Latest / The QuadCast / S7 E3 - "I Don't Get Better To Live Life, I Live Life To Get Better"!
Transcript
- John McAleavey: Owen Weiss, welcome to the Quadcast. How are you, my friend? Owen Weiss: I'm doing great. Thanks so much for having me. I'm really excited to be here. John McAleavey: Yeah, and let's, guess before we get started, we should say that this all came together by a mutual friend, the great Lexi McGivern at NeuroPro Wellness. We met at her gym on Route 10, which is awesome, isn't it? Owen Weiss: Yes, yes, it's been great to not only actually have a place, a gym for us to go to ⁓ exercise, but also to meet each other, to meet people. John McAleavey: Absolutely. And her colleague, MC, is wonderful and they're really going to do well up there. If you're looking to do PT, and I know they're going to hire an OT and a massage person there. So that's NeuroPro Wellness and we'll put a link in the bio when we're finished with that. So that's a wonderful spot and really good people who know what they're doing and they're kind-hearted, which is... really what you're looking for when you're in our position, right? When we're coming back from injuries and setbacks. And so why don't we begin the podcast as I do all of mine and why don't you tell us, where did you grow up and what were some things you were interested in in your youth? Owen Weiss: Yeah. So, I was born actually, ⁓ in Livingston, New Jersey. I was born in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. ⁓ yeah, I came into this world with a bang in the medical world. ⁓ exactly. Yes. Yes. So, ⁓ so I was born on route 10, but, ⁓ I grew up in Randolph, New Jersey. ⁓ and I went to all my school here. and growing up, was. John McAleavey: And sirens blaring you had to ⁓ Owen Weiss: pretty active. played a lot of sports. I pretty much tried every sport, but around high school I landed on basketball and tennis were my main two sports. ⁓ John McAleavey: be sure to check in again in the coming weeks for episodes featuring Kenny Salvini of the Here and Now Project and Ian McKay, ⁓ a superstar spinal cord injury advocate. These are men whose stories you will not want to miss. Until next time, I'm John McAleavy and I thank you for your time. Okay. I could see why basketball, you've got some height to you. How tall are you? Six five, ⁓ my gosh. I coached basketball for 22 years in Milburn. Yeah, I had eighth grade, so I would have had you in the paint and I would have had my kids feeding you down low. ⁓ that's great. Obviously you played inside. Was that with the position you played, forward and center? Owen Weiss: Yes, I do. I am 6'5". Yes, yes. Oh, really? Oh, wow. Yeah, that would have been me. You know, that's where they always wanted me, but I did not identify with that play style. ⁓ I don't know, I really liked ball handling. really liked, ⁓ yeah, yeah, I much rather preferred to be out on the wings. John McAleavey: Yeah. Well, it's funny, I had one young man who I saw him at the preseason before we had our tryouts and he was big. He was the biggest kid in their class. So I went up to him and I said, man, I am going to have fun. I've got a lot of great plays to get you the ball on the blocks and we're going to have a party. And he said, you know, coach, ⁓ I'm a point forward. And I thought, ⁓ my God, we're not in Kansas anymore. These guys are telling me what position they're going to play. Owen Weiss: Yeah. John McAleavey: And I really had a hard time getting him to play inside. He was outside shooting three-pointers all the time. And so I had to take a couple of those a game to make sure he was gonna score around the blocks for us, but that's funny. So, okay, basketball and tennis were your sports. How about now as you're getting older, you're getting through high school and you're thinking about college, where do you think you're gonna attend college? Where did you and what were you beginning to study? Owen Weiss: Yeah. Yeah, so I graduated high school in 2019. ⁓ And then from there, I went to Towson University, which is in Maryland. ⁓ It's a state school there. ⁓ And I majored in psychology and I minored in deaf studies. ⁓ So I had a bunch of classes about American Sign Language, where we learned the language, and also deaf culture classes and deaf history classes and John McAleavey: Okay. Wow. Mm-hmm. Owen Weiss: ⁓ a pretty extensive education on that. I learned American Sign Language in high school, so that was what kind of piqued my interest in that. John McAleavey: Wow. Okay. Yeah, I was going to say, did you grow up around folks that were deaf or just it was the high school thing that piqued your interest? Owen Weiss: Yeah, so my first year when I got to high school was the first year that they started offering American Sign Language as a course. before then, when I was in first grade, our teacher taught all of us the alphabet in sign language. And so I guess I had enough pre-existing knowledge to have an interest in taking that in high school. So I took ASL all four years of high school, and then I decided I wanted to continue with that. John McAleavey: Okay. Okay. You know, Owen, ⁓ nowadays whenever I see press conferences on television, I had never noticed it before. They always have someone signing there and I had never noticed it before. But I think with the world and inclusivity, they're really making a habit of getting that out there because obviously deaf people need to know what's going on in the world as well. Yeah. Owen Weiss: Yeah. Absolutely. Of course. Of course. Yeah. And that's a big, ⁓ that was a big issue recently. John McAleavey: Yeah, well you're, but before the end of the show, you're going to have to sign that the Quadcast Podcast is the one to listen to. ⁓ gosh. I'm sure you could find something like that. You could just do a big thumbs down because that would be how people would be listening to our show. Yeah. Well now how about let's talk about what brings you and I together, why our paths have crossed. so yours is a unique story. Most of my Owen Weiss: I'm sure I could I'm sure I could find a translation of that ⁓ no. John McAleavey: ⁓ Most of my subjects and guests have had spinal cord injuries, whether it would be through a traumatic injury like car accidents or dives into pools and things like that. Yours is a little bit different. Why don't you tell the audience at 21 years old you began having some symptoms. Why don't you tell us what they were and what the doctors ultimately thought it was and then they found out maybe it wasn't that. So tell us a little bit about your story. Owen Weiss: Yeah. Yeah Yeah. So, when I was 21, ⁓ I started having some, some, some issues with sensation, ⁓ and strength. ⁓ the first thing that I noticed was I was home on spring break from college and just walking around the house, I kept tripping over my big toe. And like this would happen like multiple times a day and I've never tripped over my big toe before walking. I wouldn't say I'm a very clumsy person. John McAleavey: Right. Owen Weiss: And, um, at the time I was seeing a chiropractor and I had told this to him. said, I'm tripping over my big toe and I'm walking around the house and I don't know what's going on. Can you adjust me and fix me? So, um, so I was seeing him for a bit and, um, after things weren't getting better, he sent me for an MRI. So I had an MRI and the, um, the interpretations of it read that I had a bulging disc in L five L four or something like that. John McAleavey: Yeah. Okay. Owen Weiss: ⁓ even though, ⁓ on the MRI, when I looked at her or when my mom looked at it, who has had a herniated disc herself, she was like, that doesn't really