Aug. 15, 2025

EP-132 Rebuilding Life After Loss: Moving Houses, Travel Adventures, and Medical Innovations

Fire took everything Travis owned in just 15 minutes. With his Parkinson's disease symptoms flaring from stress, he faced the seemingly impossible task of rebuilding a life from scratch while his body fought against him. This raw, powerful episode explores the unexpected challenges that emerged when Travis had to relocate to a new house in just four days—a home that, while larger, presents accessibility nightmares with its multiple levels and problematic doorways.

Travis takes us on his recent whirlwind journey, from navigating airport security with specialized photography equipment to attending a friend's wedding in upstate New York. The conversation reveals how even routine travel becomes a logistical puzzle when managing a progressive neurological condition, yet Travis refuses to let these obstacles limit his experiences.

Hope shines through as Travis shares exciting news about a potential game-changer in his treatment plan. He's been fast-tracked for the innovative Vyalev Pump system—a subcutaneous infusion device similar to an insulin pump that provides continuous medication. This development offers a glimpse into how medical innovation continues to improve quality of life for those with Parkinson's.

The most touching moments come when Travis articulates the unique grief of losing personal possessions in the fire. "It's not mourning the stuff," he explains, "it's mourning the experience you had with that stuff." His perspective offers profound insight into the emotional dimensions of loss that extend far beyond material value.

Travis's story is a masterclass in resilience—not because he never struggles, but because he continues forward despite overwhelming circumstances. His determination to rebuild his photography archive symbolizes his broader approach to life: acknowledging loss while refusing to be defined by it. Listen now and discover how extraordinary circumstances can reveal extraordinary strength.

Co-hosts: Judy Yaras & Travis Robinson
Editor & Audio Engineer: (EP1-100) Spencer Yaras
Audio Engineering Intern: Ana MacAller
Social Media Intern: Ana MacAller

www.INDYpodcast.net

00:00 - Podcast Introduction

01:38 - Moving Houses in Four Days

07:10 - Travel Adventures to New York

12:41 - Health Updates and Medical Innovations

18:17 - Coping with Loss and Moving Forward

28:38 - Rebuilding and Final Thoughts

WEBVTT

00:00:01.842 --> 00:00:12.689
Welcome to I'm Not Dead Yet with Judy and Travis, a podcast about living an extraordinary life with extraordinary circumstances.

00:00:12.689 --> 00:00:21.594
And welcome to the I'm Not Dead Yet podcast.

00:00:21.594 --> 00:00:26.448
I'm your host, Travis Robinson.

00:00:26.448 --> 00:00:41.631
I was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at age 35 in 2014.

00:00:42.771 --> 00:00:45.595
And I'm your other co-host, Judy Yarris.

00:00:45.595 --> 00:00:49.539
My husband, Sandy, had Parkinson's disease for 18 years.

00:00:49.539 --> 00:00:51.320
I was his care partner.

00:00:52.942 --> 00:01:00.546
Today's episode will be catching up with me.

00:01:00.546 --> 00:01:17.778
I've had the whirlwind of activity this month and just now getting a moment to breathe and talk to Judy about it.

00:01:18.784 --> 00:01:24.371
Hi, travis, I feel like it's been forever since we've connected.

00:01:24.371 --> 00:01:27.007
It's been a while.

00:01:27.007 --> 00:01:30.228
You've been very busy, right.

00:01:31.001 --> 00:01:32.608
I have been.

00:01:33.620 --> 00:01:35.608
So let's talk a little bit.

00:01:35.608 --> 00:01:38.700
Tell me, I understand that you've moved right.

00:01:38.980 --> 00:01:40.105
I did.

00:01:40.105 --> 00:01:51.810
We had to move houses and we had to do it in four days?

00:01:52.331 --> 00:01:53.852
What that F?

00:01:53.852 --> 00:01:54.954
Are you kidding me?

00:01:54.954 --> 00:02:03.373
I mean, come on, I just want to for point of reference, for if you've never heard this podcast before and you don't know Travis, you don't know me.

00:02:03.373 --> 00:02:08.286
But Travis happened to be one of the fire victims from Altadena.

