Kendrick’s Multiple Sclerosis story

So, here I am. The definition of a PlayMaker, one who accepts responsibility for his family’s success. I’m happily married with 4 awesome kids. I am an honest teacher with a set of EXTRAORDINARY communication skills. I retired January 16th, 2016 because my health was shot. I fought the feeling of burnout for years. I kept thinking, “Maaaan, this is killing me. I hate getting up. Not today. Am I sick?” I absolutely love working with young people. It’s the reason I know I was an passionate teacher. Working with young people offered me the opportunity to showcase my communication skills and develop trusting relationships. I could write a book about my 14 years in the education system, the parents, the kids, the teachers, the principals. Hell; I have a story about a big shot in HR, but nope. I’m not opening that Pandora’s Box now. I’m sure I will but not now. Now, I’m an honest teacher with a set of EXTRAORDINARY communication skills. Wait, I retired January 16th, health issues. Turns out it was NOT burn out. I MADE the decision to retire Sunday, January 3rd. Christmas vacation was over and teachers were to report the following Monday. I was too sick Monday, told my principal Tuesday and by the next Friday, it was over. My last project was for students to research careers assigned after an online personal skills test. Of course, I took it and it came back insurance salesman or sales in general.

Insurance salesman?

Sales?

I did my research and the FIRST thing I read was 80% of millionaires come from insurance and real estate. Are you kidding me?! I’m an honest teacher with a set of EXTRAORDINARY communication skills; but, I’m retiring January 16th. My health is a concern. When I left, I snatched my retirement savings and bet on my GOT damn self. I figured, communication skills + people + insurance = PAID. I paid for an insurance class with Texas Insurance Training and met the most interesting man. He was our trainer and a former insurance broker of highly successful proportions. I could go on here but I’d completely derail this first attempt at a blog. I met another gentleman of seismic aspirations and motivation; PLUS, he was the first Philadelphia Eagles fan I met since high school. Again, I will NOT go astray of this introductory blog attempt. I passed the tests, first attemp, and signed on with AFLAC. Why? I’m an Oregon Duck fan since Akili Smith AND AFLAC has the duck commercials. Seemed like the right move and I was excited so…

