"I was paralyzed twice! What is your excuse?" Matt Blanchard

Welcome to the "Crackin' Backs Podcast," where today's episode introduces an extraordinary guest, Matt Blanchard. Matt's journey is nothing short of remarkable, navigating through what many would consider an insurmountable challenge not once, but twice. Every year, the world sees 250,000 to 500,000 new cases of spinal cord injuries, and Matt has faced this reality twice in his life.

His story begins with a life-altering moment that could have ended in despair but instead opened a path to unparalleled resilience and determination. His mantra, "Life happens for us, not to us. We must turn obstacles into opportunities," echoes through his actions and words.

Today, Matt will share the pivotal and private moments of his journey, including the mental shifts that accompanied his physical transformation. We'll explore the profound realization that his decisions impacted more than just his life and uncover the challenges and decisions that played crucial roles in his survival and recovery.

Reflecting on his experiences, Matt offers insights into the impact of spinal trauma, not just on the body but on the soul and those who loved ones that surround you. As an anatomy teacher with a unique perspective on the human body, he shares how his professional knowledge has influenced his personal recovery and resilience.

Join us as we delve into a conversation about overcoming paralysis, finding motivation amidst adversity, and connecting with those who face their battles, guided by Matt's incredible story of turning obstacles into opportunities.

We are two sports chiropractors, seeking knowledge from some of the best resources in the world of health. From our perspective, health is more than just “Crackin Backs” but a deep dive into physical, mental, and nutritional well-being philosophies.

Join us as we talk to some of the greatest minds and discover some of the most incredible gems you can use to maintain a higher level of health. Crackin Backs Podcast

Transcript

Dr. Spencer Baron: 0:02

Welcome to the correct index podcast where today's episode introduces an extraordinary guest Matt Blanchard. Matt's journey is nothing short of remarkable navigating through what many would consider an insurmountable challenge, not once, but twice. Every year, the world sees 250,000 to 500,000 new cases of spinal cord injury, and that is based this reality twice in his life. The story begins with a life altering moment that could have ended in despair. But instead, over the past unparalleled resilience and determination is Montra. Life happens for us not to us, we must turn obstacles into opportunities, echoes through the actions and words. Today, Matt will share the pivotal and private moments of his journey, including the mental shifts that accompany that is physical transformation. We'll explore the profound realization that his decisions impacted more than just his life, and uncover the challenges of decisions that play crucial roles in his survival, and recovery. Reflecting on his experiences, Matt offers insights into the impact of spinal trauma, not just on the body, but on the soul, and those who love the loved ones that surround him. As an anatomy teacher with a new unique perspective on human body, he shares how his professional knowledge has influenced his personal recovery and resilience. Join us as we delve into a conversation about overcoming paralysis, finding motivation, amidst adversity, and connecting with those who face their battles, guided by match incredible story of turning obstacles into opportunities.

Dr. Terry Weyman: 2:02

And this is going to be buckle up because this is going to be an incredible journey. We're about ready to partake on. We've got Matt Blanchard on our show, and I'm so stoked to have you on the show. I can't tell you people what you're about to hear is gonna bring spine tingling hair standing for on Dr. Spencer's arms is gonna make it Christ can make you laugh. So Matt, welcome to the show, man. Thank you

Matt Blanchard: 2:27

so much. Thanks for having me. Appreciate it. Good day.

Dr. Terry Weyman: 2:31

All right. So according to statistics, there are a quarter of a million to half a million spinal cord injuries in the world, every year. So think about that people, half a million people been struck down by spinal cord injury. This man we're about to talk to has been struck down twice. And, you know, when I tell people coming on the show that we have a guy who's been paralyzed twice, their eyes just explode. And there's right now it's a hot topic, because on Netflix, there's a show called full circle. And they talk about two guys that have both been injured, smiling, paralyzed. And the narrator is coming from a guy named Barry Corbett, who is a very famous skier, first American to climb Everest, and he fell out of a helicopter and got paralyzed. So he wrote this book back in 8080, that a lot of hospitals uses their Bible when they're first talking to people. And in this, I'm gonna quote, he said, anger and despair is acute. It's so powerful that overwhelms reason and intention. It's strong stuff that draws off so much energy that the mind and the body reach a point where they can't sustain the energy demand. You've gone through this energy sucking demand, twice, I why here. And then why you said that we're gonna talk about your journey. But let's set the stage. The moment your life changed. Yeah.