00:02:08.286 --> 00:02:22.324
Their house burnt down in the Altadena fire and he literally had 15 minutes to get out the door with his dogs, his cats and whatever personal belongings he could get.

00:02:22.324 --> 00:02:33.091
And so I guess, based on that Travis, four days is like you had forever to get out of the house.

00:02:34.032 --> 00:02:43.593
Right, yes, except we had to take everything and clean up.

00:02:44.259 --> 00:02:47.030
Yeah, bad, unfortunate, I'm so sorry.

00:02:47.030 --> 00:02:55.727
So that must have been highly stressful for you Again, coming already from a stressful living environment.

00:02:55.727 --> 00:02:59.951
That was a little bit too small for you and Sarah and the two dogs and two cats.

00:02:59.951 --> 00:03:08.012
Right, and ideally not perfect, but you were making it work.

00:03:08.012 --> 00:03:18.819
And now you did find another place, right, yeah, and does this place have any challenges for you, or is it perfect?

00:03:19.782 --> 00:03:25.611
It has a few challenges.

00:03:25.611 --> 00:03:47.436
Okay, it's much larger, which is good, but it's also multi-leveled, which is not as good for me.

00:03:47.436 --> 00:04:27.569
Yeah, that doesn't sound like an ideal situation it has some unergonomic corners and doorways you know that open the wrong way, ah, that have caused me a bit of trouble, especially when I'm rushing to the toilet or trying to get something.

00:04:27.569 --> 00:05:02.055
And yeah, I mean in many ways it's a great location and other fun things, but it is not laid out with the ADA or Parkinson's person in mind.

00:05:02.555 --> 00:05:12.692
Right, it sounds like this could be a challenging space for you, and since you haven't started building the new house, you could be here for at least a year, right?

00:05:12.692 --> 00:05:20.550
Yes, so you're going to have to up your mindfulness as you maneuver in this house.

00:05:20.550 --> 00:05:26.286
Yes, is there a toilet on the first floor or only on the second floor?

00:05:27.569 --> 00:05:35.163
Um, there are two toilets on the first floor.

00:05:35.163 --> 00:05:57.697
Oh good, okay, which is a super big improvement for us, having lived in single-bedroom domiciles for a few years now.

00:05:59.603 --> 00:06:01.108
Yeah, so that's positive.

00:06:01.108 --> 00:06:06.607
Yes, so we've got to look at the plus side here.

00:06:06.607 --> 00:06:14.730
It's just that bad corners and doors that don't open the way we think they're going to open can be a bit of a problem.

00:06:14.730 --> 00:06:18.380
Exactly so.

00:06:18.380 --> 00:06:30.891
Are you putting signs on the door, anything that could help you remember that this door opens out or this door opens in, or anything special like that?

00:06:34.259 --> 00:06:39.932
Just trying to be mindful of it.

00:06:40.800 --> 00:06:42.141
Okay, well, that's good.

00:06:42.141 --> 00:06:44.002
So you know what you have to do.

00:06:44.002 --> 00:06:45.442
Yeah, okay, well, that's good, so you know what you have to do.

00:06:45.442 --> 00:06:54.028
Yeah, okay, how did you maneuver getting out in four days, though that seems kind of a short time to move all your belongings and everything.

00:06:54.389 --> 00:07:07.737
Well, first of all, they are only the belongings that we had acquired in the last six months.

00:07:07.737 --> 00:07:09.980
It's true, okay.

00:07:09.980 --> 00:07:29.593
And second of all, since we left the country on the 5th of July and got the keys on the first, that was what we had to do.

00:07:32.096 --> 00:07:34.237
I see why it was only four days.

00:07:34.237 --> 00:07:37.302
Okay, yeah, okay.

00:07:37.302 --> 00:07:39.064
So you had a great trip.

00:07:39.064 --> 00:07:40.644
You went to New York, right?

00:07:40.644 --> 00:07:41.505
We?

00:07:41.887 --> 00:07:42.547
did?

00:07:42.547 --> 00:07:53.156
We went to upstate New York to a very good friend's wedding.

00:07:53.175 --> 00:07:56.605
Nice, where were you?

