Derrick Coleman 0:01
Hello, and welcome to the new show, Overcoming. I’m Derrick.

Luis Lemus 0:04
I’m Luis

Derrick Coleman 0:07
So Luis, you want to tell us a little bit about yourself.

Luis Lemus 0:09
Sure. Back in 2014 I was working at a telecom company and was part of a big layoff. And then in April and subsequently May, I just kept my imbalance I thought was something normal and doctors here in Mexicali told me I’m better off Going to my nearest hospital because it doesn’t appear to be normal.

Derrick Coleman 1:12
Oh wow

Luis Lemus 1:13
Yeah. And in then I went and they gave me an ativan and they thought that was it. You’re good to go. My mom, being the stickler that she can be, lucky she said he’s not better. He needs more tests. So I ended up in what I call EVM tube and the MRI machine and a lumbar puncture which is the spinal tap for spinal fluid and they came back and told me I had MS.

Derrick Coleman 2:30
Wow

Luis Lemus 2:31
Yeah

Derrick Coleman 2:32
Wow, that’s kind of crazy

Luis Lemus 2:34
Yeah

Derrick Coleman 2:36
I mean myself at age two I found out that I had a disability.

Luis Lemus 2:43
Okay

Derrick Coleman 2:44
You know from there on, I found out that I had scoliosis in my lower back.

Luis Lemus 2:51
Right

Derrick Coleman 2:52
Here I am today, you know

Luis Lemus 2:53
Still going

Derrick Coleman 2:54
We’re still going and pushing things which I kind of add to that because I think it is going to flow well what we’re what we’re going to be talking about today, which is overcoming disabilities.

Luis Lemus 3:11
Yeah.

Derrick Coleman 3:12
You know, you overcame yours.

Luis Lemus 3:13
Yes

Derrick Coleman 3:14
I’m overcoming mine. We’re basically overcoming our disabilities.

Luis Lemus 3:17
Right. Despite what the prognosis is.

Derrick Coleman 3:23
Despite even what the doctors say. They told me I’m not supposed to be walking.

Luis Lemus 3:29
They told me that I wouldn’t. I’m better off back home. And I felt, screw that because I don’t. Being at home only puts to think of unwelcome things means you didn’t think before.

Derrick Coleman 4:00
Right.

Luis Lemus 4:01
And the mind wanders into certain holes that it has no business doing.

Derrick Coleman 4:14
Trus. Yeah, I mean, we know people who have disabilities, you know.

Luis Lemus 4:18
Oh yeah.

Derrick Coleman 4:20
Are way worse, you know, then then we are.

Luis Lemus 4:24
Right

Derrick Coleman 4:25
But this still going strong. You know, I mean, there’s people that I run into and dislike. You get that sense to where even when you’re working with your friends you get people looking at you. And I think I rather for them to asked me questions than just look at you.

Luis Lemus 4:47
Right. I have an example. At the SS building, waiting for the elevator to get to the floor I’m on, people would get off and they would almost give you a judgement stare.

Derrick Coleman 5:16
Yeah yeah yeah yeah

Luis Lemus 5:17
Gaze at you and move on. Although you may need some assistance as is the case in the few falls that I had on campus. People feel better off not see no evil, hear no evil.

Derrick Coleman 5:52
Right right

Luis Lemus 5:55
It’s sad but in reality and you could take it any way you want. I mean, I’ve known met people who have the condition I have that are abled body but they tried multiple times to cut own life short.

Derrick Coleman 6.41
Wow

Luis Lemus 6:42
And I feel that it’s not that serious. Our disability is not some main ending that so might as well make the most of it while you’re here.

Derrick Coleman 7:14
True, true. I mean the good thing is we’re here, we have school here you know.

Luis Lemus 7:21
Right

Derrick Coleman 7:22
Basically it kind of gives us that edge of what we need and the friendship that we need.

Luis Lemus 7:28
Yes.

Derrick Coleman 7:29
You know which is powerful. Is there a quote that you think goes along with our topic today?

Luis Lemus 7:38
Um I think. Let me think. If you fail once, keep on going try a second, try a third. There is no reason that. Okay you fail one time. Keep going until you can’t. Like my brother told me, younger brother when I decided to come back to school, he said go give it your all until you can’t anymore.

Derrick Coleman 8:40
Wow, wow.

Luis Lemus 8:41
And that’s the little brother giving me advice.

Derrick Coleman 8:51
When it should be the other way

Luis Lemus 8:52
Right, right

Derrick Coleman 8:54
It’s gonna come you, know whichever way you want it to come, you know. You have to take that advice and keep it. Just keep it going. You know, we are thinking when I was in the Special Olympics. Like, you just keep trying, you know. And the thing that I like is that if your team is doing good, and the other team is not doing good at the end, so come as one team. You know, that’s very strong about that.

Luis Lemus 9:31
Yeah. I mean, you could only learn from one another. And I mean, as far as disabilities, they come in all forms, shapes, sizes, and you could pick up a thing or two from them. If you gave yourself an open opportunity to speak to them and I think that’s one of the greatest gifts like I feel that having this is almost like a second chance. Yeah, I mean partying, driving while squinting with one eye to make sure you stayed in one lane. I remember all of that. And now it’s taught me, like someone in a support group told me stay in your lane. Yes. And I feel he’s right to a certain extent. I feel yeah, stay in your lane but give um hell while you’re in there. Because you’re capable of so much more and maybe you haven’t.

Derrick Coleman 12:12
Stay in your lane. That could go multiple ways the way you take that though.

Luis Lemus 12:17
Right

Derrick Coleman 12:18
Because you know a road, people take a road, you’re going straight. You’re trying to go from

Luis Lemus 12:25
A to b

Derrick Coleman 12:26
You go from here, from A to B, but sometimes that road, it waves.

Luis Lemus 12:32
Right

Derrick Coleman 12:33
It the waves, you know, but you gotta keep going, even though that wave is there. You just gotta keep moving forward.

Luis Lemus 12:41
Yeah

Derrick Coleman 12:42
You know, I think we’re going to end the show today with one of my one of my strong quotes that I like. However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. Stephen Hawkins

Luis Lemus 12:59
That’s a good one to end it on.

Derrick Coleman 13:03
I’m Derek

Luis Lemus 13:04
I’m Luis.

Derrick Coleman 13:05
And this is overcoming. We’ll see you guys next week.

Transcribed by Denise Ng and Quinae Austin