Matt Blanchard: 4:00

So laying there in the ICU, and not realizing what had happened yet. reaching down, I hadn't set up in 10 days. Now all I wanted to do is sit up and I reached down and grabbed my quads to try and pull myself to a sitting position. And as I did that, I couldn't feel the touch of my hands. And that's when it sank in that this is this really happened. And, man, I didn't know what I was. From that. I'm six foot, two 215 pounds. At the time, I just run the St. George marathon in October, literally was in the best shape of my life. And didn't think anything could hurt me. I was that guy. And when I reached down and could not feel my legs, I just started crying and did not know what to do. Didn't know what to do in super scary everything's so scary. When when you have an acute injury or any type of loss, everything's your first birthday, your first your first everything well, for me, it was going to be my first time sitting up and, and rolling over, and learning how to put my socks on learning go to the bathroom a different way. And all those first times are scary, because you don't know the outcome. So when I was laying there, I didn't want to live anymore. I, if I figured if it wasn't gonna run marathons, if I wasn't going to coach soccer and things like that, I didn't, I didn't want to live. And here's the here's the, here's the banger right here. I didn't want my wife married to a cripple. Like, in my mind, she'd married six foot two to 15 Man, at least my idea of a man not realizing that she'd been praying for years, that I would be humbled. And that when My accident happened, she carried a lot of grief or guilt about my accident thinking that somehow God had answered her prayers, because now I needed her for everything, to go to the bathroom, to get dressed to, I mean, everything and the anger to not be independent anymore. And literally, literally to be dependent on everybody for everything. I was I was angry, and I did not want to live. I didn't want to live a life of paralysis. I didn't want to live a life if I if I couldn't do the things I always used to do. So I tried to figure out a way to end my life. Um, so I didn't want to be burden. It was rough. It was rough. My dad, my dad came to me. And in my in my darkest hour while we're on, here it goes. Because this is a medical program. I'd hadn't had a BM in in 10 days because of all the pain, medication and everything and I underwent two surgeries. And finally, they transferred me out of my ICU room into my own hospital reminisces late in the afternoon. And somehow I got caught in the shuffle got missed. But they'd given me enemas and all the all the things to try and get me to vacate. And it finally did. Yay. It was amazing. And but there was so much that it I could feel it running up my back because I laid there in that bed, not able to do anything. I didn't have my nurse call yet. It coming up all the way up behind my neck and in my on my ears. And sitting there praying and trying my best to yell for a nurse or somebody but at that point, my I was so weak. And I laid there in that and prayed and prayed and prayed and felt abandoned by God, abandoned by my family and friends, my wife. And that right there. I broke in. And I don't know if anybody's ever. I mean depression, I've gone through depression. But I I broke mentally and I did not want to live anymore. Like I did not want to live. And the next morning the nurses the nurse changed and they come and find me and these cute CNAs super cute CNAs come in to clean me all up and they're rolling me from one side to the next and they're just wrapping out about their weekend and and here I am 30 years old, with every that everywhere, gotten into my incisions got infected. And as they rolled me so nonchalantly, like they've done it a million times because they had but that was my first time. And those cute girls. It only compounded the problem. And so I I decided I was not going to speak to anybody or acknowledge anybody I and hopefully I would just somehow this nightmare would go away. So as I grew up in Salt Lake, and that's where I was life flighted to. And as people would come into my room and I'm talking people from my elementary school all the way up to the University of Utah. People I've known my entire life. They come into my room to wish me well and give me love. I wouldn't open my eyes for anybody. I wouldn't acknowledge or engage in any conversation. I just laid there and pretended like I was just heavily medicated or sleeping. And at the end of the day after visiting hours Rober everybody left my room except my dad, and I wouldn't open my eyes or talk to my dad either. I mean, this is my dad, my coach might this might guy, and he pulled a chair over the side of my bed. And he said, Matt, this is paralysis. This this is, this is big, you can quit. We can all quit. But do you have it in you to dig in, dig deep and get it done. And I didn't know it was so vague when he said that and when he said it, I was pissed. I remember laying there in that bed, it wouldn't open my eyes to talk to my dad either. And thinking you do not know how rubbery and cold My legs are. And non responsive. Like I couldn't sit up in the ICU because I didn't know how to anymore. I might. So two inches above my belly button, I suffered a t 12 compression burst. And that a piece of that bone went into my spinal cord. And I lost everything below the waist. And my dad left and then I'm struggling with my dad's words all night, dig in. And then instantly my mind would go well your life in a wheelchair. And then dig deep. Like will pour out you're paralyzed. You know that voice in your head is just so freakin powerful. And I you know, get it, get it done. And I decide right that I'm going to I'm going to walk again. That's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna walk in. And I did I had no knowledge of spinal cord injuries. I was Matt Blanchard. 10 feet tall and bulletproof. Like, whatever spinal cord injury I got this, like I literally took that mindset of, I'm going to walk again. And I focused all of my energy on this goal of walking. The problem was the following morning, Mom, occupational therapist comes in the room and looks right at me, Matt, what do you want to do? Hey, Casey, his name's Casey, I want to walk. And he's brilliant. He's heard this millions times. He's okay, we'll walk but first, I want you to get your socks on. And I laughed, out loud laughed. And like you if I get my socks on, we'll walk and he said, you get your socks on and we'll practice walking straight. So he starts to leave the room and throws me a pair of socks. I'm like, Casey, where are you going? Like, gauge socks on? I'll be right back. 40 minutes goes by no socks, no socks, and I'm a sweaty exhausted mess. I'm when I get frustrated. I cuss Okay, so I am I'm accustomed machine. And the harder it is and the more I'm sweating, the more therapists and doctors are coming into the room. Hey, are you okay? Are you right? And I'm like, get my socks on during the live email. I'm gonna sock sock. And Casey comes in because I was making so much racking so Hey, Matt, do you want some help? Your help getting your socks on? And I'm like, no, no, Casey, I don't who needs help getting your socks on. And I and I now know today that everyone needs help getting their socks on. My socks just look different than other people's socks. I got this goal of walking. We all have goals of of becoming something or doing something. Well, how do you get your socks on? What that's the first step. You know, I had to learn how to roll. And even before I got my socks on, I had to learn how to rollover. See it up. And then we started focusing on on socks. And so he leaves the room throws me a lasso like a hip out of a hip kit. You guys probably familiar with that. And I'm trying to rope a foot that I can't see now I've got a brace that goes from my A TLSO going from my hips just under my clavicles and I spend the next 20 minutes trying to rope a foot I can't see. super frustrated now. There's an outline of sweat on my bed. I've used every cuss word in the book and start making up some cuss words. And finally, I wrote my right foot after an hour and five minutes and I and I'm so far gone. In my mind, I start having a conversation with my right foot, right? I'm like it's been an hour and five minutes. What is the deal with that? And I throw it down to the end of the bed the best I can it kind of gets tangled up. And I say a little prayer and take a deep breath. God listens even if you cause and I first time I wrote my left foot. Pull that bad boy up to me. I started commending it on the good job. Right and it's an hour and 10 minutes. Casey goes walking into my room. He's applauding me he's been watching the whole time. He's like Matt, you got your socks on hour and 10 minutes. Let's go walk. And I just laid down I just not today. That was everything I had everything I had just get my socks on. And you know, so many times we struggle with, with accepting help, especially as a man is hey, I don't need help. You know, I'm the one that helps people and how quick I could have how much quicker I could have got to my goal of walking or at least practicing walking. If I would just accepted help getting my socks on so that I could end but I'd tell you what it took me four months to get my socks on and be able to get dressed and get my socks on by myself. Of all because of being stubborn. We talked about that a little bit before, because I didn't need help. I was not the guy that needed help. And I remember thinking in my mind just before the accident, too, I'm okay. Just this is just before. I'm okay. I am too big, and I'm too strong to get hurt. Other people suffer spinal cord injuries, not me. Other people get in car accidents, not me.

Dr. Terry Weyman: 15:28

Hey, man, can I ask you what is I know you've been through this twice? I'm assuming this is the first time what accident? Did you have the first time and tell me about the second thing? Yes.