00:07:56.605 --> 00:07:58.466
What part of upstate New York?

00:07:58.879 --> 00:08:03.369
We were in the little village of Warwick.

00:08:04.331 --> 00:08:04.831
Warwick.

00:08:04.831 --> 00:08:10.711
Never heard of it but I have a good friend that has a house up in Franklin and she loves it up there.

00:08:10.711 --> 00:08:11.519
It's wonderful.

00:08:11.821 --> 00:08:28.134
Yes, it was very pretty to drive through and I expect in the fall there will be all the brilliant leaves.

00:08:29.261 --> 00:08:31.369
Yes, it's very, very pretty there.

00:08:34.726 --> 00:08:38.234
So that was a good trip.

00:08:38.234 --> 00:09:06.972
We got to see him and his wife and many of their friends and sit around telling stories and bullshit and good drinking it was wonderful.

00:09:07.793 --> 00:09:08.774
Well, that's great.

00:09:08.774 --> 00:09:13.265
So that was your reward for getting up and moving out in four days.

00:09:13.265 --> 00:09:15.971
Right how that was a good reward.

00:09:15.971 --> 00:09:17.735
It turned out to be very successful.

00:09:17.735 --> 00:09:19.546
I'm glad to hear that.

00:09:19.546 --> 00:09:22.470
Did you do any special planning for travel?

00:09:22.470 --> 00:09:29.065
I know that you are our consummate traveler and you're always prepared to do these things.

00:09:29.985 --> 00:09:41.371
Yes, but this particular trip had a lot of logistical hurdles.

00:09:41.371 --> 00:10:43.870
Number one was I was going to New York directly off of a 11-day trip to Iceland Wow where I took an extensive array of photography equipment three pieces of checked luggage worth Wow and because I had so much photo equipment and a lot of it was like special handling getting through security, it was a lot.

00:10:45.667 --> 00:10:47.784
Yeah, I could see where that would be a lot.

00:10:47.784 --> 00:10:59.669
I mean, it's hard enough flying just with you and a suitcase or two, but when you have special equipment and you have to do special TSA stuff it makes it much more difficult.

00:11:00.513 --> 00:11:01.054
Yes.

00:11:02.446 --> 00:11:04.573
Did they hassle you at all with any of it or no?

00:11:04.573 --> 00:11:06.432
It was pretty easy once you were there.

00:11:07.427 --> 00:11:12.139
I wouldn't say that it was easy.

00:11:12.139 --> 00:11:33.861
I will say that we were successful and I credit Sarah for making sure that my film did not get x-rayed.

00:11:33.861 --> 00:11:55.398
Oh good, okay, yeah, she took point on that aspect of getting through security and I had two large bags of film.

00:11:56.567 --> 00:12:05.557
Oh, okay, so you weren't shooting digitally then I was doing both Okay, all right.

00:12:05.557 --> 00:12:07.080
So you were a little, what do they call it?

00:12:07.080 --> 00:12:07.650
You were analog.

00:12:07.650 --> 00:12:07.770
I'm part.

00:12:07.770 --> 00:12:07.972
Both Okay, all right.

00:12:07.972 --> 00:12:08.083
So you were a little.

00:12:08.083 --> 00:12:08.215
What do they call it?

00:12:08.215 --> 00:12:11.432
You were analog on part of this trip.

00:12:11.432 --> 00:12:16.312
Yeah, okay, yeah, A little different kind of trip.

00:12:16.312 --> 00:12:33.472
So, and getting to upstate New York, it's not like you fly in to that area, you go to New York City, right, I flew in from JFK.

00:12:34.033 --> 00:12:41.522
Got around there and drove.

00:12:42.565 --> 00:12:42.826
Uh-huh.

00:12:42.826 --> 00:12:46.855
So that's a couple of hours extra, two, three hours in the mix.

00:12:47.436 --> 00:12:48.057
Yes.

00:12:49.005 --> 00:12:52.053
After a lengthy plane ride I could see where that could be difficult.

00:12:52.455 --> 00:12:53.076
Yes.

00:12:54.245 --> 00:12:56.048
How have your symptoms been lately?

