I'm sick in a bizarre and horrifying way

Summary

In this personal video, Drake reveals a health crisis that has disrupted his YouTube content creation. After discovering unusually high testosterone levels, which led to a series of medical tests, he has been diagnosed with an undetermined liver issue. Despite the uncertainty, Drake remains optimistic, sharing his recent adventures in nature, including storm chasing and witnessing natural phenomena. He assures fans of his return to regular content after addressing his health and continues to engage with his audience through other channels and events.

Takeaways

• 🎥 Drake, a YouTuber, is opening up about personal issues to his audience for the first time.
• 📅 He has been making YouTube videos for nearly 18 years, starting in 2006.
• 🚫 Drake has had periods where he couldn't make videos, sometimes for a whole year, leading to fan concerns.
• 😷 He has recently discovered that he is sick in an unusual and serious way.
• 🧔 Drake's inability to grow a beard at 31 years old led to a test revealing extremely high testosterone levels.
• 🔍 High testosterone triggered a series of medical tests, including a search for cancer.
• 🏥 Despite insurance issues and high costs, Drake underwent a CAT scan which found no tumors but pointed to liver issues.
• 🌌 Drake has been finding solace in nature, chasing tornadoes, and experiencing celestial events like the solar eclipse and the Aurora Borealis.
• 🌳 He enjoys living surrounded by nature and his pet, Ailia, who has been with him for over two years.
• 📹 There will be a temporary pause in his regular video content, but he plans to return after addressing his health.
• 📅 Drake intends to continue his 'open sauce' events and panel discussions, meeting fans in person.

Q & A

How long has Drake been making YouTube videos?

Drake has been making YouTube videos for nearly 18 years, starting his channel in 2006.

What was the initial reason for Drake to get his testosterone levels measured?

Drake got his testosterone levels measured because, despite being 31 years old and Arabic, he couldn't grow a full beard and suspected he might have low testosterone levels.

What was unusual about Drake's testosterone levels when they were measured?

Drake's testosterone levels were unusually high, to the point that they hit the instrument's limit, indicating a potential medical issue.

Why did the clinic give Drake a pregnancy test after finding high testosterone levels?

The clinic gave Drake a pregnancy test to check for the hormone HCG, which can indicate the presence of a tumor if found in males, as certain tumors can secrete this hormone and cause high testosterone levels.

What medical imaging tests were conducted to investigate Drake's condition?

A renal and abdominal ultrasound, followed by a brain and abdominal CAT scan, were conducted to investigate Drake's condition.

What was the outcome of the medical imaging tests?

The medical imaging tests did not find any tumors, which was a relief, but they did not provide much information about Drake's liver condition.

Why did Drake's health insurance initially deny coverage for the CAT scan?

Drake's health insurance initially denied coverage for the CAT scan as a common practice to potentially scare off patients who might not want to go through the process of fighting for coverage, saving the insurance money.

How did Drake's experience with the CAT scan highlight issues with American healthcare?

Drake's experience highlighted issues with American healthcare, such as high costs and the need to fight insurance companies for necessary procedures, even when insured.

What blood markers indicated that Drake might have liver disease?

Drake had blood markers indicating liver disease for over a decade, but he tested negative for common liver diseases, leading to uncertainty about his condition.

What new hobbies did Drake take up during his break from making videos?

Drake took up storm chasing and hunting tornadoes, as well as enjoying nature and observing phenomena like the solar eclipse and the Aurora Borealis.

How does Drake describe his current living situation and what he enjoys about it?

Drake describes his living situation as being in the middle of a lush forest filled with cool plants and critters. He particularly enjoys the company of Ailia, a creature that has been with him for over two years.

What does Drake plan to do during his temporary break from making videos?

During his temporary break, Drake plans to attend open sauce events, speak on panels, and meet fans, while also undergoing further medical testing.

Outlines

00:00

😷 Health Revelations and YouTube Hiatus

Drake, a YouTuber with a long-standing channel, opens up about his unusual health situation that has led to a temporary halt in content creation. After 18 years of making videos, he discloses that he's been diagnosed with an inexplicable illness. The health journey began with a curiosity about his inability to grow a beard at 31, leading to a shockingly high testosterone level test result. This discovery initiated a series of medical tests, including blood tests and imaging scans, to rule out cancer. Despite insurance complications and high medical costs, no tumors were found, but the concern for liver issues remains. Drake's openness about his health and the impact on his content creation is a significant departure from his usual videos.