IT WAS A CATACLYSMIC MISADVENTURE ! I toughed it out Feb-April but never made a sale. Plan B was real estate classes. I should’ve known better! In college, I tried a summer gig working at a telephone giant. We kept headsets on, connected to random landlines and were to sell folks on upgrading their service. I spent the entire 3 weeks disconnecting from the “server” and calling other employees, like Marcherie. Marcherie is my wife, my coach and the most… butterfly-est person I know. Nope, let me stick to the introduction. It took about 6 weeks to get my real estate license. Last day of class, I heard a couple of REALM Real Estate Professionals. The two reps blew my mind with their personal stories and I was hooked. I’m an honest teacher with a set of EXTRAORDINARY communication skills. Well, I was. I retired January 2016, remember? Now, I’m a Realtor and licensed insurance agent. See, teaching had become a chore but it was NOT burn out. I chopped up my plans and vision for how I could build a business with Marcherie. It would be #oneloverealestate. I would put people in homes and protect families. She rolled with it and we pushed forward. #oneloverealestate was my idea as I sat brainstorming with my former college roommate. Dude is like family and I’ll leave it like that. Anytime I texted that I retired, one of these guys showed up and gave me love and support. Well, he and I ran various names through Google until one popped, #oneloverealestate. His quote, “Bro, I’m shocked. Grab EVERYTHING you can! Go email, website, FB, IG, EVERYTHING. NOW!” Shout out to 1-4-0! He drew what I thought. My brother-in-law cleaned it up. Voila! Teaching had become a chore but it was NOT burn out. AFLAC had me walking door-to-door. In the full armor of GOD business edition. Houston, Texas. Insurance quickly became a GRIND. Real estate seemed pretty close to teaching. My communication skills had to be the key to success. It was obvious, right? My wife and I bought a house in May 2016 with the expectation of closing June 4th. Guess who was the agent? ME. Nevermind the stories of how the new crib wasn’t ready until late July. We spent most of that summer house-hopping, stints in seedy hotels and stay-cations with our parents in Nacogdoches. Kids loved every minute of it. We slid on a flight to Florida and took the kids to Disney World. FANTASTIC! Every summer, our team, our squad, our Family goes BTTW. It started with four of us in the Dominican Republic 2013. Whoa. I mean, it was Hang Over epic. We’ve added 5 more people since but nothing has compared to the sheer number of ridiculous gambles the four of us took. Think I’m playing? At one point, security surrounded me. For what felt like an hour, they questioned me about the disappearance of my wife… My bad, I’m off the introduction. Its 2016 and the team has returned from Costa Rica. It was a great vacation. Stories, fun, everything you want in a summer trip with NO kids. The 2nd day of our return home to the new crib, new career and the good life, my wife and Wisdom are with me. The neurologist says with the quickness, “You have MS. I’m sure you’ve been dealing with this years. We’ll run MRIs immediately.” DAAAAAAAAMMNNNNN! It makes perfect sense. I’m a walking timeline of Multiple Sclerosis symptoms. It wasn’t burn out that shook me from educating young people. October 2016, MS explained the chore of simply getting up. The constant aches, quarterly sinus affections, numbness of body parts, tremors and imbalance was MS. Walking for AFLAC that spring in Houston exacerbated my symptoms and I struggled to exercise. After the Costa Rican fun-in-the-sun, I struggled to WALK. I agreed to immediate aggressive treatment and steroid fusions. MS kept life interesting and I couldn’t start those TYSABRI treatments or steroid fusions until January 2017. I collected pneumonia TWICE, flu, emergency rooms visit in Dallas and dun-dun-dun, diagnosed with Spondylosis in November 2016. Again, this is the introduction so back to the introduction. From January to March 2017, I’m finally on the MS meds bu dragging and feeling awful. TYSABRI treatments (bi-monthly 4hrs @ hospital), steroid fusions (weekly 2hr @ hospital), grind of insurance, speed of real estate, fired from another gig and general MS had taken a toll. My neurologist takes me off steroid fusions because I am hospitalized with stereo psychosis. Not good. More MRIs reveal I’m doing worse, the lesions have DOUBLED while on the “aggressive MS treatments. I started with 26 on October 10, 2016. By March 1, 2017, neuro says, “Your MS is the most aggressive I’ve ever seen. I stopped counting lesions when I reached the low 50s because I knew chemotherapy would be next.” WAIT CHEMOTHERAPY?! FOR MS?!! I’m crying for the first time since an elementary school beatdown by another kid named LaKendrick. With my wife’s supervision and cooking, I go pescatarian and focus on natural medicine & food. Its not a diet, its a lifestyle change. I dove headfirst into self-improvement books, each impressionable. I. Felt. Good. My tests were not good but I felt good. Its 9 weeks in, I’ve quit all prescription medicines and I’m ready to introduce myself. I am a man of Good. I’ve learned Love is Gratitude, Attitude and Passion. Every action, every experience, EVERYTHING has led me here to the belief that my communication skills will build trusting relationships with people. I will put people in homes and protect families. I’m sharing, in real time, the effects of diet and natural medicines for a life-changing incurable disease, MS. I’m sharing, in real time, the effects of positive thoughts. I’m sharing, in real time, the journey of a Family building a brand and business. I WAS an honest teacher with a set of extraordinary communication skills. I retired January 16th, 2016 with MS. As a Realtor, my set of extraordinary communication skills and love for working with people will develop trusting relationships. This is an excursion of awakening into positive thinking, entrepreneurship, and natural healing while living life. I’m sharing, in real time, #oneloverealestate.

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