00:12:56.048 --> 00:13:06.821
You know you went through a period where you were having a lot of dystonia, a lot of dyskinesias, a lot of difficulty, which we try.

00:13:06.821 --> 00:13:15.416
I think that we decided that so much of it was stress-related due to the fires and the changes in your environment and everything.

00:13:15.416 --> 00:13:20.370
How have you been feeling since then?

00:13:20.730 --> 00:13:30.480
No, no Knowledge is there.

00:13:30.480 --> 00:13:42.489
Probably because of my stress, They've been bad.

00:13:42.489 --> 00:13:45.417
It's been difficult to talk.

00:13:45.417 --> 00:14:04.725
It's been difficult to talk and I've had problems with urine incontinence and constipation and a host of other meaty bugaboos, Right.

00:14:04.725 --> 00:14:25.753
But I saw my MDS yesterday got a tiny DVS adjustment and I'm now on the list waiting for the violet pump.

00:14:25.753 --> 00:14:34.400
Oh good, Okay, so hopefully that will make a difference.

00:14:36.044 --> 00:14:36.386
I hope so, Travis.

00:14:36.386 --> 00:14:37.410
I hope that will help you.

00:14:37.410 --> 00:14:41.335
So people know that Travis has had DBS.

00:14:41.335 --> 00:14:43.071
He got an upgrade.

00:14:43.071 --> 00:14:45.751
Was it a year ago or a year and a half ago?

00:14:45.751 --> 00:14:46.956
I'm trying to remember.

00:14:48.804 --> 00:14:54.041
Upgrade was in 2020.

00:14:54.041 --> 00:14:55.205
Really.

00:14:55.205 --> 00:15:05.102
And then the second upgrade was 2023.

00:15:05.424 --> 00:15:06.509
2023,.

00:15:06.509 --> 00:15:09.629
Wow, I've lost track of time, travis.

00:15:09.629 --> 00:15:10.513
What can I say?

00:15:11.014 --> 00:15:12.177
It happened.

00:15:13.966 --> 00:15:17.216
So do you want to explain what this new system is?

00:15:17.216 --> 00:15:19.945
Do you want to talk a little bit about it, or do you want to wait?

00:15:20.004 --> 00:15:24.527
Sure we can, we can.

00:15:24.527 --> 00:16:18.082
So the Vial of Pump is made by the drug company Avvi, who made the Duopa system, which is the continuous intestinal infusion, and a number of years ago they started working on a subcutaneous infusion system that just pokes in your belly much like an insulin pump.

00:16:19.265 --> 00:16:25.517
Right, it's not a big deal, no, it's something you do at home.

00:16:32.985 --> 00:16:35.866
You can set the home up at home.

00:16:35.866 --> 00:16:52.378
You can disconnect it if you need to, or our constant drip of Carbidopa, levodopa.

00:16:53.038 --> 00:16:55.240
Which is good, that's good.

00:16:55.240 --> 00:16:57.061
It's what you need, right?

00:16:57.061 --> 00:17:04.327
How long is the waiting list now, do they say when?

00:17:04.327 --> 00:17:05.230
You might be able to qualify for it.

00:17:05.250 --> 00:17:09.398
Um, I'm kind of fast-tracked through it.

00:17:09.398 --> 00:17:17.838
I expect to have it within a month.

00:17:18.986 --> 00:17:19.808
That's wonderful.

00:17:19.808 --> 00:17:22.811
Yeah, that's really really good.

00:17:22.811 --> 00:17:24.125
I'm glad to hear that.

00:17:24.726 --> 00:17:43.083
And as I have a number of friends who are on it, it promises to be pretty much a game changer.

00:17:43.644 --> 00:17:46.734
Great, I'm going to keep my fingers crossed that this goes smoothly.

00:17:46.734 --> 00:17:51.010
You need one thing to go real easy this year, right?

00:17:51.010 --> 00:17:57.180
Yes, at least one, At least one.

00:17:57.180 --> 00:18:01.849
I mean, you don't let many things take you down, which is great.

00:18:01.849 --> 00:18:08.778
But you know, there is a point where sometimes you just get a little bit discouraged, Am I right?