look like a bulging disc to me, but I mean, obviously we're not doctors. know, we don't have any, ⁓ any, ⁓ opportunity to. Right. Right. Exactly. ⁓ so I went back to school after my winter break, went back and I resumed and I started PT there while I was at school in Maryland. John McAleavey: Yeah Right? Even though you play one on TV, Okay. Owen Weiss: for a bulging disc. That's what was being treated. And I was being treated for that for six months. I would do all my home exercises. And I went to PT two days a week. And things weren't getting better, not only, but they were kind of getting worse. I started to get some nerve pain and some sensation issues running up the back of my left leg. ⁓ And ⁓ yeah, so things started to get worse. John McAleavey: Okay. Sure. Owen Weiss: Then that summer we took a trip to Mexico and I remember the morning of my flight I woke up and I felt like my feet were almost like asleep ⁓ But I had just assumed I was just asleep my feet are probably asleep once I get up and moving everything is fine But I really felt like I couldn't move them at all ⁓ But I didn't really think anything of it because well also we were going to Mexico I mean what was there to do? John McAleavey: Right? Mm-hmm. Right. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, you didn't want to say anything or else they would cancel the trip. ⁓ Owen Weiss: Exactly. So we went to Mexico. We had a great time. But by the end of the trip, I was walking. I was walking with a pretty noticeable limp. would say, honestly, I was walking the way that I walk now after my injury, but, but it affected it. John McAleavey: Okay, now did it affect one leg more than the other or was it both? Owen Weiss: Mostly it was my left on my left foot. I had a complete foot drop and on my right was just weak I'm sorry other way around my left was complete foot drop my right was Yeah, yeah, yeah But anyway, it got really really bad When we were in Mexico, and I think that's when we knew that it wasn't a bulging disc Right, so I came home back to the doctor John McAleavey: Okay. Okay. Yeah, this is no bulging disc. So you went back to the doctor. Yeah. And what, what was the next? Owen Weiss: Um, they sent me for a spinal angiogram. Have you heard of that before? Okay. Yes. The spinal angiogram. That is when, uh, it's a procedure that they put you out for, uh, and they make a tiny incision right near the groin and they put a, um, a tube or a catheter up. No, no, no, no, not a camera. I think it's just a tube or a catheter, uh, up, up. John McAleavey: Okay, I had never heard of that. That's a first here on the QP. Okay. Camera. Okay. Owen Weiss: up this artery through your groin and they inject iodine dye into your arteries and veins and they use an x-ray machine to take pictures of it so they can see how the blood is flowing. And that revealed ⁓ what's called an arteriovenous malformation that I had in my spine, which is essentially a tangle of blood vessels. ⁓ The way that one of the doctors explained it to me is as ⁓ if you were to imagine a highway and John McAleavey: ⁓ right, right. Gotcha. Okay. Owen Weiss: there's like a divider in the highway, you know, and that, that keeps the cars going northbound on one side and the cars going southbound on the other. And, if the, ⁓ if the arteries and veins were kind of like opposite sides of the highway, there was a break in the highway divider and cars were starting to go into the other sides of the highway. ⁓ so it was creating a lot of congestion and a lot of traffic and was limiting the amount of blood flow in my spinal cord. Exactly. Exactly like that. Yeah. John McAleavey: We had a pile up on the 405 Owen Weiss: So they said that I needed to have surgery to have this taken care of. So I had my first surgery in June of 2022. I ⁓ did that at Columbia New York Presbyterian Hospital ⁓ in Manhattan, yeah. John McAleavey: Okay, and where did you do that? Yeah, the best. Okay. And how long was the procedure? How long did it take to do that? And, and, ⁓ did you stay overnight? They keep you for a couple of days and what was the protocol? Owen Weiss: Yeah, so I had the procedure. ⁓ don't remember it. I stayed in the hospital for, think six days after there was a lot of, ⁓ boxes I needed to check because, ⁓ I had to have a laminectomy, which is where they took my spine out basically so that they can get to all of the, ⁓ arteries and veins. So. John McAleavey: Yeah. Okay. Okay. ⁓ my gosh Owen Weiss: It was like a couple of days before I was even able to sit up and then I had to, ⁓ I had to void on my own before I could leave and ⁓ a bunch of boxes I had to check. Yeah, so it was six days. And then I went home and pretty much I resumed normal life. mean, I started to get a little bit better. ⁓ like by the end of that summer, I was going to beach with my friends and playing sports again. ⁓ Then what happened? John McAleavey: Yeah. So you're thinking you're out of the woods. Okay. Owen Weiss: Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then I went back to school again. That was summer, so now I'm back in the fall at school. towards the end of the semester, now I'm realizing I'm starting to have similar symptoms on the right side. Last time it was my left foot and ankle, and now it's my right. ⁓ I mean, when I first was experiencing these symptoms, I wasn't thinking... John McAleavey: Back to ⁓ Ugh. ⁓ God. Owen Weiss: Oh my God, it came back again. There's we're going to have to deal with it again. I because I had figured that my surgery and my problem was already done and taken care of. Right. So I came home. And this was actually a night that my college roommate was up visiting me in New Jersey, and he was staying the night. And that morning after he slept over, I woke up in a. John McAleavey: Been there, done that, yeah. Mm-hmm. Owen Weiss: pool of urine in my bed. And, ⁓ that's when we thought that it was really serious. So we just literally went straight to the hospital. I was admitted, ⁓ and I, ⁓ had a bunch of testing before they even, ⁓ let me know that I need to have another surgery. So literally the series of events was I wake up. I noticed that there's a huge issue. I get admitted to the hospital that day. I have an angiogram, maybe that evening, and they say, we'll do surgery tomorrow. John McAleavey: ⁓ geez, yep. Of course. Wow. Now, was this back in New York or was this local? Okay. Okay. And was he, did he seem like, you know, surprised to see you so soon or was this something that was, ⁓ Owen Weiss: This was, this at the same hospital with the same doctor. ⁓ Yeah, well, yeah, yeah. ⁓ As far as the questions that we were asking him, he was saying it's very rare not only to have this arteriovenous malformation, which he said is most common in men over 65, but ⁓ also he said it's very rare that it were to come back again. ⁓ Yeah. John McAleavey: Return. Yeah. And is that that's exactly what had happened again. It was another AVM. Owen Weiss: So what had happened is, arteriovenous fistula is the name for one of these kind of connections between an artery and a vein. A malformation is when there's multiple different connections. And so what had happened is there was a vein and an artery that were kind of connected in several different spots, but only one at a time could those kind of weakenings in the wall be problematic. John McAleavey: Okay, sure. Okay. Owen Weiss: So it's almost like if you were to have a hose with water that like kind of was like a hose that came up to two different hoses, it almost looked like a Y. But one of them was really tiny and the other one was really enlarged. If you were to cut off the