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Marvin is a stroke survivor, Who has an extremely large passion developed, over the last three decades, for computer hardware. With over 30 years, of experience, Marvin has earned an income, based on self-taught knowledge. He has acquired skills in troubleshooting, through pc repair, hard and software installs operating system installs, and even tech support. He also studied Free BSD Unix during his time at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. And has worked with various other software titles and tools, to repair different technical issues.
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https://scrambledeggsham.podcastpage.io/page-title-about-us

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Do You Remember?”

How many years has it been since you were diagnosed with MS? I got diagnosed in 2003. Okay, so you remember that day. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's the perfect example. I do remember when I got diagnosed, I got diagnosed November 2003. Do you remember your daughter's name? Yes, Kendall. Okay, wonderful. Do you remember what you ate last night? Absolutely not. Me either. You know, that was a good, that was a good question, and the answer, the answer was not really, absolutely not. It was, it really is not if you ask me X number off the cuff. If I sit down and think about it, I will eventually, I could eventually come to the answer, but it's not gonna be in the midst of the competition. Don't expect an answer by just asking me that question at this point. I agree with you. I can't remember what I ate last night either, you know. So, so moving ahead, so your long-term memory is great. It sounds like you can remember what happened when you were five years old. What happened? Tell us, tell us what happened. Give us a scene or a little chapter of what happened when you were five years old. When you were five, what do you remember about being five years old? If you can. Yeah, I remember playing with my brothers. You know what? My earliest memory is actually going over and staying with a friend because my parents were going to travel, and they took me over to that friend's house, and I was pissed because he was younger. And instead of the nice big bed that he got to sleep in, they put me in the, what do you call it? They basically put me in the crib and pissed me off. I did pissed off too. So he was younger, and you were older. Do you remember how many years between you guys had? You were older by how many years? Oh, he's a year younger than I am. OK, just a year younger. And he got a nice size bed and you got the crib. Yeah, as you can see, I'm still salty. I'm still salty about that. Did you ever see him again later in life? Oh yeah, yeah, definitely. He and I, yes, the answer is yes. So it seems like to me that some things happened in your long years and years and years ago, decades ago, that you still remember. But my question to you, how is your working memory? Yeah, it's interesting. I was thinking about that and I just didn't know. I remember I ended up taking two bar exams in this country, in New York and California, and I passed both of them the first time I took it. Oh, shit. And I was thinking about that, and the sheer volume of stuff you have to remember is huge.

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Today’s conversation is important because it reminds us that not every struggle is visible, and not every hard day has a clear explanation.

I’m joined by Sheri Melody. Sheri is not a stroke survivor, but her story matters deeply here because mental and emotional health plays a huge role in how we cope, how we support others, and how we survive difficult seasons.

Sheri, thank you for being here.

Sheri:

Thank you for having me. I’m glad to be here — and a little nervous.

Bill:

Nervous is more than okay here.

Sheri, you’ve been open about living with depression, anxiety, and ADHD. Can you talk a little about what hard days look like for you?

Sheri:

Hard days are the ones where everything feels heavier than it should.

Even simple things take effort — decisions, focus, motivation. Sometimes my mind just won’t slow down, and other times it feels like it’s shut off completely.

From the outside, people might not notice anything is wrong. But inside, it can feel overwhelming.

Bill:

That invisible part is so important. A lot of people listening — especially caregivers, survivors, and family members — know what it’s like to carry something others can’t see.

There’s often pressure to “push through” or “stay positive,” but that’s not always realistic.

Sheri:

Exactly. And that pressure can make things worse.

Some days, just getting through the day is the accomplishment. And learning to accept that took time.

I had to learn that rest isn’t failure, and needing support doesn’t mean I’m weak.

Bill:

That’s such an important message.

On this show, we talk a lot about resilience — not the Instagram version, but the real kind. The kind that shows up quietly, on days when no one’s clapping.

What helps you get through those days?

Sheri:

Being honest with myself.

Letting myself say, “Today is hard,” without judging it.

And leaning on people I trust. Even just one person who understands can make a difference.

Bill:

That honesty is powerful.

And it connects directly to what so many people listening are dealing with — whether they’re recovering from a stroke, supporting someone who is, or managing their own mental health.

Sheri, what would you want someone listening — someone having a really hard day — to hear right now?

Sheri:

I’d want them to know they’re not broken.

Struggling doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’re human.

And tomorrow doesn’t have to be solved today.

Bill:

That’s beautifully said.

Sheri, thank you for sharing your story and your honesty. Conversations like this remind us that strength doesn’t always look like progress — sometimes it just looks like staying.

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