00:18:08.778 --> 00:18:23.388
Yes, yeah, a little bit sometimes, but as long as I have known you, you have always been very instrumental in turning yourself around and finding something positive to focus on.

00:18:24.170 --> 00:18:40.792
Yes, taking oneself out of a hole is easier when you have so much practice putting yourself in those holes.

00:18:41.496 --> 00:18:46.032
Right, and it's much easier to get into it than to get out of it.

00:18:46.032 --> 00:18:49.768
For sure, yes, very easy to slide down.

00:18:49.768 --> 00:18:54.432
So so much for that, but you know.

00:18:54.553 --> 00:19:12.210
The other thing that the bigger house allows for is purchasing equipment to replace some of the equipment that I lost.

00:19:12.932 --> 00:19:20.722
Well, that's good, because then you'll have access to what you need to do, the new photography that you want to do Right.

00:19:21.630 --> 00:19:53.505
But then there's the fact that I have to purchase all of it, right, and it still boggles my mind that six months after the fire, I'm still running across shit that I'm surprised I don't have.

00:19:55.770 --> 00:20:03.525
I think that makes sense, though, because we don't realize what we're missing until we go to use it right.

00:20:03.525 --> 00:20:06.798
I mean, you can go through a list.

00:20:06.798 --> 00:20:18.901
It's like you know, certainly I'm in that position, like I couldn't keep a list of everything that I have, but I had a strange thing happen.

00:20:18.901 --> 00:20:40.231
It was actually very nice and wonderful that a friend of mine that used to work for me she worked for me for like 25 years, and each time I moved to a new location or set up a new studio, she came with me and she had to come to LA for a visit to see a doctor, so she stayed with me, which was really nice.

00:20:40.231 --> 00:20:41.193
We got to catch up.

00:20:43.417 --> 00:21:04.416
We went to go sew something and, for those of you that don't know, for many years I was in the clothing design business, and so I had my own studio and it was set up very nicely with not only, you know, commercial machines but thread, everything that you could want.

00:21:04.416 --> 00:21:21.575
And I realized I didn't have thread, because when I decided to break down my studio, I donated everything to a friend that is working at a college up in Northern California that was setting up a fashion design program.

00:21:21.575 --> 00:21:24.160
So I donated all this thread.

00:21:24.160 --> 00:21:45.770
I donated all the notions, everything to them and then went to go sew something and realized I couldn't find a needle, couldn't find thread, that I had to go buy a spool of thread and buy some needles and I hadn't thought about it because I haven't mended anything for a while.

00:21:45.891 --> 00:22:02.196
I haven't needed anything to do and it's been over a year since I broke down that space for that purpose and I thought I wonder what else is going to turn up along the way that I may have forgotten that.

00:22:02.196 --> 00:22:04.082
You know, at some point I might need it.

00:22:04.082 --> 00:22:09.142
Now I recognized when I needed to replace an iron.

00:22:09.142 --> 00:22:12.131
I didn't have an iron and I had to replace that.

00:22:12.131 --> 00:22:24.961
But so I can really see where there I'm sure there's small things from lenses or little items, little ephemera that you use as you are doing your photography.

00:22:24.961 --> 00:22:27.318
I know you do a lot of your own developing.

00:22:27.318 --> 00:22:31.219
There's probably things that you wouldn't think about initially.

00:22:31.921 --> 00:22:32.602
Yes.

00:22:34.231 --> 00:22:36.318
So I can appreciate that.

00:22:49.101 --> 00:22:51.782
It can be challenging.

00:22:51.782 --> 00:23:12.018
Understand is you have no idea how much of that little ephemera you collect over an adult's lifetime.

00:23:12.018 --> 00:23:14.784
Yes, Right.

00:23:16.010 --> 00:23:17.133
So it's quite a bit.

00:23:17.133 --> 00:23:21.843
And even though you're young you still collect.

00:23:21.843 --> 00:23:25.442
So I can see at least you're young to me.

00:23:25.442 --> 00:23:28.612
You might not be young to a 20-year-old, but you're definitely young to me.

00:23:28.612 --> 00:23:34.058
So I still consider you a kid like.