flow of that tube, would start to take, it would start to go then the other way and then that tube would kind of, so that's kind of what happened with my John McAleavey: Yeah, of course. With your blood. Wow. ⁓ my gosh. So the second surgery you do it that next night and same protocol. ⁓ yeah. Happy new year. Crappy new year. Owen Weiss: with my AVM. Right. So. ⁓ Yep. This was on New Year's day on New Year's day of, of 2023. Yeah. Honestly, this surgery. Yeah. Right. Happy new year. got, I got to, okay. Actually what was cool though, was I got to watch fireworks from my window. That was that actually looked out across the Hudson. So that was kind of some silver lining. Yeah. yeah. So I had that surgery. Honestly, this recovery was even easier than the first time I was only in the hospital for three days after. And. John McAleavey: ⁓ there you go. That's pretty cool. Yeah. Okay. Okay. Owen Weiss: I came home and I resumed my normal life and that's when I really thought, okay, now we're good. John McAleavey: Yeah, yeah, exactly. Owen Weiss: Spoiler alert that wasn't that wasn't the end. It was again another six months. It was another six months after that. So it seems like it take like it took six months in between each of them to be taken care of for it to kind of find a new path. So six months later, I started having issues at school again, and these were more than just sensory. This is when I started to have bowel and bladder issues. Um, like for the first time, honestly. John McAleavey: ⁓ no, how soon after? Was it quicker? Cheers. Yeah. Yeah. ⁓ gosh. Okay. Yep. Owen Weiss: ⁓ so I'm at school and literally I'm thinking to myself, don't, don't get all worried. You're not going to have to have another surgery. You've already had two. mean, come on, this has to be something else or, or, I don't know. So, ⁓ I go home and when I get home and my mom sees me, when I come home from college and I'm walking around, she's like, have you been getting better? Cause I still, cause I. John McAleavey: Yeah. Owen Weiss: because I resumed PT again. So I was doing PT while I was in school. So I come back and she's like, I don't know that your walking looks any better. She's like, honestly, your walking looks a little bit worse. And I was like, oh mom, don't start with this. I don't exactly remember what it was that, John McAleavey: Of Yeah. ⁓ no. Yeah, don't make me feel self-conscious, Mom. Come on, you're on my team. Owen Weiss: we decided to have another angiogram. I think maybe we just wanted to rule out that it was back. So we had another angiogram and they were like, it's back again for a third time. And the doctor had even said, after the second surgery, when we were already like, we didn't even know that this thing could come back again, how can we make sure that doesn't come back a third time? And after the second surgery, he said, well, John McAleavey: Yeah. Okay. ⁓ God. Good grief. Owen Weiss: I would be really surprised if it came back again. I've really killed that thing this time. So I don't know. didn't even, he didn't even, I mean, and he's even, he's even said to me, I've seen an AVM come back before, but I've never seen it come back twice. John McAleavey: ⁓ no... Yeah... Yeah... This was like Jason from Halloween, man. He can't kill him. ⁓ my gosh. Ugh. Owen Weiss: I know, I know, I know, it's like, Anyway, this surgery. John McAleavey: So yeah, how soon after is another like six months or so? This is when you had the third surgery? Owen Weiss: Yeah, yeah. So it was literally June, January 1st, and then June again. Yeah, so I had the third surgery, ⁓ and this was the one that hurt me. ⁓ I think maybe it was a little bit of their approach that they tried to be more aggressive in making sure that this issue didn't come back again. And maybe that led to some, you know, something. But I truly think that John McAleavey: Yeah. Owen Weiss: ⁓ this wasn't a result of malpractice. I, I think that this was just a byproduct of what needed to occur in order to honestly save my life. ⁓ if I didn't have this surgery, ⁓ and my veins and, ⁓ and arteries kept getting backed up, and inflamed, I, it, could have led to like a burst and like, ⁓ a spinal aneurysm, which honestly could have John McAleavey: Yeah. Owen Weiss: could have resulted in ⁓ something extremely not good. yeah. Yeah, yeah. So yeah, so I walked myself into the operating room. When I woke up, I couldn't move, but even when I woke up, I didn't think this is how I am now. I just kind of thought, okay, well, this is, guess maybe, you know, I have to give myself time, you maybe I'll be back to normal next week. ⁓ John McAleavey: Absolutely. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So this was almost like not meant to be, but it was something that you were headed in that direction, it sounds like. Right. Yeah. That was my next question is that when you wake up after the third surgery and you didn't really have any movement or feeling ⁓ from, what was it, your mid stomach down or your waist down? Owen Weiss: So it's actually really, really complicated because my case is so complex. There wasn't like a clean break ⁓ in the spinal cord, how there would be for a traumatic spinal cord injury. But I mean, technically I am classified as spinal cord injury, but because it's non-traumatic, it's like, it really has to do with John McAleavey: ⁓ huh. Right? Owen Weiss: which nerves were being innervated by what veins and arteries and like what parts of the body. like, for example, like on my left, I can feel less of my hip and of my waist than on my right. And then there are some spots that I can feel and some spots that I, it's like, it's really, really complex. Yeah. John McAleavey: Yeah. Okay. Moradic, yeah. How about temperatures? Like when you take a shower, do you feel the water? Do you feel the temperature? Owen Weiss: Yeah, you know, this actually was something that I didn't realize until I kind of thought back in my ⁓ experience. Before I had my surgery, I went to the beach with my friends at the end of the school year. This was before my third surgery. in May of like 2023, we all went to the beach. you know, May is not the hottest month. John McAleavey: No. Owen Weiss: ⁓ you know, especially to go to the beach and, ⁓ but we were there and everyone was running in the water. I was just like, you know, on the sand or whatever, and they were all being screaming at the water was freezing cold. And they were like, ⁓ and come put your feet in. So I ran over, well, hobbled over or whatever, cause I was having issues. I hobbled over, I put my feet in and I was just like, what are you talking about? The water feels great. The water feels nice. John McAleavey: Yeah, right. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. It's like Miami Beach. ⁓ wow. Owen Weiss: And they're like, are you kidding? It's freezing. And I was confused because I could feel the water. I could feel the water on my feet. And even when I'm in the shower, I could feel the water hitting my feet. But I can't tell if the water's hot or cold. John McAleavey: Yeah. Yeah. And that's why I asked because I'm, my injury is at the cervical three, four level. So I'm way up the way up the pendulum. And when I go to the beach with my niece and nephew and would stand there and the, would see the water coming in and I'm like, all right. And then it hits me and I like you, I feel it hitting me, but it's like the weirdest feeling in the world. And even though, like you said, it's really cold and my legs try to like spasm out of the way. It's like, I don't feel it as cold. It's just bizarre people that. Owen Weiss: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It is. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's definitely a really cool feeling. Exactly. Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. John McAleavey: People that aren't in our neck of the woods won't know what we're talking about, but it is so bizarre. Right? Wow. So, all right. So now you wake up and how long are you in the hospital and, ⁓ without the movement and do you still, do you have bowel and bladder issues? Is that part of all of this? Is that something you did? Yeah. Owen Weiss: Yeah. So, so honestly, ⁓ being able to urinate after my first two surgeries really wasn't an issue. ⁓ I think maybe I had to be cathed once or twice within the first 24 hours after surgery. ⁓ But after that, I mean, was waiting on my own. After the third surgery, I wasn't really like looking out for that because I didn't really have that experience. I went like a whole day without peeing because I didn't... John McAleavey: Okay. Thank God. Yeah. Owen Weiss: and I wasn't aware that I might not feel it. So I forget, there was this one time where they were asking about if I had to pee and I was like, oh yeah, I forgot about peeing. I just never felt the sensation, or yeah, I never felt the urge. And they were like, when's the last time you cath? Last time you cath, that's my brain now. When's the last time you peed? I was like, I don't know. They're like, let's just catheterize you. I was like, okay. I had like a thousand milliliters. John McAleavey: Right. Exactly. Of course! Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, alright. ⁓ my god, yeah, that's crazy. Owen Weiss: So ⁓ anyway, ⁓ yeah, after waking up, I was in the hospital for two weeks. And in comparison, my second surgery was three days and my first surgery was six days. So this was ⁓ long. And ⁓ it was three or four days before I could even sit up on the side of the bed and hold myself up ⁓ because I had so many issues with my blood pressure. John McAleavey: Okay. Yeah. Yep. Beer. Beer. ⁓ yeah. Owen Weiss: I would sit up and then would feel like I was going to faint. So they had to put me back in bed and turn my bed upside down with my feet basically hanging from the ceiling. They get the blood, you know, back to my head. ⁓ I know. John McAleavey: Yeah. Yeah. Well, you know, you lay flat for so long and your, your body becomes used to it. I, I was, ⁓ I was in bed for a long time when I initially had mine and they put me, put me on the side of the bed and they said, we're going to call, they call it dangling. We're going to put your legs off the side. And I was there for maybe 10 seconds. It was like, whoosh, I was out. So yeah, I know what you mean. Yeah, go on. So they, so two weeks. Owen Weiss: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I was in there for two weeks. ⁓ Yeah, it was a while before I could just sit up without feeling, know, while feeling like I was good and I wasn't gonna collapse. But once I was able to do that, I really tried to spend as much time sitting up as I could. But even after that stuff, then the next step is they want you to stand. you know, after surgery, they really wanna push you to do... John McAleavey: Yes. Right. Yeah. Owen Weiss: you know, make sure you can stand and you can, you know, so like, I felt like as soon as I, as soon as I felt good with my blood pressure, they were already trying to get me to do something else that I felt was really hard to do. Standing was, was the weirdest sensation because literally, by the way, my surgery took 14 hours, this one, because, yeah, ⁓ so they did. John McAleavey: Let's go, come on, yeah, I know what you mean. Oh my gosh, 14 hours. Owen Weiss: They did, ⁓ they did the whole surgery and then, ⁓ after that, they took me back to the angiogram, ⁓ suite where they were to kind of just check to make sure that they got everything and they saw that they missed something. So they did take me back to the operating room and re redo everything. So that was 14 hours. Yeah. Yeah. ⁓ that, well, that whole process I think takes place after you're already out. So. John McAleavey: Make sure they got everything. Yeah. ⁓ God. ⁓ God. Now let me ask you about the surgery. Are you on your stomach for the surgery so that they can get around to your back? How does that happen? Okay. Yeah, they put you out. Owen Weiss: ⁓ yeah, yeah. So yeah, they put me out first and then that's when they would turn me. ⁓ yeah. So. Right. Yeah. Well, they had to use that device. I'm not sure if you had to use it or if you know, it's, it's almost like. It's almost like a scooter where the, the seat kind of folds up. So they like bring it to the side of the bed. John McAleavey: Okay, so now they want you standing and let's go. They got you in the PT gym in the hospital. Okay. Yep. Owen Weiss: and then you stand and then they put the seat down and then you sit on it. You know what I'm talking about? Yeah. And that, that was a really trippy experience for me because that was the first time where I stood up and then I sat down onto the seat and I felt like there was nowhere left for me to go, but I didn't feel like I was sitting. I couldn't feel like my butt on the seat. So I was like, and I, John McAleavey: ⁓ yeah, yeah I know what you mean. Of course I do, yeah sure. Yeah. ⁓ wow. Owen Weiss: And at this time, I'm not thinking that anything is permanent. I'm thinking, I just had spinal surgery, my spine was open and my vertebrae on a table for 14 hours. I'm not worried about what I can and can't feel right now. I'm sure it'll be fine later. right. Right. they, the staff at the hospital were saying those things to me as well. mean, they didn't, it wasn't like. John McAleavey: Right. Yeah, it needs to chill out. That whole area just needs to relax. Owen Weiss: Like they, like I came out from surgery and they were like, he's going to be a paraplegic now. They, they were also like, we didn't expect this. ⁓ let's just start with PT and see, you know, and see what happens. Cause obviously, you know, we're trying to, you know, grasp, ⁓ you know, grasp at straws, trying to get answers about things. but they were also like, let's just kind of see what happens, you know, maybe, maybe, you know, maybe things will get better. ⁓ soon. So yeah. John McAleavey: Yeah. Wow. And so once they send you home, what is the protocol then when you get home? Are you going to outpatient stuff? Is that where you then find yourself at Kessler Institute? Is that when that all came about? Owen Weiss: Yeah, I was, yeah, I was directly transported from the hospital to Kessler inpatient. So I stayed there for another two weeks. I was in the second floor. I was only there between, let's see. John McAleavey: Okay. Now were you on the second floor? How did I miss you? Because I've been there since 2020. I don't know how I missed you. Owen Weiss: My surgery was June 12th, so I was there June 24th maybe until July 1st or July 2nd. John McAleavey: Okay. Okay, so you were there, it may have been when I was on vacation or something, because you would have... Owen Weiss: And that was, yeah, and that was in 2023. John McAleavey: Okay, because I walk around, I have a service dog. I have the greatest service dog in the world and you know, you or your family or whatever would have been like, hey, there's a crazy guy out here with a dog. We should get him down to your room. ⁓ Wow. Okay. So that wasn't for you. You went home and you started doing therapy for ⁓ outpatient therapy on your own. Owen Weiss: Yeah. I don't remember that, no, but yeah, was on the second floor. Yeah, it was awful. Yeah, yeah. You know, I just want to quickly touch on the reason