Episodes

Interview Thoughtline Interview In this episode of the What’s The Matter With Me? Podcast, we’re presenting an interview with newly-elected San Mateo School District Board Member Ligia Andrade Zuñiga, who is a disabled wheelchair user. I interviewed her because I thought it was remarkable for a disabled woman to win an election. It originally aired Monday, December 28th from 6-7PM.on KFJC 89.7FM on the Thoughtline public affairs program. This material was developed to bring under-represented vo...

Interview someone and learn about them In The Habit We’re nearing the end of four seasons on the podcast. Like I said last time, I’m thinking of changing or stopping it. For now, I’m still in the habit. I recorded an interview with the activist Ligia Andrade Zuniga that I hope to air on KFJC. Reflecting on the mental health epidemic that accompanies the coronavirus epidemic, the podcast takes an unexpected turn. It comes back on track at the end, courtesy of the words of Marc Maron. Cya nex...

Lots of boxes I’m thinking about changing this. Did I accomplish what I came for? I started this podcast with a determination to try and understand who I was as a disabled person, to grow my disability consciousness. Now that I am on the cusp of relocation, I wonder, did I accomplish what I came for? Let me know what you think via the Contact form. This episode quotes from the first episode of What’s The Matter With Me? Podcast, “Trying.”

I’m going to a new place Things are changing, from my home bookstore to the restaurants I’ll eat at. I feel positive about it, but I’m having anxiety in the face of so much change. I think what I mean by “home bookstore” is the bookstore where I’ll go most often, every week or so.

moving to san leandro After two of my friends message me I realize that with my move to San Leandro, my support group will evolve. Which I manage not to mention in the episode, is totally scary! I recorded most of the episode in the backyard, mostly off-the-cuff. The audio track features airplanes and windchimes. STAY TUNED for extended shout-outs.

Both Get The Whole Story: Please check the Microvascular Decompression tag page to hear all the updates about my MVD surgery. What’s The Matter With Me? Podcast SETTING: Shopping Mall, Spooky Castle, “Run In The Wild” by Hot Mops. The BAD: Trigeminal Neuralgia came back. The GOOD: Halloween is coming. BEGIN TRANSCRIPT JOHN HOPPIN: What’s the Matter With Me? What’s up? You are tuned into the What’s the Matter With Me? Podcast. It’s the real deal. This is it. I’m inside. I’m in the house. T...

Tuesday Appointment KFJC fundraiser begins today My kids are with my mom and my stepdad Dave Yesterday I sent some hot sauce to a new local account I’m going to have a video meeting with my neurologist on Tuesday JOHN HOPPIN: Yes. Thank you for tuning into the What’s The Matter With Me? Podcast. My name is John. I’m 41 years old, a husband, father of two, small business owner, radio DJ, podcaster, and I have multiple sclerosis, so I made this podcast to share what I’m going through. You pr...

The annual fundraiser is coming up at KFJC starting at the end of the month. I’ve been recording fundraiser spots for about 6 years. my first one was about a person taking a taxi. I do one or two a year. I always enjoy writing, and every good spot starts with the script. This year, I wrote four, and I read them in this episode, along with an older one from 2016 that resonated with me. Writing these scripts has been a positive creative outlet. BEGIN TRANSCRIPT You are tuned into the What’s ...

Get The Whole Story: Please check the Microvascular Decompression tag page to hear all the updates about my MVD surgery. I saw the surgeon who performed my microvascular decompression surgery. I went to my Ukrainian dentist a couple of weeks ago, she is the one I called, “The Iron Curtain.” I am not in trigeminal neuralgia pain anymore , and my life has changed for the better. Now that I can shave my face, I’ve been wearing a mustache. I am a lot happier.

Still under lockdown. Touching base with the podcast, stirring the pot. John John broke the power button on my computer so it’s at the tech support In a week it will be six months of the coronavirus shutdown Shout out to Brian and Katie Mom’s birthday today. Oysters and cake 4th week of school Backgammon The comic garage 10 comics a month 21.99 Spanish posters, letters, numbers, colors, feelings Maps of the world English motivational kindness posters about being a buddy not a bully BE...

Compounded trauma is when things make us upset, because they remind us of traumatic situations that we’ve experienced before, causing us to relive them. When I feel this way, naming the feelings I am having, and explicitly connecting them, can be a way to overcome them. The thing is, my wife likes creepy stuff. I don’t like watching surgery. When the scalpels come out, I check out of the movie. Thank you for tuning in to the What’s The Matter With Me? Podcast. This episode is about compounded...