05:00

🌪️ Storm Chasing and the Wonders of Nature

In the midst of health concerns and a medical odyssey, Drake finds solace and excitement in nature. He shares his new passion for storm chasing, which led him to film the biggest tornadoes he's ever seen. This pursuit not only provided a distraction from his health issues but also resulted in one of his best videos on his storm chasing channel. Drake also reflects on other natural phenomena he experienced, such as witnessing a solar eclipse, the Aurora Borealis, and the emergence of 17-year cicadas. These experiences, along with the joy of observing wildlife around his home, have brought him happiness and a sense of fulfillment amidst his health challenges.

10:02

🌳 Embracing Life's Pause and Upcoming Plans

Drake concludes by expressing his contentment with life despite the current health and video-making pause. He lives in a lush forest and enjoys the company of nature and his pet, Ailia. While he will take a break from his usual content, Drake assures his fans that he will return with more videos in a few months. He also mentions his upcoming medical tests and his intention to continue 'open sourcing' his experiences. Drake invites his audience to join him in panels and meet-ups, promising to keep them updated on his journey. His message ends on a hopeful note, encouraging his viewers to stay safe and enjoy life.

Keywords

💡YouTuber

A YouTuber is an individual who creates and shares content on the video-sharing platform YouTube. In the script, Drake identifies himself as a YouTuber with nearly 18 years of experience, which is central to the video's theme of personal revelation and the challenges he faces in content creation.

💡Testosterone

Testosterone is a hormone that plays a key role in the development of male reproductive tissues and secondary sexual characteristics. Drake's unusually high levels of testosterone, as revealed in the script, initiate a series of medical investigations that form a significant part of the video's narrative.

💡HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin)

HCG is a hormone that is typically associated with pregnancy tests. In the context of the video, Drake mentions that a high testosterone level in men can trigger a pregnancy test to check for HCG, which can indicate a tumor if present, thus leading to the exploration of potential health issues.

💡Tumor

A tumor is an abnormal growth of cells that can be benign or malignant. The script discusses the possibility of a tumor as a cause for Drake's high testosterone levels, which adds a layer of concern and urgency to his medical situation.

💡CAT Scan

A CAT scan, or Computed Tomography, is a medical imaging technique used to diagnose and monitor various conditions. Drake's experience with getting a CAT scan is a pivotal moment in the script, illustrating the challenges he faces in accessing medical care and the anxiety of waiting for results.

💡Insurance

Health insurance is a type of contract that provides coverage for medical expenses. In the video, the issue of insurance coverage for the CAT scan highlights the complexities and frustrations of the American healthcare system, which is a recurring theme in Drake's story.

💡Liver Disease

Liver disease refers to any damage or disorder that affects the liver's function. Drake's medical journey in the script leads to the suspicion of liver disease as a cause for his high levels of testosterone and SHBG, which is a significant development in understanding his health condition.

💡SHBG (Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin)

SHBG is a protein that binds to sex hormones, affecting their levels in the body. In the script, high levels of SHBG are linked to liver disease and are a key part of Drake's medical profile, contributing to the mystery surrounding his health issues.

💡Therosis

Therosis, also known as cirrhosis, is a condition where healthy liver tissue is replaced by scar tissue, affecting liver function. The script implies that Drake's high testosterone and SHBG levels could be indicative of therosis, adding to the concerns about his liver health.

💡Storm Chasing

Storm chasing is the act of pursuing severe weather events, particularly tornadoes. Drake's decision to engage in storm chasing as a form of distraction from his health issues shows a shift in his priorities and provides a contrast to the medical narrative of the video.

💡Aurora Borealis

The Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, is a natural light display in the Earth's sky, predominantly seen in the polar regions. Drake's sighting of the Aurora Borealis near his home in Illinois is a highlight of his appreciation for nature and serves as a positive moment amidst his health concerns.

Highlights

Drake shares personal health issues with his audience after 18 years of making YouTube videos.

He experienced a period of not posting videos for up to a year due to personal issues.

Drake found out he was sick in a bizarre way, starting with an unusually high testosterone level test.

High testosterone levels led to a series of medical tests including a pregnancy test for the hormone HCG.

A negative HCG test result indicated the possibility of a tumor or liver disease.

Drake underwent renal and abdominal ultrasounds, which found no abnormalities.

He faced challenges with health insurance coverage for a CAT scan.

An endocrinologist suggested the high testosterone could be secondary to liver disease.

Drake's CAT scan results were normal, but the insurance process was costly and frustrating.

He has had liver disease blood markers for over a decade but no diagnosis was made.

Drake's high levels of testosterone and SHBG could indicate cirrhosis.

He had to wait 3.5 months to see a liver specialist.

Despite health issues, Drake has been enjoying nature and storm chasing.

He made a memorable video about chasing the biggest tornadoes of his life.

Drake experienced the solar eclipse, Aurora Borealis, and the emergence of 17-year cicadas.