why I decided that I wanted to leave there. John McAleavey: Yeah. Sure. Owen Weiss: ⁓ obviously it's hard to go through this experience at any age, but, ⁓ I felt especially, ⁓ alone being that I felt like everyone else there was 50 years older than me. ⁓ or the next youngest person was 50 years older than me. and I was already, I was already living in the hospital for two weeks and I already felt like I was. John McAleavey: Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Owen Weiss: completely cut off from my friends and my family. and, and when I did get to see my family, you know, and, and, ⁓ and when they came to visit me, it felt like coming to visit me was a charity and not that we were doing something fun together. I didn't have any of these experiences. And, ⁓ I guess, ⁓ my age contributed to me just being absolutely miserable there. Yeah. John McAleavey: Yeah. Right. Mm-hmm. Yeah, I could see that. Absolutely. And for the longest time, we haven't had a lot of young people. ⁓ But recently, unfortunately, we do. have a young man right now who is 17 years old and he's really going through it. He's having a really, really hard time, as you can imagine. And one of my good friends, yeah, one of my good friends, he and the family, we've become really tight now. He ⁓ was a guest that I had here on the podcast. ⁓ Owen Weiss: Yeah. Yeah. I had a hard time too, yeah. John McAleavey: probably a year to two years ago, he was injured in a high school football game and he was one of the only young ones there and he lives down at the Jersey Shore and his buddies would drive up like a couple times a week and so that they wouldn't leave him behind. But yeah, it's tough being young. When I was there, I was 24 when I had my injury and my roommate was 59. So it was like, yeah, we had nothing in common other than, you hey, what did you used to do? And his, his boys were almost my age. So, Owen Weiss: Wow. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, ⁓ John McAleavey: It's a lonely feeling when you're in a rehab hospital. I can definitely see where you would want to get the heck out of there. Now after ⁓ leaving Kessler and doing therapy on your own, when do you kind of begin to ⁓ move away from, not move away from therapy, but start to figure out you're going to start living your life again, like maybe going back to school or getting involved with doing social things with your buddies and when does that sort of begin to be on your horizon again? Owen Weiss: Yeah, so, ⁓ well, immediately after I was discharged from ⁓ inpatient, I came home and we had to move my bedroom from upstairs. We moved my bed and my dressers and everything. We took the table out of our dining room and that became my bedroom because I couldn't go up or downstairs. ⁓ yeah, that was also really, really tough for me. John McAleavey: Yeah, sure, sure. Owen Weiss: Being that my room my private my only private space that I would have is right in the middle of my house and anyone can walk by or come in or look in or ⁓ Yeah, I it was like a mix of I felt alone but then I also felt Yeah, yeah, yeah, ⁓ I felt alone but also I wanted to I John McAleavey: Yeah. in a fishbowl. Yeah, gosh. Owen Weiss: It was some intersection between I want to be alone and I don't want to be alone. If that makes sense. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, yeah. John McAleavey: Yeah, yeah. Well, you've just had something drastically. Your life changed in an instant. And I always tell people that these injuries rob so much from us physically. And ⁓ you can see that. Like I'm walking with a rollator now and you have your chair when you're playing tennis, which we'll get to a little bit later on, and your canes. But people don't see the mental aspect. I mean, these things just can really screw with your head. Owen Weiss: Yeah. Yeah, that's the biggest. So once I got to this stage where I'm living back at home, but I'm living in my bedroom, which is now, or I'm living in the dining room, which is now my bedroom. This is actually when I started to do PT with Lexi. She started to come to my house twice a week. I would get home therapy because that was the only way that I could leave inpatient is if I agreed to having twice a week home therapy. ⁓ John McAleavey: Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Owen Weiss: Lexi was working at ⁓ Kessler and Inpatient during this time. That's how we met. She said she started to do home therapy. So we were like, that's great, because I want out. So I started working with her. But even when I started working with her, I would scream and cry and throw a fit at the thought of having to do PT, because I've never been pushed to do something. John McAleavey: Yeah. Owen Weiss: that I didn't think I could do. But like, for example, before, like if I were to work out or go to the gym, of course, lifting is hard and requires effort. But this was an experience completely unlike just doing something that requires effort. It was to do things that I couldn't do, to try and do things that I didn't think I could do or that I didn't feel I could do. And that is honestly mostly mentally exhausting more than physical because it just feels so... John McAleavey: Right? Right. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Owen Weiss: It's so ⁓ depressing, I guess is the word. ⁓ Right. Right. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, that's great. John McAleavey: course it is. Yeah, you can't do what you used to do. It's something that unless you're in our shoes, young people will never know. ⁓ yeah, it's something that you have to come to grips with at some point. I like to tell people, I still will never accept what happened to me, but it doesn't mean I'm going to let it rule the day and it's not going to hold me back from trying to live ⁓ as happily and as freely as I do. Owen Weiss: Yeah, I like that. Yeah. Yeah. And ⁓ so in this time, ⁓ John McAleavey: It sounds like you've gotten to that point now where it's like, all right, this is not great. I mean, let's face it, we can't sugarcoat it. This sucks. you know, I remember remembering of a comedian that said life sucks, get a helmet. So, you know, you kind of have to pick up the pieces and move along with what you have. It just takes time. Owen Weiss: I guess I was just so, I didn't want to do anything. mean, not only did I not want to do PT, but I didn't want to see my friends and I didn't really make plans to see family or people have said that they wanted to come and visit me at home. And I said, that's okay, I'll see you. Because honestly in my head, thought like, I still had no idea about the permanence of this. At this point, I still thought in two, John McAleavey: Yeah, yeah. Owen Weiss: In two months from now, you know what? I'll be back to 100%. Then I'll hang out with my friends. Then I'll let people see me right now. You know, I, I almost thought like, I'll do my PT once I'm better. That was almost kind of what I was, that was kind of what I was thinking. And then I guess after working with Lexi and talking with her a lot, ⁓ I guess I, I, found a new purpose or a new outlook on perspective. mean, a new outlook on. PT that I could have that would just make me feel better about it. When I was younger, before my injury, I went to the school of rock. It's in Montclair, not the movie or the Broadway show. It's like a music school where you can go and have lessons. like an extracurricular ⁓ kind of, no, no Jack Black, but I had music lessons there and I did a lot of shows ⁓ with that company. And one of their mottos is we don't John McAleavey: Okay. No Jack Black? Okay. Owen Weiss: teach