Matt Blanchard: 15:42

The first the first accident happened in 2006. January 16. Isn't it crazy how we remember dates have something traumatic in our lives that because everything goes back to life before. But I was in my brand new truck. One of my employees is with me. I was an electrical contractor at the time. And it was raining in St. George. He jumped in the cab of the truck and pointed route and he says Matt, put your seatbelt on. And he's a 19 year old punk kid and I don't like being told what to do. And so instantly, because he told me I had to do this thing. So there's no chance in hell. So we jump on the highway start heading up the highway, rain turns to snow. Second time. Seems Brett right says Matt, put your seatbelt on. And this time I gave him all the reasons. You know, I'm six foot two to 15 strand marathon. I'm your boss. I'm 30 You're fit. You're 19 Don't tell me what to do. So further up the canyon, we went. And Nate we had whiteout conditions. I'm following a semi truck. semi truck gets off at an exit, but not me. And for the third time that morning, Brett said Matt, please put your seatbelt on. And for the third time I said no. So not not I still small voice or a warm, funny feeling. Someone sitting right next to me telling me, hey, protect yourself. pride and arrogance. That's why I'm in a wheelchair. And I'm physically paralyzed. My question is, how are you paralyzed? What paralyzes you for anybody that's listening? If you're able bodied, awesome, but you're just as paralyzed as I am? And will you allow someone to help you get your socks on, get and if you will, you can get out of that paralysis and move on to your goal. I'm lucky. I'm lucky to be in a wheelchair. And this is why I get everybody's ageing. Because nobody's going to be mean to the dude in the wheelchair. So I mean, I can't tell you the last time I got a door for myself. The cheese at the supermarket that my wife likes so much. I can't reach that. So everybody already knows when I come in. They're like, hey, you need cheese today. And so it's in everybody's smiles at me. We make eye contact. It's just like this today. You guys aren't going to be rude to the dude in a wheelchair. Right? But my so what everybody else's paralysis. Nobody can see that. Everybody sees my paralysis and gets in a game. What would the world be like if everybody saw everybody's paralysis? And everybody gave everybody's in a game? Because we're all going through something and I am lucky enough for the world to see what I'm going through. I mean, I get front row parking everywhere I go, right. I don't wait in line at Disneyland. Right. It's all worth it. So I go through that to sell my trucks tracks. He tells me put my signal line for the third time I say no. I lose control the back into my truck. I get completely sideways go down into the median between north and southbound traffic. My wheels catch that wet fresh dirt and my truck launches into the air doesn't roll it launches into the air and it comes down. It hit the driver's door and then boom came up onto the passenger side. rips my hands from the steering wheel. Start to second rotation. And now it's throwing me throughout the cab like a rag doll. Brett's buckled in. And when the truck stopped it was on the passenger door. Everything was black. And I was confused what just happened and I realized the reason why I couldn't see anything everything was black is a my hips were now covering my face. I was in this extended cab truck. I remember looking up over my head and grabbing my knees, pulling them back down the floorboards. Now I'm sitting on Brett's lap, and I knew insolent Brad, I'm paralyzed. And it took emergency crews two hours to drive down, cut us out of the truck, put me on a gurney put me in a helicopter airlift me to the hospital where I had CTS, MRIs, all the things and what had happened is I burst T 12 and a piece a grenade did in my back, and a piece of that bone went into my spinal cord just enough that I lost everything below the waist, went through two surgeries. The first surgery I was so big and muscular I was there even doing blood transfusions, I still bleeding out, they couldn't control the bleeding. So they closed me and they took all that bone out and waiting for a second surgery. Now my back right now is held together with 12 titanium screws, two rods, a plate and a basket blast basket, became a new vertebrae, took out a rib, crushed it up, put it in there, and screwed me all together and led to calcify. So that's that's what happened in the first accident. Now I knew I knew I was walking out LDS hospital until I didn't. And I gave everything to walking. And when I got home to St. George's, this was up in Salt Lake that I had therapy. That's what I did. I tried to destroy my marriage, like did the absolute best to destroy my marriage said every mean thing. That a yeah, that a husband could say. And my wife with tears coming down her face. So I didn't fall in love with your legs. I'm not going anywhere. And right there, she turned around with a black sharpie. And in the corner of our mirror, she wrote, what type of day will it be today you decide. And it really was a decision that I was going to live. And that I was I was going to walk again. And that I would I would do my best to be the man and a husband that my wife deserved. Yeah, the moment she told me that because because I had I was ruthless, like, ruthless. And when her response was, I didn't follow up their legs, I'm not going anywhere. I felt a piece. Because Because before that, I already knew she was gonna leave me. You know, I'm not this May, this may, I didn't know what I was. I everything was gone below the waist. And that was my idea of a man. And now all that's gone. I was Tara I knew she would leave me. I just knew it. And she's my high school sweetheart. We're coming up on our 30th year of marriage. And she is a straight badass man. My wife is a badass, like, I'm a badass, and she is she is stronger than I can even imagine. So after that, I found therapists and doctors that thought, okay, maybe maybe not walking in with the right attitude and effort. And those are two things that we have control of all the time. Whether you're in a prison cell or the President of the United States, you have control of your attitude and your effort. And only you know, whether you're giving your family or your team or whatever, 100% You're the only one knows that. And there's no such thing as 110%, I'll tell you that right now. There are, there's 100%. And there are times where you thought your 100% was right here. But you can go past that, well, then you didn't reach 100%. Or with lifting weights, if you're if your max is 135 pounds, well, and you continue to work, it's going to go up so your 100% will continue to continue to increase and change. So everybody's 100% is different once you give 100%. One time, that was it. That's your 100% Because now the next time you're 100% is more than that. And so I took on that mentality of Yeah, I'm gonna walk again, I'm going to do this, I'm going to do this. I was told at LDS hospital, because all I would, all I would do is is every morning, Casey, I want to walk, let's get your socks on. So four months goes by, I can get my socks on, I can sit up finally, not very well. You know, it feels like when you're paralyzed, it feels like you're sitting on a top and you can just topple over. If you guys ever felt what it's like to be paralyzed. I'm going to allow you and other listeners to experience paralysis for the first time. So if you'll take your hand and put your middle finger down, and what you're going to do is put pressure against that knuckle. So if you've got anything hard a desk or whatever I'll do it on. I'll do it on my hand. So I'm putting pressure and I've got my elbow up. So putting pressure on that knuckle and you lift your pinky off too easy, and your thumb and your index finger putting pressure on the knuckle try to pull your ring finger off of your that's what it's like to be paralyzed. That is exactly the feeling of paralysis. Asking your body to do something and it feels just stuck. So for any able bodied person Put your knuckle against and put pressure and try to pull your ring finger off that surface. Not going to happen. And I if everybody would just wiggle their toes real quick. I have not wiggled my toes in 19 years. I missed that so much. But yeah, so I got I got my socks on and everything Casey comes into my room one morning with my physician. And then my physician looks right at me and says, Mr. Blanchard, I understand you want to walk, I look right, I'm I know, you got it wrong, man, I'm going to walk. And he said, You've suffered a very severe spinal cord injury. And I've treated 1000s of spinal cord injuries, just like yours throughout my career, it would be a waste of my staff time and a waste of your energy to focus on walking. It's impossible. T 12, complete spinal cord injuries do not walk, become independent in your wheelchair. And he turned around and left the room. And that is exactly what I needed to hear. Like, it's impossible. Bet, watch this, watch this. And I went to work on this impossibility for 15 years, 15 years, because some goals take time. You know, I spent a total of a little over five months at LDS hospital and for a month straight now we're focusing on walking, which the doctor is upset about because it's a waste of his staffs time in mind. And there came a day. Well, I'll talk about this that I had a conversation with, with God and and just said, Look, if this is what it is, then this is what it is. But if if there's a possibility that I can do this thing, I need assignment, I need something. And I moved my right foot forward in therapy, maybe an inch. And they bring it back because I had four therapists around me, you know, because I'm a big guy. So somebody's there's one on each foot, there's one behind me with a gait belt, and there's one in front of me with a gait belt. And we're just, and I finally moved my right foot forward. I didn't realize you have to hip hike. And you have to take the weight off that damn foot or you can't move it, but you don't know what you don't know. So it moved and they moved it back and do it again. And so we did it over and over again so that we know that it was actually my movement. And that was my sign man that this is going to happen. This is really going to happen. So released, released from there didn't walk out of LDS hospital knew I was gonna walk out of there. I was a rough day, came home and surrounded myself with doctors and therapists that thought maybe maybe with the right attitude and effort, he can do this thing. And yeah, we went to work when we started out with with nothing. They would put me on the sled at zero incline, and they would bend my knees up. And with a goniometer you guys know what that is. And I would just try to control my legs on the way back down. And at first they just flop flop flop. And you know we did my therapist, I can't say enough about my therapist, thinking outside the box all in, like I was all in on walking. And that's what it takes with, with careers with goals with whatever and they're hard. And so many people quit their don't quit. Like if if there's one thing I would tell everybody listening, fail, fail, look forward to failure. I call it failing forward. So I'll think something's gonna work. And I'll move forward and I'll fail at that thing. And I'll tweak it just a little bit. I'll take one variable and tweak it. And I'll go again, and fail again. And then tweak it and go again. And that with walking that ha That's what it was that and just don't ever quit. There's a there's one thing for sure your dreams, your goals wherever you want to be in life. If you quit, that will never happen. It will never happen. So just don't quit fail and keep going. Every but there's so many other people 90 97% of the world that's going to quit, don't quit. Other people will fall off and you will achieve your goals. Surround yourself with people that will help you get your socks on and go to work man go to work. You got to have that team. You got to have that team. You can't you can't do it alone. Truly.

