Motivational Monday: Katie Schock

For this week’s Motivational Monday I did a long-distance interview via Skype with an awesome girl named Katie Schock. Katie was born with microtia and hemifacial microsomia, which as she told me, “is a fancy way of saying that I was born without a left ear, leaving me 50 percent deaf, and also severe jaw problems.” Her humor and positive attitude were immediately apparent when we met up online for the interview.

Tell me a little bit about yourself! Where are you from? How old are you? All of that fun stuff

“I’m from Birmingham, Alabama. Not the deep South. I don’t live in a barn. I am a senior in high school right now, so I will graduate this year, and then I have to go on and figure out my life from there. I have always been interested in studying law, but we will see!”

What is the greatest adversity that you face?

“I would say that it’s not actually having the disability, but probably trying to fit in with others and feel ‘normal.’ But as far as my disability goes, I was born without a left ear, there’s not even a hole, so that results in 50 percent hearing loss. I was also born with hemifacial microsomia, I know that is a big mouthful, but it means my jaw doesn’t meet all the way. I have had six major reconstructive surgeries, where they broke the bones in my face to fix my jaw problems.”

How does this adversity impact you on a daily basis?

“On a daily basis, like at school, if there are a whole bunch of people around, I can’t always hear what people are saying to me, and then they get pissed off because I have to say ‘what?’ like five times. There is also the social aspect, because if I have my hair up, people always ask about my ear.”

How do you deal with those questions?

“If people are nice about it or I can tell they are just curious, I am nice back to them. But if they are rude, I usually reply with a rude answer.”

How do you overcome your adversity and live positively?

“You have to realize that even though some abilities are going to be taken away or disabled, that creates an opportunity for you to showcase other abilities that you might have. Also, just realizing that [adversity] can give you a different perspective on life. If you accept it, you can help others that might not be able to accept their own problems.”

Where do you find inspiration?

“Seeing other people who are happy, and seeing other people overcome their own problems. Also, my family and my friends. They are always there to support me and make sure that I don’t ever use my disability as a crutch.”

What makes you laugh?

“Myself. I make myself laugh a lot. Also, other people’s stupidity.”

Thanks Katie for being awesome and letting us interview you!

Motivational Monday: Andrew Gelb


For this week’s Motivational Monday, we had the opportunity to talk to a very insightful individual named Andrew Gelb, a 22-year-old with Type 1 Diabetes, who is, as he puts it, “finishing college and figuring out my life.” Andrew has an awesome perspective on life that we’re excited to share!

Where are you from?
I was born and raised in Bayside, Queens, New York. Since I was 18, I’ve been going to college in Oneonta, New York, four hours away.

What is the greatest adversity that you face?
The greatest adversity in my life is my diabetes. I’ve had Type 1 Diabetes since I was 12 years old, almost a decade now, and it has never been an easy thing to manage.

How would you describe your adversity to someone that may have never heard of it before?
Originally, I had to take shots of insulin as the cells in my pancreas that normally make it stopped. After a few years of that, I went on an insulin pump, which made things a bit easier, but hasn’t removed the challenge.

How does this adversity impact you on a daily basis?
Any time I want to eat, I should be checking my blood sugar, counting my carbs, and delivering insulin for what I eat. The strict regimen and ambiguity of the measurements of some food makes it hard to maintain it while not feeling like a sort of zombie. And then when I don’t, and my sugars aren’t good, there are all sorts of physical side effects that just generally don’t feel nice.

I wasn’t sure if I should have gone away for college because of my illness, but I did, and I’ve been taking care of it living hours away from home for four years now. Taking on that responsibility after having my parents’ help for so long was a big step, but it’s a challenge I chose, that I rise to meet every day.

How do you think this adversity has impacted your life as a whole?
My whole family is very diabetes-minded, and the supplies all over my house are a constant in my life. My attitudes and decisions about food have obviously been affected, and it’s something I feel will always set me apart in a group; it’s a part of my identity. But not necessarily in a bad way, it has shaped me into who I am.

How do you overcome your adversity and live positively?
Switching to an insulin pump when I started high school gave me more freedom and flexibility in my eating habits, though the freedom is sometimes too much. I do my best to eat right, and to stay on top of what I need to do for my health. Even when I’m not at my best, I chalk it up to a lesson learned, and strive to do better in the future. Recently, I switched to an even newer, better pump that has made getting the insulin delivered much more simple, which has given me a better outlook on the disease and my life in general. I’ve learned that everything is about outlook, and as long as I see my life as good, I’m going to feel good no matter what is holding me back.
   