music to put on shows. We put on shows to teach music. And that kind of mantra has kind of inspired a lot of other of my perspectives on things. And I guess as far as I was thinking about this, as far as how this applies to PT is maybe I could think that instead of doing PT so that I can live life, John McAleavey: ⁓ I like that. Very cool. Owen Weiss: that I should just start living life and that that'll be my PT. Yeah. John McAleavey: Yeah, very cool way to think of it. That's very wise beyond your age, Owen. I tell you, that is really cool. I like that. Owen Weiss: Thank you. Thank you. Yeah. And I kind of think that that's something that I figured out with Flexi and that I decided on, that instead of getting better to live life, that I would live life to get better. And that's when I guess I decided that I was gonna go back to school, I finished my degree. ⁓ Not only was I back at school with a whole new outlook on life and... ⁓ You know, all these other issues, you know, that I didn't have last time I was at school, but I was also for the first time living alone with, all of these issues. had to figure out how to do all my chores around my apartment that I had at school and how to, how to, ⁓ you know, transfer around, you know, the furniture in that house and get around by myself. So, so, so yeah, it was kind of like a double. Yeah. Went back to Towson. Yeah. John McAleavey: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. So yeah, was this back at you went back to thousand? Wow. And at this point, are you using the canes? Are you using a wheelchair? What? Owen Weiss: At this point, I'm pretty much using my wheelchair when I'm out. If I'm on campus, if I'm out at the mall with my friends or something like that. But around my house, or at least if I was somewhere where there was a point A and a point B where I was getting from one place to another, I would use my crutches. Like in my house, I use my walker, honestly, because that's just easier. Or if I was going out to a restaurant where I would just park. John McAleavey: Okay. Right. Yeah Owen Weiss: and then I would just walk into the restaurant and sit and that was the end destination. Then I would use my crutches, but somewhere where I'm going to be going around a bunch of different places like the campus or the mall or a fair, would use my wheelchair. Psychology. Yeah. Yep. John McAleavey: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Wow. So you graduate with a degree in... Okay. All right. And then what is the goal now? You're a recent college graduate and what is the thought process now? I know that you were going for a master's in teaching, I believe. Was that the goal and where did you begin doing that? Owen Weiss: Yeah. So at this point after graduating from Towson, I didn't really think anything about education yet at this point. I was just really looking for a job because I was home now, I graduated college. I came down from my high of being done with school and I was like, okay, now it's time to get a job. So I started looking and applying. I pretty much spent the entire ⁓ summer applying for jobs. John McAleavey: Mm-hmm. Woohoo! Okay. Owen Weiss: And ⁓ I went to this thing called the deaf meet or deaf chat. ⁓ They happen, they happen around the county. ⁓ They're basically just opportunities for deaf people or hard of hearing people, or just people who want to practice a new sign language to come together, meet and chat and practice. So there was a deaf meet at the Rockaway mall that I went to over the summer. And one of the, one of the women there who I was talking with. John McAleavey: Alright. Yeah, yeah. Owen Weiss: I was telling them I just graduated. I I was a deaf studies minor in college. And I, you know, uh, I also did ASL tutoring when I was at Towson and I was telling her all about that. I was telling her I'm looking for a job and I can't find anything. And she said, Oh, well, I work at a school for the deaf and we're always looking for paraprofessionals to help, um, and assist our students. And I had no idea what a paraprofessional was at that time. So I asked her about it and, and, and that's. John McAleavey: Sure. Owen Weiss: seemed pretty ideal and she was like, we always need people because I so I applied and I got that job and I started working at the high school. And so I was assigned to one student and I helped them throughout the day, organizationally, behaviorally. ⁓ But the other interesting thing that I, I guess I learned working at this job was, John McAleavey: Yeah, sure. Okay. Mm-hmm. Owen Weiss: Well, this is kind of off the topic of spinal cord injury and my experience with that, but ⁓ I think it's kind of interesting to mention. When I got to this job, I was finding that a lot of the deaf kids ⁓ struggled ⁓ with something called language deprivation, which I had never even heard of before, even though I was a deaf studies minor and took John McAleavey: Yeah. Okay. Owen Weiss: Numerous classes about all the different aspects of of ⁓ of deafness and the deaf experience a lot of the students from the school come from Spanish-speaking countries They don't know Sign language because they don't have deaf education in these countries they come to America their family only speak Spanish and They themselves don't know English don't know Spanish and also don't know sign so they come with John McAleavey: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Cheers. Owen Weiss: Zero language. And for example, my student that I had last year, she moved to the United States from the Dominican Republic when she was 10 with zero language, knowing absolutely nothing. I mean, at this point, when I started working with her, I think she was 18. So, I mean, that's eight years ago, but I mean, she's still, I mean, she's developed a lot of language, but still she's, it's, John McAleavey: Yeah. Okay, zero language. Owen Weiss: Very interesting dynamic to communicate and help someone who has a lot of barriers when it comes to communication. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. John McAleavey: Yeah, yeah. Yeah, so it sounds like you're making your mark at the school and working with students and ⁓ so that's a great thing. And then did you, was it from there that you decided to pursue a master's in teaching? Owen Weiss: Yeah, I never really, I guess, realized the... Well, it felt really good to think about the impact that I was having on those kids. Not only was I... You know, they're helping them, but it's really hard to find people who know sign, who are willing to work with... John McAleavey: Mm-hmm. Owen Weiss: these students and and and to ⁓ have a degree ⁓ and so I think There are also there are some Working as a power professional at the deaf school John McAleavey: right? Owen Weiss: there are lot of paras that actually don't know sign because that's all that they could get, I guess. And so I think I was helping them. I was young and relatable compared to other people. And I knew sign. I was able to have an impact with them that I, that, that, that, really felt amazing. And I guess that's what kind of sparked my interest in education. because I feel like it was much more. John McAleavey: Okay. Yeah, yeah, so... ⁓ Owen Weiss: than teaching and helping it was, it was, yeah. John McAleavey: Sure, sure. And now let's fast forward to November of 2024 and you pick up the old tennis racket that you had put down as a high school player. Tell us ⁓ what brought that, how did wheelchair tennis come onto your horizon? And then how really deeply into it did you get initially and tell us of what you're doing now? Owen Weiss: Yes. Yeah. So Lexi actually