Dr. Spencer Baron: 29:37

Hey, Matt. Matt, I got a question. I know I've been quiet I've been quiet this most of this this conversation because I'm holding back holding back the tears here. But in between being inspired to the point of tears and and when you were back telling about your dad it was it was crushing me. I love the story. I I have a question regarding, are you? Did you teach Adobe? Is it? How did that help or hinder your understanding of what? Oh,

Matt Blanchard: 30:09

great question. So it helped, it helped me understand because now with anatomy with our cadavers, I can look at the spinal cord, I can go to T 12. And look at how the tongue spinal cord runs and the nerve roots and you know, all the peripheral nerves and it helped a lot. It really did. So, so how I became a net and anatomy teacher is after I got hurt, I decided I wanted to be a physiatrist, the same person that told me Matt, you're never locked in again. Because I wanted to go into that's what I am right? Like, that's the guy I am. And, and so I did all my undergrad for pre med got accepted to med school. And my wife said, Babe, you'll be 54 years old, by the time you're done, and we'll be half a million dollars in debt. You're not going to med school. All right straight so I applied to PA school got into PA school. My wife said I don't want you move into Gilbert Arizona at still in Arizona. Let's stay here with family. So that's how I kind of fell into anatomy. And here's the here's the thing I had I had a goal of being a physician. And so for everybody listening have your goals. And if they it's an impossible goal, like walking or climbing Mount Everest, anybody who ever before it was something that anybody who ever tried to climb Mount Everest died. And so, Dr. Spencer, are you kidding? What? Mount Everest? Everybody's died brah it's impossible. And today 6300. And some odd people have done the impossible. So I decided to start teaching. And I wanted and I started volunteering at the hospital. So I could go into other patients rooms, who had suffered deficits, and say, Hey, life's gonna be different, but it's going to be okay. I still play tennis I pickleball surf cliffs, I do all the things I just do. I'm a little different man. And so when a physician comes into a brand new spinal cord injury, and you guys probably know this and says, and your walk, you just walked into the room, instantly, instantly. You're like this guy. I don't care how knowledgeable he doesn't know what I'm going through. And you don't. Right, that's fair, that's fair. And our physicians know that down here. So when we have an acute injury, they call me and I go with them from admin, to to a discharge. And we go through all the therapies and we drive cars, and we laugh and we cry, and but but Meek rolling into a room and saying, This is going to be okay, knowing that all this patient wants to do is walk knowing all that. And I can say okay, great. But first number one is skincare. Because if you get skin breakdown, you are not going to be walking, you're gonna start you're gonna get septic, you're gonna have bone showing, it's going to be a bad situation. So number one, skincare, number two, bowel and bladder, if you will, you got to learn how to go the bathroom. And both ways because it's different for every paralyzed people go to the bathroom different. And then third, now we'll focus on walking but if you don't take care of these two first, they will kill you. bowel and bladder will kill you. And skin breakdown will kill you. And I know that's what I'll die from. And so I have to take care be hypersensitive about my skin, and about taking care of my bowel and bladder. So many things in my life. have happened for me. I'm a big believer that life happens for you, not to you. I'm not a victim. I'll never play that victim card. But that being said, when you're in the middle of the fight, like when you're in the trench, and you cannot see that this is happening for you. You and this is delicate right here but I'm gonna say it cancer victims it's happened for you. If you've lost a child that's happened for you. If your whatever your divorce that's happened for you. Your your kids being estranged that's happened for you. Don't be a victim. figure out okay, what do I need to do? What's this challenge? What's this? What's What do I need to learn? So I can get my socks on to be with my family or friends or or how can I serve others? It's not about Matt Blanchett. It's about serving other people. And so many people are stuck in the past that Oh my My mom, for example, bitter at men and this that and the other because of the divorce from my dad, and she is stuck and she will talk about my mom her divorce and what happened when I was 10 and she'll still talk about it today. She is stuck in the past. So she's wasting the present talking about the past. I asked whether I want to be talking about the future, I want to send the future the President talking about the future. If you're stuck in the past that caused the depression, if you're stuck in the future that causes anxiety, stay present. It's that's how I survived. And at the end of the day, at the end of every day, I look still look myself in the mirror and say, did you give your all today and everything you did? And if the answer is yes, it does not matter what Dr. Spencer thought dr. Terry thought anybody thought, if I know I gave my best, because I'm the only one that knows if I did, then that's okay. Everybody else, hey, they can have their opinions. But I know there was no more to give. And I had to push my body that hard for that many years, because I couldn't look myself in the mirror if I didn't, and say you gave your best today on walking. Now, I've learned a lot and grown a lot from my accident. My family took a backseat, I lost my company. I became dependent on pain medication. I'm not a big fan of labels. I wear I only wear labels that I want to wear. I'm not an addict. I'm not a recovering addict. I went through addiction. I'm not depressed. I mean, why would you want to label yourself that I went through depression? So it's that if you say that it's temporary, we can get work. Life is cyclical. And if you're on top right now kicking ass, right, our