00:23:34.058 --> 00:23:50.759
But I think you're right, travis, that for those of us that have maybe we've had other kinds of losses but to lose everything and to start from scratch, it seems so overwhelming to me and hard to imagine.

00:23:50.759 --> 00:23:58.721
So you know, I just I'm sure it's been very, very difficult for you along the way.

00:23:59.230 --> 00:24:33.166
I mean it has, and you sometimes feel guilty about mourning the stuff because it's just stuff, but then it's like you're mourning the experience that you had with that stuff.

00:24:33.569 --> 00:24:35.637
Yes, I understand that.

00:24:35.637 --> 00:24:39.979
Again, I can understand that part.

00:24:39.979 --> 00:24:49.781
I know there's people that are organizers and people that are really, you know, very much into not holding on to things.

00:24:49.781 --> 00:24:55.743
I don't know what the word is for that type of personality, but I know a lot of people that are like that.

00:24:55.743 --> 00:24:57.345
They just do not collect.

00:24:58.065 --> 00:25:27.076
But I do collect and the things that I have, I do have those memories of where I got it and what was significant about it, and certain things that Sandy and I got together, certain things I got separately, things he bought for me, things I bought for him, and when I think about that, it's the memories that are probably the hurtful part of it.

00:25:27.076 --> 00:25:40.316
Right, Right, yeah, it's not that the item isn't there, it's that when you would look at that item isn't there, it's that when you would look at that item, you would flash back to what that experience was acquiring that item.

00:25:40.316 --> 00:25:42.738
And you don't have that now.

00:25:42.738 --> 00:25:44.315
I mean, you still have it.

00:25:44.315 --> 00:25:53.512
It's still there in your brain, it's still in your heart, but I think to not have it as a reference point is difficult.

00:25:53.875 --> 00:25:54.175
Right.

00:25:54.175 --> 00:26:09.359
Yeah, and it comes up in the strangest ways, and so fast.

00:26:09.359 --> 00:26:40.443
Something like I was looking at photos my niece took in Italy and I commented that 30 years later they still haven't fixed the fucking windows in the Coliseum.

00:26:40.443 --> 00:26:55.779
Because I have photos of the same building where I did you know you're gone now.

00:26:56.575 --> 00:27:09.910
So does it make you feel I mean, I'm assuming there's a certain amount of sadness with that are you able to turn that sadness a different direction or move away from the sadness?

00:27:09.910 --> 00:27:11.817
And how do you do that?

00:27:11.817 --> 00:27:16.336
Because we're talking about loss here, and which we've talked about before.

00:27:16.336 --> 00:27:16.634
But how do you do that?

00:27:16.634 --> 00:27:19.457
Because we're talking about loss here, which we've talked about before, but how do you process that?

00:27:20.130 --> 00:27:22.648
Yeah, I don't know.

00:27:22.648 --> 00:27:47.574
I don't have a real good way when I realize that those images are only in my memory.

00:27:47.574 --> 00:27:58.026
It is a bit sad that I can't share them with my niece.

00:27:59.089 --> 00:28:01.578
Yes, I'm sure.

00:28:02.130 --> 00:28:05.259
But they have slug hair.

00:28:05.259 --> 00:28:09.316
Such is war.

00:28:10.319 --> 00:28:13.930
Yeah, I mean, this is what you've done, travis.

00:28:13.930 --> 00:28:35.267
You're able to move on with it, and I think that's the inspiration that you bring to this experience that you're willing to not dwell in it, but to move on to the next thing, and so you're making new experiences, right?

00:28:35.586 --> 00:28:48.702
Yes, and I'm rebuilding my photo archive Right as quickly as possible, okay.

00:28:49.070 --> 00:28:50.035
So there you have it.

00:28:50.035 --> 00:28:54.674
You've started the healing process and that's really good.

00:28:54.674 --> 00:28:57.195
I'm proud of you, very proud of you.

00:28:57.195 --> 00:29:16.744
I'm proud to be your friend and I'm proud of the way you have managed to get through this first six months of the year and now we're starting on the back half and it's pretty remarkable to me that you've come through as strong as you have.

00:29:18.332 --> 00:29:27.079
Oh, thank you, and on that note, that's a wrap, bing.