My final update

Summary

In this heartfelt video, Cenna shares his final health update, detailing his battle with post-viral dysautonomia and POTS, a condition worsened by a failed medical trial in Spain. After years of struggling with his health, he announces a shift in focus. He's stepping down as CEO of his language learning app, Fluo, which is thriving under new leadership. Cenna is also looking for a co-host to take over his YouTube channel, allowing him to stay connected with his audience despite his limitations. He reflects on the challenges and opportunities ahead, urging the community to stay involved.

Takeaways

• 😊 Cenna is giving a final health update and sharing major life changes.
• 😔 She has been struggling with post-viral dysautonomia, possibly triggered by COVID, affecting her nervous system and daily functions.
• 🇩🇪 She spent years learning German and pursued experimental treatments for her condition in Germany and later Spain, but they were unsuccessful.
• 🇪🇸 Cenna went to Spain for a clinical trial but was unable to participate due to not having the necessary biomarkers.
• 💔 The unsuccessful trial left her physically and financially drained, causing significant setbacks to her health.
• 🎉 Despite her health struggles, Cenna is proud that her language-learning app, Fluo, is thriving after stepping down as CEO and appointing someone else.
• 💪 She is now focused on behind-the-scenes company strategy and product development for Fluo.
• 💼 Fluo is preparing for a public launch but faces funding challenges, with plans to potentially explore equity crowdfunding.
• 🎥 Cenna is looking for a co-host to take over her YouTube channel due to her inability to consistently produce content due to her health.
• 📢 The co-host will share revenue and could even gain equity in Fluo, with Cenna still contributing occasionally via short appearances or messages.

Q & A

What health condition does Cenna suffer from?

Cenna suffers from post-viral dysautonomia with POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome), which affects the part of the nervous system responsible for automatic functions like controlling temperature, sleep, and physical exertion.

What experimental treatment did Cenna attempt in Germany?

Cenna attempted an experimental treatment called plasma exchange therapy (plasma FIS) in Germany, hoping it could cure his condition. Unfortunately, the treatment did not work.

Why did Cenna travel to Spain after the failed treatment in Germany?

Cenna traveled to Spain to participate in a clinical trial for a promising drug for dysautonomia after being invited by a clinic running the same trial that had previously ghosted him in Germany.

What happened during Cenna's clinical trial in Spain?

Cenna underwent testing at a clinic in Madrid to see if he had the required biomarkers for the clinical trial. Unfortunately, the results showed he did not qualify for the trial, leading to disappointment and financial loss.

How did Cenna's trip to Spain impact his health?

The trip to Spain physically exhausted Cenna, severely impacting his already fragile health. He described the journey as extremely difficult and mentioned that it took months to recover to his pre-trip condition.

What decisions did Cenna make regarding his business, Fluo?

Cenna decided to step down as CEO of Fluo and bring in someone else to manage day-to-day operations. This allowed him to reduce stress and focus on company strategy, which led to significant improvements in both his health and the company’s performance.

What major challenge does Fluo currently face?

Fluo is running low on funds despite stretching their Kickstarter money efficiently. Cenna mentioned they are considering reaching out to investors or exploring equity crowdfunding, allowing the community to invest in the company.

What is Cenna’s plan for his YouTube channel?

Cenna plans to bring on a co-host to take over the majority of the content creation for his YouTube channel. This co-host would produce videos in a similar style to Cenna, while he would occasionally appear in videos or provide voice messages.

What opportunity is Cenna offering to potential co-hosts for his YouTube channel?

Cenna is offering a 50/50 revenue split for any earnings generated through sponsorships, affiliate deals, ad revenue, and more. Additionally, the co-host would gain exposure and potentially earn equity in his company, Fluo.

Why is Cenna making these significant changes to his personal and professional life?

Cenna is making these changes because his health condition has worsened, and after the failed treatment attempts, he realizes he needs to prepare for the possibility of remaining sick for the foreseeable future. He hopes these decisions will allow him to focus on recovery while keeping his projects and community thriving.

Outlines

00:00

💬 Health Update and Coping with Disautonomia

Cenna opens the video by acknowledging a long absence and shares a final health update. She discusses living with post-viral dysautonomia and how it severely affects her autonomic nervous system, causing debilitating symptoms after contracting a virus (likely COVID-19). She talks about her research into potential treatments, her attempts to learn German for better access to clinical trials, and her journey to Germany for plasma treatment, which unfortunately didn’t work. Cenna then recounts her attempt to join a clinical trial in Spain, which also ended in disappointment when she failed to meet the biomarker requirements for the study.