good job. Get ready, because it's coming. And if you're on the bottom, getting your ass kicked right now. Awesome. Awesome. What? How can you say that, Matt, because on the days that I in, here's my number one when I have an accident as a 48 year old man. And I've got to go home and and get help to clean up this accident. That's my lowest. And I am grateful for those days. Because I know it's not going to get a whole lot harder than this. And with that total brokenness, without experiencing that, you cannot appreciate the triumph. So there's literally no value in winning. The value is in, in the grind in getting your ass kicked. So that when you do when you can appreciate that win. But if you're just went all I do is win win win, well, then you don't appreciate that win man. Or you're not challenging yourself hard enough, or whatever it's important to fail. Over and over and over again. The but the most important thing is to not ever quit. So, so that's what I did. I took that mentality and I went to China had 70 million stem cells, put it into my back at acupuncture at all the things because there was a checklist, right? That I had to do to know it for me to sleep at night. I had to know I did everything I could to walk again. And I did everything I lost my company. Because I was traveling the world, the world doing therapies, and then the nation then I came home and traveled the nation doing therapies are all in on walking all in one on walking became dependent on pain medication. That was horrible. absolutely freaking horrible. I was that squeaky clean kid from Salt Lake City, Utah. sent me home with a drug called oxy cotton. And I didn't know what this drug did other than when I took it. I could go hard in therapies and push this broken body hard. And then after five years, I was taking 390 milligrams a day. Yeah, yeah, I was on. I've done every every drug under the sun 480 pills every two weeks, almost 1000 pills a month. But but that was built up over the five years. And I was 100% dependent on pain medication. And then without walking the way I wanted to walk. So I was walking with forearm crutches to a great put my wheelchair away. I had a walker and a no wheelchair, I'm sorry, and forearm crutches. And I drove up to Salt Lake City with my forearm crutches, took the elevator to the fifth floor went into that physician's office stood in the doorway. This was five years later. And I said hey, Doctor, do you remember me? And oh, he did because I was a shepherd man. And he's like, Mr. Blanchard? I was like, Yes, that's right. He's like, What can I help you with? So you told me I would never do this. He's like, Well, what's that? So you told me I'd never walk and I'm standing there with my forearm crutches, because his response was you're not walking. You're using assistive devices. He got up from behind his desk and walk past me. And so I walked back down to my car, and I cried like a little baby. And I went home. And I worked harder. I worked out and I thought of this doctor, in every therapy, telling me that I couldn't walk, I wasn't gonna walk. This was impossible. But now I know that because I've matured that. This guy's a stud. Like, we have a great relationship. He's a stud. I love him. I needed that to push me because he knew, Okay, this guy needs to hear that shit can happen, that this has never happened for and it's not good to have it. And that's what I needed to hear. He's brilliant. He's brilliant. He's not that way with other patients as He was with me. And I love him. I love him today. Yeah. So I mean, I could, I could still resent him or be angry at him, which drove me he was in every therapy with me, every therapy, and he lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. I'm down here in St. George, and that guy is right there. You can't do this. You can't do this. And I would force my foot forward without him telling me. I love him. So what challenges and like with your kids? What coaches told your kid that he's not good enough? Or he can't get the playing time? Or whatever? Good. Go, work harder. Go work harder. It's not anybody's fault. It's all in your control. How bad do you want it? If you want it bad enough, then you'll go to work. If you don't, you'll sit and complain. Pull your kid off the team or whatever else. Go to work, man. Life's hard. But are you teaching your kid? What are you teaching your kid if your coach just let his coaches let him up or, and now you're pissed? Because he spoke the truth. And, and now you have an option of either calling the guy dirtbag or pulling your kid off the team or whatever, instead of saying, You know what, sweetheart? Let's go to work. Let's prove this guy wrong. You're gonna let him win. Really? Like, that's who I am. Life is a competition. Everybody wants to money. Everybody wants to house everybody wants the relationship. Everybody wants to think everybody wants that. The people who want it the most get it. And those people fail countless times. They just don't ever quit.

Dr. Spencer Baron: 42:22

Man, let me ask you about, I want to ask you about the second injury. But I want to compliment you on an extraordinary ability to motivate to take something so unfortunate that most people think and realize, you know how it can move you and drive you, you know, I use the metaphor of a magnet, you know, has a positive and a negative side. If you cut the magnet in half and try to grasp on to the positive side doesn't work because it still ends up being a positive and a negative. So life is that and you have created an environment where you really focus on what could be positive in the midst of negative right. So thank you, well, that that you're doing a really fantastic way of motivating and I also think that doctors should really learn how to be more inspiring, because most are not. They become very, you know, they lose all their their connection,

Matt Blanchard: 43:29

their tact and their bedside manner like Yeah. Yeah.

Dr. Spencer Baron: 43:35

You found a way for it to work. Yes. So I commend you right. Now. Now. You're

Dr. Terry Weyman: 43:42

about the second thing. You got to be built to this ledge that you're gonna fucking walk. i Come on, you gotta hit me with this.