introduced me to the idea of playing wheelchair tennis a whole year before I actually tried it. And that was because John McAleavey: Haha Owen Weiss: I didn't want to play wheelchair tennis. I wanted to play what I called real tennis. And I guess I just refused. I didn't want to participate in something because I also still felt at this point, I'm going to be fine. I'm going to be fine. I'm going to get better. I'm going to get back to playing tennis. No, Lexi. I'm not going to try wheelchair tennis. John McAleavey: Real tennis. Right. Bye. Owen Weiss: A whole year later, I'm like, all right, I'll just try it. You know what? And if I get better, then great. You know, I don't have to play wheelchair tennis anymore. But you know, for now, I'll just try it. So I went to this clinic that they have in Queens, New York, that's ⁓ sponsored by the Wheelchair Sports Federation. John McAleavey: Yeah. Maybe I'll try this tennis thing again. Yeah. Okay. Owen Weiss: and they ⁓ host a wheelchair tennis clinic. There's a wheelchair certified tennis instructor there and we get to do different drills and play games. And ⁓ my first time there, I just fell in love all over again. I mean, it felt so good to hit a ball ⁓ in so long. Yeah. And ⁓ when I was there at the first clinic, John McAleavey: Mmm. You... You were hooked. Owen Weiss: One of the other, honestly, I couldn't tell if he was like a staff member or if he was like one of the people involved in the clinic, but there was this young kid who was like showing everyone how to do things. And when I saw him hitting balls, like he looked like a professional and I was like, yeah. so turns out that this kid, ⁓ his name is Max Wong. He is the former number one junior wheelchair tennis player in the country. John McAleavey: Yeah. Okay. Wow. Owen Weiss: And Now is actually, ⁓ he's at the university of Arizona under a scholarship, ⁓ under a spinal cord injury scholarship, ⁓ playing wheelchair tennis for their adaptive sports program. And, ⁓ yeah. Yeah. Right. That's how I found out about the adaptive sports program. But, ⁓ but after meeting Max, I like became obsessed with like getting to his level and like maybe beating him one day. And so I was texting him like until late, like asking him questions about wheelchair tennis. What do you recommend? John McAleavey: Wow! And now that brings us full circle. That's how you found out about the adaptive sports. Okay. Yeah Owen Weiss: to do this, what do think is the best chair? I'm looking into buying a good sports chair now. I'm getting all this new equipment. Like exactly. So I get really, really, really interested in it and really invested in it. And then, ⁓ in March of the next year, ⁓ I play my first tournament since my injury, ⁓ in wheelchair tennis. fly to Baton Rouge, ⁓ to play in the Cajun classic tournament in, ⁓ in Louisiana. I'm actually going to be doing that again, ⁓ in, ⁓ in like three weeks. John McAleavey: I'm... yeah. I'm coming for you, Max! Okay, yeah. Okay, is that like one of the biggest ones? Is that one of the biggest tournaments on the circuit? Owen Weiss: I'm going to be playing. Yeah, well, yeah, so so there there are two different circuits, I guess there's like the I.T.F. circuit, which is the International Tennis Federation, and then there's the U.S.A., which is just kind of the United States Association. I would say that it's the biggest event in the in the U.S.A. ⁓ circuit. Yeah, yeah. So. John McAleavey: Okay. Yep. Wow. And so how'd you do that first time down in Baton Rouge? How did you make out? Owen Weiss: So there are four divisions when it comes to wheelchair tennis ⁓ that's based on, I guess it's skill level, but it also kind of falls in line with like level of disability or like, ⁓ yeah, so there's divisions D, C, B and A or A, B, C and D. ⁓ A is the highest skill level and D is the lowest. ⁓ And so after I was practicing with this, ⁓ John McAleavey: Sure. Okay. Owen Weiss: coach at the clinic in Queens for a bit. I was trying to decide what division I should sign up for. And she recommended that I start with the C division. She said, I think that you'll do really good. Honestly, you might win and it'll just help you to build some confidence. And I was like, yeah, but I don't like being the second to last. I was like, I want to try the B division. She was like, John McAleavey: Okay. Right, yeah. Yeah. Wow! Owen Weiss: Well, I mean, she was like, if you want to, like, it might be a lot harder. ⁓ and you might be out earlier. And I was like, I just want to try it. I was like, I just want to try it. So I went, I played my first match and I won that first match. I won that first match. ⁓ yeah, that was, that was really cool feeling. John McAleavey: You could have started a D &C and bagel job to everybody, right? Yeah. You won! ⁓ my gosh. Unbelievable. Yeah Owen Weiss: The bad thing though was that I had to do my second match the same day and I ended up, I was too exhausted by that one. ended up losing that one. honestly, I was actually talking about this earlier today with someone else. I leading up to this tournament, I was so invested and concentrated and focused on winning. cause I mean, I think I'm just naturally a really competitive person. And I also had the experience of playing it and competing tennis. John McAleavey: Ugh. I was going to say, yeah, you were exhausted. Right. Owen Weiss: competing in tennis before my injury. And I had a really, really big hunger to win. And I think I was putting a lot of pressure on myself. I was like, it's my first tournament back. Now I'm going to finally be able to play again. And I need to focus on all the ways that I can maximize my play style and my strategy. And I need to win. John McAleavey: Yeah. Yeah, and I gotta prove it to myself. Owen Weiss: After being there and going through the whole experience, can tell you honestly, the tennis was the secondary experience. I have never been around this many other people like me who are young, who've gone through a similar ⁓ story to mine. I have never felt like I belonged so much before. And that was the biggest takeaway experience that I had from that tournament, more so than the tennis or the winning of it. ⁓ John McAleavey: ⁓ huh. Yeah. Yep. That's amazing. What a great after effect. Yeah. I mean, you think you're going in, it's going to be tennis, but the sort of sounds like the light bulb sort of went off and you found your niche. found some people that you had a lot in common with, and that is awesome. If you could quickly tell us the differences between playing tennis on two feet and playing tennis seated in a chair. Is it similar basically to the game? Owen Weiss: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, so the only difference as far as rules go is that wheelchair tennis players get two bounces instead of one. And the second bounce can be out of bounds as long as the first bounce is in. So if it bounces ⁓ in the court, the first bounce and the second bounce is in the green or behind the baseline, then that's still in play. ⁓ John McAleavey: Okay. Okay. Okay. Terrific. And tell us exciting news about ⁓ the adaptive athletics programs. You were telling me that there's two huge, wonderful universities here in these great 50 states that we have that offer this. I think you said there's five programs and there's two of them that you're applying to. Tell us about that. Owen Weiss: Yeah, I think there's maybe five or six or maybe a few more, but maybe not as ⁓ big. But bottom line is ⁓ there's a limited amount of colleges that have ⁓ adaptive sports programs, two of which I was really attracted to were the one at the University of