What do you think the average person can learn from the ways that you overcome adversity?
I think that a general sense of self-love is what helps me the most, and is the most helpful in general. Besides my diabetes, there are plenty of other things in my life that I could do without, but I look at the way I handle it all, and I think of the infinite possibility of what I am as a person, and I can’t help but feel happy. I do what I have to to keep myself afloat, and if nothing more, I have that to feel proud of and keep me going further.

Where do you find inspiration?
Wherever I can. There have been plenty of days where I’ve woken up with low bloodsugar, which is something that can ruin my mood all day if I let it, but just the view out the bus window on my way to campus each morning brings my mood right back. I don’t sweat the small stuff, I love it, and I let it fill me with wonder instead of letting it bring me down. Everything has a story, and that fact alone makes me feel like all of the things in my life have meaning behind them, and even the bad parts are things to enjoy.

What makes you happy?
My friends, my family, good food and drink, music, adventure, and love.

What makes you laugh?
When I’m taking things too seriously and I realize it, wittiness, and the perfectness of everything.

Anything else you’d like to add?
Hope and happiness are, like magazines, things anyone can subscribe too if they feel that it’s worth it. But you can only read what you choose to.

Huge thanks to Andrew from everyone at LAMN! Remember, if you or someone you know is a good candidate for Motivational Monday interview, give us a heads up at laughingatmynightmare@gmail.com

Motivational Monday: Misty

Misty is an 18-year-old college freshman at a small school in New England. She has faced some pretty serious challenges throughout her life, but has overcome them with inspiring optimism.

What is the greatest adversity that you face?
I was raped at age 7, but I didn’t tell my parents until I ended up in the hospital when I was 15. In high school, I started cutting myself, was dealing with PTSD, and tried to commit suicide many times. When my grandparents found out I was raped, they disowned my family. They didn’t want to believe it because they were supposed to be watching me during the time it happened.

I was in the hospital on and off throughout sophomore to senior year of high school, and because of this, everyone wasn’t sure if I would graduate or be able to handle leaving home and go to college. Right before junior year, I was raped by a stranger near my house. I got pregnant and had a miscarriage. Near this time I also developed an eating disorder. The miscarriage and eating disorder are the hardest things that have ever happened to me. Today, I still struggle with feeling guilty when I eat, but I’m working on it.  

How do you overcome your adversity and live positively?
I was really angry at my grandparents for a while for believing a rapist over me. Over time I came to realize that they were just scared to admit that it had happened. Because my grandparents didn’t believe me, I was scared to tell anyone about it because I didn’t think anyone else would believe me. What really helped was the fact that my parents were there for me the whole time and believed me. Also, these things happening to me helped me realize the good in people. Through this, I’ve had a chance to talk to a lot of people about my story and I’ve found a lot of people who have had similar things happen to them. I’ve also met a lot of supportive people. I truly believe that everyone has good in them. With God’s help, I’ve forgiven the men who raped me, and I hope they realize what they have done is wrong and don’t do it again.

When my baby died, I thought it would be better to be dead too because I thought I had no reason to live. Now, I’ve found that I can always find a reason to live. Even if that reason is just sharing your story with someone else so that they don’t feel so alone. There are so many things I want to do with my life now, and so many people I want to try and help.

Where do you find inspiration?
I graduated from high school and am now in college and I seem to find everything about college inspiring. I love making friends. I think the best thing ever is getting to talk to different people and finding out about their story, and what is important to them and just getting to know them.

Having spent so much time in the hospital surrounded by other teens who had tried to kill themselves, I met some of the most amazing people there. I’m so glad that they didn’t succeed in their suicide attempts and this made me realize that I can help others too with what I’ve gone through.

Another thing I find very inspiring is people who have lost a child and have gone on to live happily. I love talking to these people because it reminds me that while I’ll always miss my baby, maybe one day it won’t hurt as much.

What makes you happy?
Music, reading, talking to my mom on the phone, meeting new people, when someone texts me first, receiving emails from people who have heard my story and when people tell me their stories. I also love Disney movies, playing Neopets, and running around.

What makes you laugh?
I laugh at myself a lot because I do a lot of stupid things that I find funny. I’m always tripping over my own feet.

Anything else you’d like to add?
Things aren’t perfect, I still cry a lot and sometimes I feel like cutting. Everyday I still struggle with making sure I eat and trying not to feel bad about it after. However, I concentrate everyday on trying to do a little better than the day before. And when I mess up, it’s okay because every new moment is another chance to try again.

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