Matt Blanchard: 43:51

Here we go. You ready? Buckle in. Here we go. I buckled down. All right. So 15 years has gone by. I've been clean off of meds for eight years at the time. And I'm to the point where I can walk 40 yards with one single point cane in my left hand, Kid you not you guys, I'm doing it. I'm doing it. And on my little girl. She was let's see, she was 10 Eight, she was eight when I got hurt. And I knew one day my little girl is gonna get married. And dads walk their little girls down the aisle and do the daddy daughter dance. And that was another driving force. So January or September 25 2021. My little girl got married. And we had practice walking down the aisle so many times with foreign crutches were dialed in with foreign crutches. With single point canes I could do with single point canes. Sometimes I trip her up, you know, I'll get on her dress or whatever. And she wanted me use foreign credit. For some reason she wanted the day to be about her. I mean, I don't get it. All right. So Today is the wedding day about her come on. So we are so we've got these four crutches we practice walking down the aisle and then the daddy daughter dance. I use one single point cane and I could twirler and it was amazing, man. Amazing. Seven months before that, February 12 of 2021. I'm going down to Nevada to Las Vegas. I'm heading southbound and a an impaired driver heading northbound drunk driver in a Chrysler 300. Went through the median and it hit me head on. Went through some bushes. It was dark at night. If you want you go on my socials and see this thing happened. I've got a dash cam. But she goes through some bushes a cactus takes out her front headlights and cracks me head on 120 mile an hour impact. Yeah. So I was in slow lane do an ad just on my cruise control. She came across right around 4050 miles an hour head on. I was wearing my seatbelt this time. But I suffered an L four burst. And I was paralyzed for a second time. I'm in my truck I was trapped down by the brake and the gas pedal. I had to compound fractured my TIB fib on the left. And it was just my my left foot was just upside down and backwards. My right femur had been broken. My hip Master tabulous, my femoral head. Everything I was busted up and I this is how annoyingly positive I am in my butt. It took time to get there. So I remember looking down at my body and my right leg is way the heck over here. And it's as you can see couple things. My left foots upside down and backwards. And I looked at my body. And I said, I am so happy. I'm paralyzed because I can't feel this. So it was That's how annoyingly positive I am. And, and so there was an EMT, my truck it started on fire. So she came in, put the fire out, she had a fire extinguisher of all things in her car, put the fire out and went over to the other car. She wasn't wearing her seatbelt, and the steering wheel had been pushed and pinched her right in half. So she was alive. But as soon as they cut her from the vehicle, she bled out. And I sat and watched this I was in that truck for a little over two hours. So for a second time, emergency crews had to cut me from my truck with the jaws of life. For a second time I was airlifted and for a second time I was paralyzed. So those 15 years a lot of practicing walking, walking my little girl down the aisle gone like that. But I I know that life happens for me, not to me. I know this. And so as I'm in the hospital, learning how to rollover, sit up, get my socks on shower, all the things for a second time, it wasn't as scary because I already knew I can do this. I've done want to do it again. And I and the team, my team around me they knew they knew. And when I lost sight of my goal at times my team says What are you doing while you do it? It's very true, I think is Wayne Dyer. Maybe that said, You're the average of the five people you hang around the most. And it's it's a fact that's not a cliche. That's a fact. And I know that most people want to be wealthy and they're broke. Well, you're hanging around broke people, man. That's just I'm sorry. I'm just telling you straight. That's that's why I'm a blunt object. So if you want to become a millionaire start hanging around millionaires. I'm lecturing to a group of billionaires one day. And one of the billionaires right in the middle of my presentation is Matt Well, we'll do a lot why are you not a billionaire? Why are you only a millionaire, Matt? And I was like, Well, hold on. I don't have enough income or this or that or the other. And he's like, No, I'll tell you why. You're not a billionaire. You think like a millionaire. And I sat there. I'm like, Okay, well, then how does a billionaire think? And he said this, you go out and make 10 people or help 10 People become millionaires. By default, you'll become a billionaire. Billionaires help other people become millionaires. Madison, life is not about you. It's about us. Change my entire perspective. I'd never thought of being a billionaire before ever, you know, but now. All right. This whole room of gentlemen and I spent I spent a whole weekend with them, you know, and boy, facts. It. Everybody listening this life's not about you. It's not. It's about us. It's it's about us. And if we can get out of our ways and Go and serve other people. How do we serve other people? I'm gonna let everybody know right now how we change the world. Eye contact and a smile will change the world. And those two things cost you nothing. Surround yourself with people who give you the best opportunity to reach your goals and go to work. So if you're in a group of people that are talking about where they want to go, and all the big things they're going to do, and that's all you've done for the last five years, guess what? You're not going anywhere, man. You're just not people. I think you need to have the guts, the tenacity, the fortitude, the resiliency, and the relentless pursuit of your dream of your goal. Because average sucks. Average sucks.

Dr. Terry Weyman: 50:47

Hey, ma'am. I gotta check the second my partner loves using analogies. And I have this analogy right now. So right now, you for the listeners listen to this until you see the YouTube video. A car accident. Took you took your ability to walk basically twice, right? You're recording from a car?

Matt Blanchard: 51:13

I am. How

Dr. Terry Weyman: 51:15

freaking cool is that? What do you think about that? That here you're talking about being positive. And the average person in life would never set foot in a car again, and you're recording from a car tell them as positive messages when their car I said twice took your took you right? And I just had to point that out. I'm sitting there listening to you. I'm like, the guy sitting in the car right now talking to us. And the car accident took him and you flipped it around to go and now this is my place of positive this is my place of giving and all that. So sorry for your jerky, but I just I just saw this this little thing. I guess frickin cool. It's it's

Matt Blanchard: 51:54

no, no, no, it's true. It I was terrified to drive again, terrified. And that's why I drive. Because I because I was so scared of it. So in therapies, when I first got hurt, the therapists would ask me, What do you want to do today, because now I knew I would take what I was most fearful of. And that's what we would work on. I would share my biggest fear with the doctors and therapists, family and friends. And that's what we focused on. So I attacked life. Like I'm paralyzed, but I live big. I live hard. And I love my life. I love my life. Paralysis has allowed me to become the man I was always supposed to be. Yeah, the the the biggest challenge in my life, one that everyone prayed for when it first happened to be taken from me. What a travesty, if that would have give God would have done that. Because I would have gone back to being an electrician and wire buildings and being this self centered, egotistical son of a bitch, that that it's my way or the highway, I don't need help from anybody, Oh, you don't like my way, then get on the other team, get on my team or get out of my way. That's who I was before. Now I realize the more people I asked for help, the quicker I am going to get to my goal as long as the right the right people. So what's your goal? Find your people go to work.