05:02

🔄 Adjusting Life Goals and Delegating Responsibilities

After accepting that her condition won’t improve in the short term, Cenna reveals two significant decisions regarding her professional life: stepping down as CEO of her language learning app, Fluo, and finding someone to run day-to-day operations. She shares how this decision has been one of the best of her life, as it has allowed Fluo to thrive while she focuses on strategy behind the scenes. Though she can’t work as intensely as before, she is proud of Fluo's progress, with the app’s beta launch receiving strong feedback. Cenna also mentions the financial pressures as Fluo runs out of Kickstarter funds and introduces the idea of equity crowdfunding to keep the project moving forward.

10:03

📺 Transitioning the YouTube Channel with a New Co-host

Cenna announces her decision to bring on a co-host to take over content creation for her YouTube channel due to her health limitations. She expresses her love for the community and how difficult it is for her to see the channel stagnate. Inspired by the success of stepping aside at Fluo, she believes a co-host can revitalize her YouTube channel by creating content in her style while still featuring her in smaller capacities. Cenna details the benefits of becoming her co-host, including revenue sharing, platform exposure, and the opportunity to help a disabled creator stay connected with her audience. She encourages viewers to apply or share the opportunity.

Keywords

💡Post-viral dysautonomia with POTS

This refers to a medical condition the speaker suffers from, caused by a viral infection (likely COVID-19), leading to dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system. POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) affects heart rate and blood pressure. The speaker mentions how this condition has severely impacted their ability to handle physical and mental exertion, as well as temperature changes and sleep, which are central challenges in their life.

💡Plasma exchange therapy (Plasma FIS)

Plasma exchange, also referred to as plasma FIS in the video, is an experimental treatment that the speaker traveled to Germany for, hoping it could cure their condition. The procedure involves removing plasma from the blood and replacing it with a substitute. The speaker expresses disappointment that, despite their efforts and hopes, the treatment did not work.

💡Clinical trial

The speaker refers to their participation in a clinical trial in Spain for a new drug that could potentially help their condition. After months of effort and learning languages to communicate with the medical team, they were disqualified from the trial due to not having the required biomarkers. This was a major setback in their quest for recovery.

💡Fluo

Fluo is the language learning app that the speaker founded and worked on for years. Due to their declining health, they decided to step down as CEO, bringing in someone new to handle day-to-day operations. This decision brought new energy to the project, and the app is now thriving, with the team recently launching a closed beta and preparing for a public release.

💡Equity crowdfunding

Equity crowdfunding is an alternative method of raising funds for a startup by allowing members of the community to invest and receive shares in the company. The speaker mentions this as a potential solution to Fluo's funding challenges, offering supporters an opportunity to own a part of the app as it prepares for its public launch.

💡YouTube channel co-host

The speaker is looking for a new co-host for their YouTube channel due to their health condition preventing them from regularly creating content. They want someone to take over the majority of video production, while they occasionally contribute short segments. This co-host would be responsible for continuing the style and community spirit of the channel, which has become stagnant due to the speaker's illness.

💡Language learning

Language learning is central to both the speaker's personal interests and their professional work with Fluo. Despite their health struggles, the speaker continues to learn new languages, mentioning that they recently started a new one as a birthday gift to themselves. They view language learning as a core part of their identity and their channel's content.

💡Health update

This video is framed as the speaker's 'final health update,' summarizing their long battle with post-viral dysautonomia and various failed treatment attempts. They express a sense of closure regarding their hopes for immediate recovery and plan to focus on managing their condition rather than seeking a cure, signaling a significant shift in their personal outlook.

💡Fundraising challenges

The speaker candidly discusses the financial difficulties Fluo faces, despite its success in development and early feedback. They mention stretching the funds raised through Kickstarter but acknowledge that if the app's launch is not successful, they could face serious financial constraints, making the search for additional investment crucial.

💡Resilience

Resilience is a recurring theme throughout the video, as the speaker describes their determination to overcome health setbacks, continue working on their projects, and adapt to new circumstances. Despite significant physical and emotional challenges, they have persisted in their quest for a cure, learned new languages, and managed to keep their app and YouTube community active.

Highlights

Cenna provides her final health update and discusses her condition, post-viral dysautonomia with POTS, caused by a likely COVID infection.

She explains that her condition affects her autonomic nervous system, making simple tasks like exposure to temperature, exertion, and sleep challenging.

Cenna had been learning German to seek experimental treatments in Germany for her condition.

Despite efforts to undergo plasma exchange therapy in Germany, the treatment did not work.

She pursued a promising clinical trial for a drug in development, initially planning to participate in Germany but was ghosted by the clinic.

Cenna found another clinic in Spain running the same clinical trial and traveled there with her fiancé and assistant, despite her health challenges.

After the intake appointment in Spain, she waited for biomarker test results to determine if she could participate in the clinical trial.

The test results revealed she did not have the required biomarkers, leading to disappointment as this was her last chance for a cure in the near future.