He lives in a lush forest with a variety of plants and wildlife, including his pet opilia.

Drake will take a temporary break from video production to focus on his health.

He plans to return to regular content production after addressing his health issues.

Drake will still participate in panels and meet fans despite his health challenges.

Transcripts

hey guys it's Drake here uh this going

be kind of weird for me just because I I

never really talk about personal stuff

on this channel but but some things have

come up and and I figure I might as well

just fill you in on what's going on so

uh I've been making YouTube videos for

for nearly 18 years now uh I started my

I started my channel in 2006 and during

that time uh there's been there's been

you know periods of my life where where

things would come up and and I couldn't

make videos and what I do is I just

wouldn't post anything sometimes for for

up to a whole year and then my fans

would be all questioning thinking I'm

like dead or something and which I guess

considering my my content I guess that

could be a reasonable explanation but no

I I I don't I don't want to do that to

you guys this time and uh and the funny

part is I actually have the next project

finished but I don't have it in me to

get in front of the camera and do the

normal thing like that part of me is

missing right now so uh so I recently

found out that I'm sick and I'm sick in

this just crazy and bizarre way and I've

been through a lot recently it's been

it's been quite a saga so I'm uh I'm

going to tell you a little bit about

what's going on and then uh also what

the future

holds I will say that how I found out

that I'm sick is actually pretty

hilarious I mean there's actually a lot

of funny parts to this story considering

its gravity but uh but anyway uh back in

January I had my testosterone levels

measured now I did this just because I'm

31 years old and I can't grow a beard

and I mean I I can grow some mustache

hair and chin hair but like sides of my

face there's not much there and I'm

Arabic so I figured like I should be a

furball by now right I guess my fear was

that maybe I had low tea levels well uh

you can imagine my surprise when my uh

when my testosterone levels came in

completely off the charts and and this

isn't even an exaggeration no like I hit

the instrument limit so I don't even

know how high my levels really are now

uh now this isn't as good as it sounds

it actually means something's very wrong

but of course I still you know I still

brag to my friends about this result but

but no it implies a medical issue and uh

and now the the funny part is is if

you're a guy that goes into the clinic

with just nuclear testosterone levels

and you're not juicing do you know what

the first test they give you is it's a

pregnancy test it's just it's so absurd

so the reasoning for that is uh is they

gave me a test looking for the hormone

HCG which is exactly what pregnancy test

uh what what they do now now if you're a

guy with that hormone present it

probably means that you have a tumor and

just because there's a there's some

weird endocrine tumors that can secrete

this hormone and also make just

ridiculous amounts of testosterone well

I test a negative for that hormone but

but even so uh this is when the hunt for

cancer began and uh ah this is when I

started getting pretty uneasy about this

so yeah this point is when all the

testing begins and uh so they first

start off with a bunch of blood tests

and uh and some things some non-specific

things get flagged but but nothing that

that like uh diagnoses a certain kind of

cancer so that that's when they wanted

to do some Imaging so they uh they order

a renal and abdominal ultrasound and uh

at this point I'm thinking you know what

I did it like I I've played with one too

many chemicals and I went out and caught

cancer uh like and knowing my luck it's

going to be some stupid rare one that

you can't fix but uh they got me in

pretty fast though just because they

they considered my uh they considered my

case urgent and uh so I I go and get the

ultrasound and uh and then as I'm

driving home I got a notification that

the results were in so of of course I I

hurry home get in and and uh and read

them and says they didn't find anything

so I'm like oh maybe I'm okay then maybe

I'm just like super manly even though I

can't grow a beard but apparently not

because uh then they ordered a uh a

brain CAT scan and an abdominal CAT scan

and uh so then of course you know back

to being nervous gosh such a such a

roller coaster of emotions but then the

day of the uh of the CAT scan comes and

then I get a call from the clinic saying

uh hey uh we haven't heard from your

insurance uh they they may not be

willing to pay for this so then I call

them and they're like no we're not

covering the scan so I'm like like are

you serious like I I pay nearly $10,000

a year uh for this health insurance and

and like you think the least they could

do is like cover their part of a CAT

scan uh but apparently not so then like

of course you know I start have to have

to fight these guys but in the meantime

I I asked my nurse I'm like okay like

can I just see an endocrinologist maybe

maybe they'll have some input for me and

uh and then again I get a notification

on my phone that I I have an after visit

summary I'm like I didn't see a doctor

like I haven't seen a doctor during any

part of this so then I log in and and

turns out an endocrinologist uh looked

at my chart and uh and wrote A Few notes

on it and he's like yeah this guy has

high testosterone but it's actually a

secondary problem to having high levels

of this protein called uh sh uh BG and

uh and it's probably due to liver

disease but but cancer is also possible

so I should still get that CAT scan so