Dr. Terry Weyman: 53:30

I got I got asked you something, you know, for those of you they're gonna wild lick you up. And and they're gonna be intrigued by you, which is what I did. And you know, I kind of talked a little bit about this when I went through your your Instagram page, and then went all the way to the bottom for your very first post your kids, right? Yeah. And then you had a couple of your kids. And then I started working a timeline back up to present day. And we talked about this a little bit and went, Holy crap, you can see the transformation, it just your photographs. And you can see the transformation of the important cell that and your first picture was your two kids when they were young. The last picture you have is you're on stage looking like a frickin warrior. And so, I want to know, if you can kind of walk a little bit through the transformation in your photos and how it compared to your life. All

Matt Blanchard: 54:26

right, you're gonna make me cry here. But that's okay. Vulnerability is my superpower. It is. And a lot of men are afraid of that vulnerability. And that's what your wives want guys. That's what your your girlfriend wants. So. So we were cooking dinner one night, and I went down the hall. This was my kids were younger. They were they Well, they were all in their teens. They were all home still. And as I rolled down the hall to get them to come to dinner. I overheard all three of them talking and They were talking about me and how I was their hero. And that there there wasn't anything that I couldn't do and because of that, there was nothing that they couldn't do and accomplish. And at that moment, it was all worth it. To not to not ask your kids or have anybody asked but have these young kids these teenagers in their dads their hero man, if that was okay, it was, that was the day that was the day that it's okay if you don't ever play basketball again, man. It's okay. If you don't run marathons again, it's okay. That life's different. You don't need to be you don't need to be the guy used to be in fact, nobody even wants you to be that guy. My wife, my kids, nobody wanted me to be that guy anymore. We they did a short documentary on my family. Right after I got hurt. My kids were still super young. And they said no, I prefer my dad from a wheelchair. And they asked why? Well, my dad is to all my soccer games. Now. My dad hasn't missed one soccer game. My dad hasn't missed one piano recital. My dad hasn't. Because I used to think that money. Money was what a man brings in and he does the cars and he does the house. And he does. And Mama raises and does laundry and that. And I would fly into vacations and fly back out. I would because because that's what I thought and paralysis is the best thing that's ever happened to me, man. I hate it with every fiber of my being. And I wouldn't change it for one second. The it allowed. Like I said, it allowed me to become the person that I always meant to be I'm on stages. I've influence hundreds of 1000s of people with my story. You know, it's if I were an electrician, still I'd be wiring and buildings and chasing money missing out on my kids lives. My kids want. My kids wanna hang out with me, like our family, that that's our tribe. Like we do everything together, we party together. We do everything together. In my I'll come home and my kids and their friends will be at the house. And we'll you know food. The kids love food. So if you have food, you're in good shape. But they choose to be there. You know, I don't have to ask. That's my success. That success to me not having millions of dollars in a bank account or my family, my kids wanting choosing me choosing me, my wife choosing me. I could be dead broke bankrupt. And I'm successful. I've done some good things. So yeah, the transformation going from a very selfish, very narcissistic, egotistical, chauvinist, good guy, really good guy. But a little bit of me went a long way. You know what I mean? And to now you can you can feel it, you guys can feel it. You if you're listening you people are drawn to me. Because I'm vulnerable. I'm real. I'm authentic. I've gone through hard things. But guess what you're going through hard things to my heart thing is everybody can see it. And so many people suffer in silence. God energy, whatever you want to call it, whatever you want to believe in, in that second accident made it very clear, very clear. That my purpose is to inspire and motivate. And Matt, you are not reaching your full potential. And so after that second accident, I went all in. I went all in and things of boy just fuel to the fire. It's been it's been amazing. Like, like opportunities like this. If I was paralyzed, I would never have met you guys. I would have never been on this podcast. And your listeners would have, you know what I mean? It's your your challenges your trials, even as health hellacious as they are, you can be either a victim it's a choice or you can be a Victor and I just choose to be a victor. Every time and I this John Wooden he has never lost a game and either vi I've just I've just been behind when time ran out. That's what's that's my attitude. Right? Like, I'm gonna get you I will get you okay times out. I'll get you next time. Like that's just, that's my mentality, you know, challenges like, I look forward to my challenges hard being things. I look forward to him. I really do because I know they serve me. I know what's happening for me. And if I want to get through that challenge, like I'm sure Mae said the same thing about the buffalo right? Turn, turn into the storm. If you're in the storm, turn into it, lean into it, don't run from it. You'll be in the storm for a long time. So dig in, dig deep and get it done.

Dr. Spencer Baron: 1:00:25

So Matt, with that said, and the fact that you love a good challenge, I would be remiss if we didn't take a last moment in our conversation today to go and do our classic rapid fire questions. These are random questions. I'm going to throw it yet and it challenges you to be very impromptu and give a short answer which we end up diving into more.

Dr. Terry Weyman: 1:00:55

But if you're ready, hold on, let me sit down ready

Unknown: 1:01:08

let me stand up

Dr. Spencer Baron: 1:01:14

oh, man, that was good. Well, if you're ready for question number one, you better buckle Alright, man, question number one, man. Oh my gosh. If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why? One

Matt Blanchard: 1:01:35

superpower to love unconditionally? Oh, yeah. Because loves the answers. It loves the answer to everything. Now you guys, you made me cry again. Like I'm passionate about that.

Dr. Spencer Baron: 1:01:49

Oh, man, Matt, join the club.

Matt Blanchard: 1:01:55

Love is always the answer. Man. Love wins out. It always moves down.

Dr. Spencer Baron: 1:02:00

I agree. I agree. Question number two. What are three things you have yet to accomplish that are possibly on your bucket list. Okay.

Matt Blanchard: 1:02:09

I will go to Australia. I've always wanted to go to Australia. My dad's always wanted to go down to Australia. My dad's past so I mean, I mean, I go to Australia. That's one thing. Grandpa. Oh my gosh. I'll be grandpa in May. My little girl Yep. My little girl husband and having our first grandchild. So I am stoked about being a grandpa. And third, and here it is. I'm going to speak at Madison Square Garden. Yep, you bet. How nice. So how I don't know. But there may be a listener there. Maybe that's how that's how goals work. I'm I'm getting my socks on with you guys. With with anybody listening? I will speak at Madison Square Garden. You bet. How? I don't know. But that's the fun part. That's the fun part figuring out how.

Dr. Spencer Baron: 1:03:03

All right, based on based on understanding your behavior, dairy

Matt Blanchard: 1:03:08

database, you'll be there and you'll be there. In fact, I might have you guys hit a deuce me. I want you to do for me. You've got it. Let's do it.

Dr. Terry Weyman: 1:03:17

I have all about that way. That there's no way in hell, you'll be able to do that.

Dr. Spencer Baron: 1:03:23

I love it. That's what I needed to hear

Dr. Terry Weyman: 1:03:32

I like What's one thing on your bucket list physically, emotionally? Are you like that, that that you want to do

Matt Blanchard: 1:03:40

physically? I want to well not want I'm going I don't like that word. So anyway, I'm going to do a marathon from a chair. And I'm going to qualify for the Boston Marathon from a chair. So there it is physically.

Dr. Terry Weyman: 1:03:57

So add the guy that will read it with you is Spencer because he's a big runner. So

Matt Blanchard: 1:04:03

I used to be as well do you know I love the pain. I'd love the pain of vibe training for that marathon. Getting stronger. Yeah. Yeah. I love it. If you you know the sorry, I talk all dog on day. Yeah. Love instead of looking for the destination so many of us get focused on the definite destination. And then you finally get to the destination and it wasn't what you thought it was gonna be. You got to enjoy the journey. The destination. Got to enjoy the journey, man.