Cenna’s health deteriorated after the trip, but as of August 30th (her birthday), she has started to feel as good as she did before the trip, though still unwell.

Cenna made two major decisions: stepping down as CEO of her language learning app Fluo and bringing on someone to run the company.

Fluo has thrived with the new CEO, allowing her to focus on strategy and product standards while reducing her workload.

The app Fluo launched its closed beta, receiving positive feedback from the community.

Cenna expresses concern about Fluo’s funding, considering equity crowdfunding as a way for the community to invest in the startup.

She is looking for a co-host to take over her YouTube channel, allowing them to make content while she appears occasionally in videos.

Cenna invites polyglots interested in co-hosting her channel to apply, offering a revenue split and the potential for equity in Fluo.

Cenna plans to remain involved in the community despite her health, mentioning her continued interest in languages and future content ideas.

Transcripts

hey guys it's Cenna here um long time no

see uh in this video I am going to be

sharing with you all my final health

update um I am going to be discussing

what's happening with fluo as well as

the fact that I'm looking for someone to

take over my channel as a co-host

so let's hop into bed and uh let's

discuss everything because it's much

easier for me to do so while lying down

let's go

so let me tell you about my last few

months in my last update I told you how

my health took a nose dive starting at

the beginning of this year however I

also mentioned that being said I'm still

hopeful I still have a you know just mad

scientist out of different treatments

and stuff that I'm I'm I'm really keen

on getting to

this is the tale of that plan you see

over the last years I've done so much

research on my condition which is post

viral disautonomia with pots what does

that mean simply put I got a virus

likely covid and it made the part of my

nervous system that controls things

automatically go Haywire meaning simple

things like exposure to cold and heat

walking running exerting myself mentally

or physically getting refreshing sleep

don't work right that said I had a plan

for the last year or so on on and off

I've secretly been learning German why

well because Germany kicks ass when it

comes to dis autonomia research and I

wanted to go to Germany so I toiled I

put in the

work and so I geared up to go to Germany

and to do experimental treatment called

plasma FIS that was last year now the

treatment could have potentially cured

me but unfortunately it didn't

workas M we move on what is next well

there was a very promising clinical

trial in Germany for a drug and

development that I was waiting years to

try so I learned more German because I

had to and I emailed the clinic back and

forth for months trying to get in when I

finally I got invited to

go and then they ghosted me but you know

who didn't ghost me a different Clinic

running the same trial in

Spain so in March earlier this year my

fiance Brenda my assistant Maxim and I

went on an adventure to Spain we had to

take an RV of course because I couldn't

fly there and the trip was extremely

hard on my sickly quasi 90-year-old body

however we were on a quest for a cure so

I toughed it out and we finally made it

to Madrid and so I went to the intake

appointment the doctor was sympatico the

hospital was Bueno and I used my rusty

Spanish during the whole appointment

which was required to participate

I from there I had my blood taken to see

if I have the biomarkers that was needed

for the trial and if I did I could pass

to the next stage where I actually

received the medicine so that was part

one mission accomplished so after that

we went to calp to wait out the results

for the next 2 weeks it was a beautiful

place to wait anxiously for results

Brenda and I had some fun mus muscles

from Brussels m

and it was important for me to see the

beach because I hadn't for 4 years and I

figured I might not again for a very

long time I really staked everything on

this trial working even most of the

money in my personal bank account hell I

even learned a language or two to

participate this was my last chance for

a cure in the near future and our hopes

were

up and so when the news came on that

second Friday in CP

it was devastating to say the least I

didn't have the biome markers that they

were looking for I could not participate

in the trial I will not try the drug and

instead of the drug I got another

$155,000 down the drain a trip that

destroyed my already feeble body and a

road trip of 17 hours to get back to

Brussels with our heads hanging in

defeat shisa

and that brings us to the current moment

3 months where you go three 3 months

later so how am I now well as you can

assume by the way I'm shooting this

video not great the whole ordeal of the

trip destroyed my body for months and

finally now on August 30th which is

actually ironically it's my birthday

today um I am finally feeling as good as

I did before I took the trip which is

still not great however this whole trip

and this whole ordeal gave me a lot of

clarity this was my best chance to get

better anytime soon and it didn't happen

which means I need to change things up

and prepare to be this sick or a little

bit worse or a little better for the

next few years specifically I needed to

make two big decisions what do I do with

my upcoming language learning app

fluo and also what do I do with my

YouTube channel well for fluo I already

made that decision a while ago I decided

to replace myself as CEO and to bring on

someone to run the day-to-day operations

of the company this decision tough as it

may have been was one of the best

decisions I have ever made in my entire

life because and a little drum roll

please I am happy to announce that while

my body is not getting better it is no

longer getting worse because finally

after years and years of working on fluo

I am no no longer overwhelming myself at

work and I'm finally going at my own

pace and damn it feels good it feels

good although I wish I could work more