I'm just like like I really don't I do

not like where this is going this is bad

so my insurance denies the CAT scan

right I mean that's a really really

common move for health insurance they

just like to blanket deny procedures

because they they'll scare some of the

patients off that don't want to go

through the whole process of fighting

them and it saves them money of course

but uh so my uh you know my my nurses

and docs uh they they fight for me and

and get insurance to to pay their part

and after six weeks after six weeks then

I can I can get that CAT scan and and it

actually it doesn't find anything

abnormal uh which it doesn't say much

about my liver unfortunately but he

didn't find any tumors so so that's good

but uh but the stupid part is is then I

got build

$3,300 for that scan with insurance and

the even dumber part is that I I got a

quote from my clinic on what it would

cost me without insurance and it was

only

$1,400 so because I have this insurance

it actually cost me more money to get

this scan like how is that how is that

even possible that is the stupidest

thing in the world like how is that

legal but I mean that's that's classic

American healthcare for you and uh I

guess the one good thing is that uh

because I've had so many scans and I've

already paid thousands even before this

for all this medical stuff is I am going

to hit my like out of pocket max for the

year but like geez like that is stupid

and like even beyond the financial

aspect I I shouldn't have to fight just

to get any procedure done that is the

stupidest thing in the

world now what sucks is that I've

actually had some blood markers of liver

disease for more than a decade but uh

but I tested negative for all the common

liver diseases and many of the rare ones

too and uh

so since then I've just figured that you

know maybe it's just an anomaly in the

blood result but I'm healthy which is a

thing that happens but according to this

other results no I've had something cook

in my liver for more than 10 years which

is

horrifying and what double sucks is that

uh is that my high levels of of

testosterone and shbg that's something

you can see with

therosis and and for the record you know

there's a lot of things that can cause

curosis like it's not just alcohol and

uh and it can also because liver disease

is is very sneaky sometimes actually

quite frequently it can also show up

without really causing many symptoms so

you know that's horrifying so then you

know I of course I want to see a liver

doctor but the earliest they can

schedule me to see one is 3 and a half

months out so I'm just like oh man this

is going to be the weight of a lifetime

isn't it 3 months is a long time wait

for simply the beginning of the next

round of tests now at first I tried

distracting Myself by building the next

project but then when it came time to

actually filming with it I just I

struggled to get anything done and then

one day it hit me I'm like you know what

I just don't want to do this right now

you know what I'd rather be doing I'd

rather be hunting

tornadoes storm chasing is not a new

hobby for me but something I had never

done and always wanted to do was to

drive out to the planes and experience a

big tornado outbreak and you know what

that's exactly what I did I drove out to

the planes and chased the biggest

tornadoes I've ever seen in my life I

made a video about that trip and I

consider it to be one of my best videos

it's on my storm chasing Channel and I

highly recommend you watch it I've been

enjoying more to Nature than just

tornadoes though on April 8th I got to

see the solar eclipse with friends I

hadn't seen in a long time and we got to

watch it from deep in a Wilderness Area

and then a month later a geomagnetic

storm brought the Aurora Borealis

directly above my house in Illinois I

never thought I'd see the day where that

would happen it's been a good spring for

Critters too opilia is as healthy as

ever and the moths have been very

abundant plus the 17year cicas have

arrived these guys are the

mathematicians of the insect World they

spend 17 years underground and then

emerge all at once for their final weeks

of life this incredibly long development

period is probably an adaptation from

time when food was scared

and the bizarre prime number life cycle

prevents insect ofor from adapting to

them they also hatch in such enormous

numbers the animals can't possibly

devour them all there are literally

millions of these guys singing in the

trees around my house and it's so loud

outside that I can barely hear myself

think out there I absolutely love it so

if you can't tell by now I actually

consider things my life to be pretty

good I mean I live in the middle of this

Lush Forest that's filled with all these

really cool plants and critters of

course ailia here she's the real

highlight gosh she's stuck around for

more than 2 years now I just like that's

so cool like I really couldn't ask for

much better than this like honestly and

yeah there's going to be a you know a

temporary break in me making videos but

it's not because I'm sad it's it's just

like a temporary change in priorities so

uh so for my fans you're going to have

to settle for some tornado content on my

side channel in the meantime by that

yeah a few months from now I'll get back

to the usual stuff and of course uh you

know I got a lot of you know fun medical

testing coming up in my near future but

yeah U there'll be more there'll be more

of my my regular content one quick thing

that I'd like to add is that I'm still

going to open sauce this year I'm

speaking on a few panels as well as

going around meeting fans check it out

if you can but yeah I'll be back and

things will be all right but uh yeah

until the next time stay safe and happy

lazing