I wasn't fully present in my own life.This episode lives in that space- the days where time didn't feel real, decisions felt distant, and I didn't recognize myself or the world I was in.I speak candidly about what it feels like to navigate moments without fully understanding what's happening or what comes next.If you ever felt lost inside your own life after something changed everything, you'll recognize this place.This is The New Normal- living while disoriented.

One ordinary day, everything changed.This episode isn’t about answers or lessons learned. It’s about the moment life split into before and after — the shock, the fear, the loss of control, and the realization that nothing was going back to the way it was.If you’ve ever had something happen that changed your life in an instant, you may recognize this space. The confusion. The waiting. The feeling of being suspended between what was and what comes next.This is the beginning of my story, and the start of The New Normal.

In this episode, I want to introduce myself, share a little bit about why this podcast exists, and what you can expect as we go forward. Thank you for being here at the beginning of this journey.