that said this will be my final health

update and I will go over that in a

little bit but yeah fluo is now thriving

and the energy changed between me

holding on to operations by a single

thread and bringing someone on who's new

fresh hungry ambitious and actually able

to dedicate the required 60 hours a week

to being CEO of flu well it is night and

day and he is killing it and I'm

personally thriving where I do best

which is behind the scenes company

strategy and ensuring product standards

and fluo as an app and as a team is

doing better than it's ever have before

and I'm super proud in fact we just

launched our close beta a few months ago

and the feedback

fire the app stunning

the community

buzzing the fuo team

glowing and it's finally coming out in a

few months so sign up so you're notified

the second it gets released all that

good stuff being said about fluo the

only one thing that still stresses me

out which happens with all startups is

funding we have done an amazing job

stretching all that Kickstarter money

that we received from you guys uh to get

to our launch date but

we're running out of funds and it's one

of these things where if we launch and

we have a successful launch we'll be

good but if we don't we're going to be

very strapped for cash so we are

thinking about reaching out to investors

and also we're even experimenting with

the idea of opening up fluo to

investment not just from normal

investors but from the entire Community

as a whole uh there's this thing called

equity crowdfunding which allows the

community to actually get shares in uh

you know a startup company but it

remains to be seen whether or not

there's enough interest for this sort of

thing so if you are interested in

potentially investing in fluo and

actually getting shares um I'm going to

be linking a Google form in the

description of this video so if you are

interested fill that out uh and if we

have enough interest I think it's

something that we could and probably

should do because why just give Fu your

shares to Industrial investors and

nothing to the community it doesn't

really feel right I mean fuo has

literally been built by this community

and it's a pretty cool opportunity for

you guys as well I mean imagine

literally getting shares of dualingo

before they launched in 2011 I mean it

would be kind of crazy and in addition

to that you know as cool as dualingo is

I think that we're on to something much

better so definitely fill out oh there

you go fill out the form if you are

interested so all that being said that

brings me to the decision that I have to

make for my YouTu Channel considering my

bad health I am inspired by what

happened at fuo how stepping aside

brought new life to the team and I

thought perhaps I could do the same for

my YouTube channel listen I really love

this community I love the memories we've

made and I often times go back and

re-watch my old videos and reread all of

your comments and it makes my day every

single time sometimes when I rewatch

videos it's seems almost like a dream or

me in a former life and it hurts my soul

to have this Channel and the community

that we've built stagnate and go nowhere

and for you guys to only hear from me

every 6 months and usually not even

about my language learning but about my

health so I

thought unless something crazy happens

let this be my final health update

video I want to change things up I want

to bring on a co-host essentially

someone to take over making most of the

content on my channel an accomplished

polyglot who is good behind the camera

someone that can make videos in a very

similar ikenna style that you guys know

and love someone who can make videos

that entertain you guys that make you

guys laugh give you behind the scenes of

fluo perhaps could even dive back into

VR chat or even surprising people uh in

real life on the street by speaking

their language and someone who could

continue to help energize and build upon

the community that we've built here and

most importantly someone who can feature

me every now and then in these videos

because I don't have the strength to

edit a whole video or to make videos by

myself weekly but I damn sure have the

strength to make a small Obi-Wan Kenobi

esque VR video like this or even just an

audio message every other week and the

new co-host could integrate these

messages and these videos into the

videos that they make therefore you guys

can actually see my face or my virtual

face you know every other week or so as

opposed to every 6 months because you

know what don't count me out just

because I am better at because I've been

secretly learning three languages that I

am very excited to uh show you guys and

reveal to you guys and I literally just

started learning another one today on my

birthday as a present to myself now a

co-host would be a big change it would

be a new ikenna the last language vender

esque uh moment but I'm convinced that

it will be for the better so for the new

co-host whoever you may be here's the

deal if you become my co-host we'd split

any money from the Channel's 550 that

means sponsorship deals affiliate deals

core sales ad Revenue Etc and for a

channel that is my size that's big once

actively making content channels my size

can easily bring in five figures a month

also you would get an amazing platform

to get the world to know about you and

your amazing polyglot skills there's a

chance that you get a small bit of

equity in fluo if you're really gung-ho

about fluo and lastly you help a

disabled person stay in touch with the

audience that he cherishes so much which

is a very special thing so if you are

interested definitely check out the link

below in the description to apply and if

you know someone who might be interested

send this video to them I would not be

doing this if I were not this sick this

is a once in a-lifetime opportunity for

the right person this is

a type of moment every that I cherish

and built is here on this channel in one

piece and who knows one day when I am

better perhaps I will take back the

Reigns of the channel but I do not know

when that day will be