Dr. Terry Weyman: 1:04:36

All right, well, let's see Master square guards Boston Marathon. You know what you do is you run Boston Marathon and security back East. You just go to Madison Square Garden, so to speak. Let's

Matt Blanchard: 1:04:47

do it. Let's do it. It's done it you know it's already done. Here's another thing. My future self and think of your future selves. have already taken care of it. So everybody listening, are you going through all hard times? Everybody's going through a hard time apps, and you are still here. Because your yourself today has taken care of all the bullshit you're worried about in the past? Well guess what? All your worries today, your future self has already taken care of it, you've never let yourself down while you're going to start now. So chill out, man. Chill out, you've already taken care of it. If you trust yourself, you've already taken care of it.

Dr. Spencer Baron: 1:05:24

It's beautiful. Question number three, Matt, what is one thing that you wish every caregiver of spinal cord injuries would learn?

Matt Blanchard: 1:05:34

That it's then it's your patients first time that it's their first everything. And even though you've done it a million times, it's to board transfer is scary. To sit up is scary. To to self Cath, oh my gosh, that's scary, to digistamp. And I know some of your listeners don't know what I'm talking about right now you I know you guys do that scary. So be gentle, be patient, be empathetic, but at the same time be this. This needs to happen for your health. And so that's what I would want is for them to just, I know you've been a physician for 20 years, but the patient you're gonna go in and see, they just got hurt. So this is their first time. So what you're gonna say, Your God at that point, you really are your God. So tread lightly, tread lightly.

Dr. Spencer Baron: 1:06:36

Super good. Question number four or five is what tip Do you give someone who is fresh to an injury of this nature,

Matt Blanchard: 1:06:46

don't compete with who you were, they'll never be that person ever again. The is that so the person I was all I wanted to be. I just want to be that guy again. Will I had already experienced more than that guy ever could even handle. So I he can't do what I do. He hasn't experienced the emotional or whatever. So do not compete with you have yesterday be a better version of yourself today than you were yesterday. That that's what I do. So that any patient I know you want to walk I know you want to be who you used to be, that person is gone. You will never be that person ever again. You've already experienced too much. So this do the best we can today and let's measure wins from zero from today. Not from what how you used to run marathons and stand up and all the stuff. Because if I find it done that I would fail over and over I wouldn't have I still not physically where that guy used to be. And I never will be. So I need to just be a better version of myself today than yesterday.

Dr. Spencer Baron: 1:07:59

Who the last question, man so far, you've knocked our socks off? Oh, wait. That's good. I love it. Question number five is an interesting one because it has to do with mental health and reading in New York Times yesterday, there was a big article on on suicide. And I know that that played out in your head at one or two or 10,000 points times in your life but mental health as far as any tips that you can give to someone when they're going through something bad. Is there any suggestions you have?

Matt Blanchard: 1:08:45

Your absence would leave such a hole in this existence, and would be so far reaching that you have no idea. That'd be that would be first. Second. Is this is temporary. as dark as it might be. As as hopeless as it might seem? It's temporary. I promise you'll you'll get through it. You'll get through it don't quit, don't ever

Dr. Spencer Baron: 1:09:14

quit.

Matt Blanchard: 1:09:18

You know, it's probably hard for people to hear that as for me, the number one thing in my life would be a loss of a child. And so when I when I say that, that that's where my mind goes, What if somebody is listening to this and they've just lost a child something that changes you just like paralysis. It's happening for you. This existence is literally a blink of an eye what we've gone through what we're experiencing right now is literally a blink of an eye. We will all be together again. I was lucky enough to experience what's next and it's it's unbelievable. It's there are not words, because I'm bound by this English language. But don't quit. This exists. Since it's hard, it was designed that way. We learned the most through our pain and suffering and challenges. So don't quit, just don't quit in, this was me that I can't speak, this was me. I would make it through the minute, I would have suicidal thoughts and whatever, okay, we'll, we'll do this, but 60 seconds, in 60 seconds, we'll do this. And then it goes from 60 to 10. To an hour to Okay, we'll do this tomorrow. So just get through the minute, if you're so dark right now, and so lost right now, then just get through the minute. And then to the next minute, but don't focus on the minute to just focus on minute one. And then, and continued so. So yes, you can, you can do it tomorrow.

Dr. Spencer Baron: 1:10:54

You know, just to parley something extremely important about mental health and suicide, that part of the article was very, very revealing. And it discussed that contemplating suicide is, what they found is, is that there's been an increase in suicide by like, 56% around the world, but in the United States, it's actually decreasing. And it had to do with an article about the San Francisco Bridge, which is the most popular one of the most popular places in the world, that people jump, I mean, in the country for people to jump. So they they engineered 20 feet of netting to go either side. Because they know and what they realized. And the reason why suicides are actually decreasing in the United States is because suicide is such a a sudden decision to make that is irrationally based, and usually people that don't die from this a suicidal attempt, they are happy to be living. And so we realize if we remove all of the the possible ways of doing something sudden, then people are going to survive their their suicidal ideations. So thank you for bringing that up, man. Because that's That's it? Yeah. Thank

Matt Blanchard: 1:12:26

you for that. Yeah. That that information? Yeah. If we can take away the things you know, and make it through the moment because it's it is in the moment, it seems so dark, this it will pass, it will pass. I promise you it will pass.

Dr. Terry Weyman: 1:12:43

All right, man, we're gonna we're gonna close this down. But so you have the floor. And a lot of good motivational speakers realize that. It's the last thing you say is what people remember. Right? Yeah. And it's that last five minutes statement or that last paragraph that lingers. So with that being said, you had the floor in a paragraph or less? What's the one thing you want people remember about this talk?

Matt Blanchard: 1:13:10

That your challenges? Yeah, okay. Your challenges are happening for you, not to you. You're not a victim. The life's hard, it's supposed to be hard. We learn the most from our challenges that there's no, there's no value in winning. The value is in the grind. Love what you do. If you don't love what you do? Find what you want to do and go do it. This life is too short to not do what you love. And then very simple, dig in, dig deep, and get it done.

Dr. Terry Weyman: 1:13:47

I'm good. You're gonna take an hour to recover from, but I gotta get a little fuzzy.

Dr. Spencer Baron: 1:13:56

This man that was powerful. Thank you for listening to today's episode of The cracking backs podcast. We hope you enjoyed it. Make sure you follow us on Instagram at cracking backs podcast. catch new episodes every Monday. See you next time.