We all need to put in effort to get ourselves out there, because it can be hard on your mental health to be so isolated. It’s important to be part of a community, and be involved, and have exchange with people. I’ve been spending a lot of my creative effort trying to keep my business open. Crippled crisp review is two disabled Dutch comedians eating potato chips together. I have begun producing radio shows in my home Studio. The first one will air Thursday. People are experiencing part of wh...

Day 67 COVID-19 self isolation I’m working in the garden, while wearing my new AFO brace in this episode of the What’s The Matter With Me? Podcast.

Two months into coronavirus self-isolation, I’m thinking about how this is an important time, one that we’ll remember forever and that our kids will also remember. In this episode of the What’s The Matter With Me? Podcast, I’m thinking about the importance of this time.

Day 23 of self-isolation I’m going to try practicing some acceptance to get through this terrible experience of confinement, which is worse than usual. Begin Transcript JOHN HOPPIN: You are listening to the What’s The Matter With Me? Podcast. My name is John. I’m 40 years old, husband, father of two, small business owner, radio DJ, podcaster, and I have multiple sclerosis. So I made this podcast to share what I’m going through. Let’s see. Last episode, recap: I was just rambling about stress...

Day 14 in isolation coronavirus isolation has my mind stressing, the amygdala, anion mal brain underneath the hippocampus, the thinking part of my brain. Looking around at the newspaper, it seems like there’s a lot of nutso animals on the prowl right now in our culture and around the world. And it’s a lot of stress. It creates this stress, it’s bad for MS, it’s bad for many things. Almost anything that’s wrong with you, you could do without some stress to deal with it, you know? So, people are...

A crash course in distance learning I recorded this message on lockdown. I can’t go anywhere due to the coronavirus pandemic and my multiple sclerosis condition. I’m in my house with my family, trying to educate my kids and keep their development on track. We’re taking a crash course in distance learning, e-learning, online education, or whatever it’s called, sooner than any of us thought. LOCKED DOWN in California. Using my wheelchair to get around the neighborhood. Spoke to the teacher in a ...

The orthotist came up with a second brace concept, and I went back for a fitting that left me feeling a bit dejected. She took a video of me walking in the examination room. She showed it to me after. It was framed from the knee down. Looking at it made me feel really disabled. I felt ashamed of myself. I felt sorry for myself. it was kind of nauseating. I looked at myself as an object. I felt disgusted. I apologized to her for walking so poorly. She was surprised. Raising an eyebrow, she told...

People are listening People are listening to the What’s The Matter With Me? Podcast. I even found some podcast statistics to prove it. More people listened than ever last month. They come from a lot of places around the world, and different places in the US. We’ll cover all of our podcast statistics in this episode of What’s The Matter With Me? Podcast, “Podcast Statistics.” Click below to read the transcript. begin transcript Yes! You are tuned in to the What’s the Matter With Me? Podcas...

In this episode, I went to get a new ankle-foot-orthotic (AFO) brace. basically, a rigid ankle brace. Things got emotional. BEGIN TRANSCRIPT Yeah! You are tuned in to the What’s The Matter With Me? podcast, “New AFO Brace.” What up! What’s The Matter With Me? In this episode, I went to get a new ankle-foot-orthotic AFO brace. Basically, it’s a rigid ankle brace. Things got emotional. But first, the What’s The Matter With Me? podcast is sponsored by Hoppin Hot Sauce, the best sauce in the wor...

Get The Whole Story: Please check the Microvascular Decompression tag page to hear all the updates about my MVD surgery. I had microvascular decompression surgery to alleviate trigeminal neuralgia, and now I’m in recovery again. BEGIN TRANSCRIPT Thank you for tuning in to the What’s The Matter With Me? Podcast “I’m recovering again”. It’s pretty windy. I am recovering from surgery again. I’m here at the back of my house. You can hear the chimes and the wind going through the Yuzu tree in my b...

I’m changing the format. Plus, listen to the new theme song for season 4! begin transcript All right. Thanks for tuning into the What’s the Matter With Me? Podcast, “Format Change.” This is the first episode. I guess you’d call it an episode. I have in the past. The first episode of the fourth season. For the last few years, I’ve been restarting the season at the beginning of the year, so I guess this is the fourth year of What’s the Matter With Me? Podcast. I’m restarting a season, season ...