Michigan and the University of Arizona. And I only found out about this John McAleavey: Okay? Mm-hmm. Owen Weiss: through Macs I mentioned before, but also when I went to the Cajun Classic Tournament in Louisiana, I was meeting students from University of Michigan and University of Arizona who were wheelchair tennis players who were telling me about this and they were like, yeah, you should totally come. And I was like, yeah. But then I started thinking, they were also telling me about this Nielsen scholarship, which is the Spinal Cord Injury Scholarship, which. John McAleavey: Yeah. Okay. Dude, get into ⁓ Okay. Owen Weiss: is ⁓ something like 125 % of the in-state tuition towards the out-of-state tuition, as well as $10,000 a year for housing, $6,000 a year for miscellaneous other expenses. ⁓ So that sounds like really cool opportunity, I was thinking. John McAleavey: Wow. Owen Weiss: this might be a really great benefit of my story. I would have never had this opportunity to go to school under a scholarship and play tennis if it weren't for my injury. I was like, I have to just ditch whatever I'm doing and just go to one of these schools, try to get in, try to play ⁓ on their team because I've never had this opportunity. I mean, if I was able-bodied, no way in eight million years would I be thinking about going to get my masters, having... ⁓ John McAleavey: Yeah. Yeah? ⁓ Yeah. Yeah Owen Weiss: having a scholarship pay for it and also like fly across the country to study. Yeah, yeah, yeah. To study and play tennis, yeah. John McAleavey: who wanted them. Yeah, absolutely. So now did you apply or what's the process now? How far along are you? Owen Weiss: Yeah, I applied to both schools. I'm still waiting to hear back. actually had my interview with the University of Arizona today, earlier today. ⁓ That went well. yeah, I'm just, I'm waiting to hear back. Yeah, I think it's, I think this is there. It's like a W and then a C. Yeah. Do ya? Maybe soon I can be there. Yeah. John McAleavey: Alright. Wildcats, baby! All right. That's right. I like to watch their basketball teams. They always have great hoops. Yeah. ⁓ that would be really cool. You're to have to keep us posted on that. That would be great. So now what, ⁓ what is the goal after you, after you choose one of these schools and you graduate, what is the thought process ⁓ for work wise and then tennis wise? How about that? You going to continue with doing that? Owen Weiss: Yeah, tennis-wise, honestly, I really want to see how far I can take it, ⁓ especially because of, you know, I just mentioned I would have never had this opportunity if it weren't for my spinal cord injury. So I really feel like I have to squeeze the most out of the opportunities that I have. So... ⁓ John McAleavey: Okay? Yeah, definitely. Owen Weiss: I mean, other people have mentioned the possibilities of the Paralympics, you know, LA 2028. That would be like totally, totally cool and rad. John McAleavey: Lexi's got to get you ready. Owen Weiss: I know maybe I can get to that point eventually, maybe not for 2028, but maybe at Paralympics after that. ⁓ Yeah, yeah. And as far as work, I guess we'll see how well tennis goes first. But yeah, for the University of Arizona, I applied for ⁓ a clinical mental health counseling program. ⁓ My mom and her mom and her partner were all therapists, so there were a lot of... ⁓ John McAleavey: Yeah, you're a young man. Yeah, absolutely. Okay, that's cool. Very cool. Okay. Owen Weiss: counselors and emotional awareness in my family. yeah. Plus also helping people. I mean, I've got a great passion for that. And since my injury and because of my story, now I feel that it's my duty. John McAleavey: So it's in the blood. It's in the blood. Even more so. That's terrific. Yeah, we should have you. I'm the peer mentoring coordinator at Kessler. We should maybe talk about getting you up there to be a peer mentor because we do have some young people, as I mentioned, we have someone up there now. So maybe I will be ⁓ hitting you up on your cell one of these days to see if you can come up and help us. Yeah. So that brings me to my final question, Owen, which I ask of all of my guests who have in one form or fashion. Owen Weiss: Yeah, that'd be great. Please do. John McAleavey: had a spinal cord injury and I'll tell you where it came from. I was waiting in the long hallway at Kessler to visit with my doctor. I had a doctor's appointment and I was with a friend of mine who was actually a really good high school friend and unfortunately he had a really bad spinal cord injury. So the two of us are waiting to see our doctor and I said to him, know, Tommy, if I could snap my fingers right now and you would be completely able-bodied again and he was a high quad and a power chair. I'm like, what is the first thing you would do? So I look over at him and I could see like the smoke pouring out of his ears as he's trying to come up with an answer. And while that's happening from behind me, heard a woman say, I would go out in my garden and plant flowers and tend to my flowers. And then a guy next to me who said, I was always a car guy. I'd go out in the garage and tinker with my car. so I thought, you I didn't have a podcast at the time, but I thought everybody's going to have a different answer for this. so when I started recording, I put this in at the end and Owen Weiss: Yeah. Yeah. John McAleavey: If you're comfortable telling us, what do you think the first thing you would do would be? Owen Weiss: I like that question and people have asked me that question before. I would have a list of things obviously as I'm sure everyone would, but at the top of my list, listen, I was never a runner and I hated running, but now that I can't, there's nothing that I wouldn't do to be able to run again. ⁓ Maybe in the form of playing tennis, honestly, that would be ideal, playing tennis again. ⁓ Yeah, but honestly, know, John McAleavey: Yeah, yeah. Owen Weiss: Sometimes I think about I would, you I actually said this to Alexi one day. I would love to have one last opportunity to have a day where I get my legs back and I can do everything and anything that I want to do. And I was thinking about whether or not I would want after that to go back to how I am now. Cause I think in some ways I'm more happier now than I ever was before. And I just feel so much more equipped to handle life's John McAleavey: Yeah. Yeah. Owen Weiss: waves. So yeah, I don't know. That's something I'm thinking about. I don't know. John McAleavey: That's amazing! That's really cool! That's amazing. ⁓ I have that's a first for me. I haven't heard anybody say, well, actually I, I, yeah. Owen Weiss: Maybe, I mean maybe. Listen, if it were really happening and really snapped your fingers, maybe I'd say, don't know, I think I'll stay like this. John McAleavey: Right, exactly. But that again, wise beyond your years, Owen. That's an amazing answer and ⁓ we're going to have to check back in on you and see how that tennis career is going. You might have to get me tickets at the Open, yeah, in New York over there. That would be great. Well, I have to thank Lexi again for putting us together and we were able to work in the gym together. Hopefully we will. Owen Weiss: Thank you. Maybe, hopefully. That would be great. John McAleavey: will our paths will cross again over either at the gym or somewhere maybe at Kessler someday. was, ⁓ it's been a pleasure getting to know you and to bring your inspirational story to ⁓ my audience. so Owen Weiss, thank you again for joining me here on the Quadcast. Owen Weiss: Thank you so much, John. I really appreciate you having me.