In 2010, my doctor told me to buy a funeral plot because I would need one within the next 5 years.

2010年，我的醫生叫我準備好後事，他說五年內就會派上用場。

But I'm still here, because a shelter dog saved my life.

但我還能夠站在這裡，因為我領養了一隻狗，而他拯救了我。

Eric & Peety

Eric 和 Peety

When people see a photo of who I was 5 years ago, they can't, and often don't believe that it's me.

當人們看到我五年前的照片，他們不可置信。

My weight had crept up to 340 pounds, my blood pressure was through the roof, super high cholesterol, I had Type 2 diabetes,

那時的我大約 150 公斤，我的血壓高到沖天，患有高膽固醇、第二型糖尿病，

and I was taking over a thousand dollars worth of medications a month.

我每個月光是醫藥費便會花費一千多美金。

And I just felt really uncomfortable around other people. I became separated from society and I just stopped living.

我跟其他人相處時總是不太自在。我與社會脫節、行屍走肉。

I went on a business trip. You know how small airplane seats are.

有一次我出差。你也知道飛機的座位有多小。

I could barely squeeze into one and basically I'd spill over both sides.

我根本坐不下一個機位，而且會影響到兩旁邊的乘客。

They had to delay the flight, because they didn't have a seatbelt extension that would fit me.

他們必須延後起飛時間，因為機上沒有我可以用的延長安全帶。

There was a gentleman next to me, and he just looked in complete disgust, and he looked at me,

那時，我旁邊坐了一位男士。他一臉厭惡地看著我，

and he goes, "I'm gonna miss my connection 'cause you're too fat."

說：「我因為你太胖而錯過轉機時間。」

That really was my bottom point. That's the point that I really decided that, you know, I'm either gonna die or I have to do something.

這是我的最低潮，這時我真正下定決心，我要嘛一死了之，不然我一定得做出改變。

I looked in the phone book and I found a nutritionist near me.

我在電話簿裡找到了附近的一位營養師。

One of the first things that she asked me to do was to go adopt a shelter dog.

她一開始請我做的事情之一就是去收容所領養一隻狗。

It would force me to go outside, it would force me to become more socially interactive.

它會迫使我出門，迫使我多跟其他人互動。

So I went to a local shelter, and I remember telling the lady,

所以我到了當地的收容所，我還記得我跟櫃台的女士說：

"I would like an obese, middle-aged dog, so that I would have something in common with him."

「我想要領養一隻過度肥胖的中年狗，這樣我們就有共通點了。」

And when I walked in the room, we both looked at each other with, like a look of "really?"

我走進大房間裡，我們互看了一眼，那眼神像是在說：「真的假的？」

I took him home that night, neither of us knew what to expect.

我當晚就帶他回家，我們都不知道未來是如何。

And over a period of time, we really formed an inseparable bond,

但是過了一陣子，我們形影不離、心有靈犀，

and one that I'd never really experienced with another person or animal or anybody.

我從來不曾跟一個人、或任何動物有這樣的連結。

We began walking for at least a half an hour a day, every day.

我們每天都至少會去走個30分鐘。

And over the course of a year, just by changing what I ate, and walking with Peety, I lost about 140+ pounds.

然後在那一年間，只靠著改變飲食習慣，加上天天跟 Peety 散步，我成功減了六十幾公斤。

Everything about my life improved.

我的人生好像突然大躍進。

I got off all meds, I no longer have Type II diabetes. Peety also lost about 25 pounds.

我不再靠藥物維生，也擺脫了第二型糖尿病。Peety 也減了十多公斤。

So we did it together. It was like a miracle.

所以我們是同心協力的。這簡直是奇蹟。

There you go! Whoo! Hi Peety!

這樣就對了！Peety 好棒！

So I read over Peety's paperwork when I adopted him, and it turns out that, he was left alone in a backyard, and nobody played with him.

我領養 Peety 的時候看了一下他的文件，發現他一個人被丟在後院，沒有人陪他玩耍。

He had arthritis and all kinds of rashes, and his skin was just itching all the time.

他患有關節炎、各式各樣的疹子，皮膚也好像無時無刻都在發癢。

He was wondering what would ever happen to him.

他也不知道未來將是如何。

He'd gone from being in a situation like I was, where he didn't have any friends, and he didn't know anybody, and really became a proud dog.

他跟我過去的處境一樣，從沒有朋友、誰也不認識，到成為一隻能夠昂首闊步的狗。

Peety, ready for the next stop? Peety's a good boy!

Peety，準備好去下一站了嗎？Peety 好乖！

Beyond unconditional love,

除了不求回報的愛，

(Yum! Peanut butter!)

(花生醬超好吃吧！)

Peety taught me absolute loyalty.

Peety 也教導了我絕對的忠誠。

He looked at me, in every sense, as though I was the greatest person on the planet.

他看我的眼神在每個方面都彷彿我是世界上最棒的人。

I decided that, I wanted to be the person who he thought I was.

我下定決心，我想成為他心目中的我。

One of the things that I dreamed of doing was running a full marathon. And he looked at me, like, "You can do it!"

跑完全馬一直都是我的夢想之一。他看我的眼神鼓勵著我：「你一定可以的！」

And I went out, and I did it.

我豁出去了，也完成了。

This entire process brought me out of my shell and made me a different person.

這個過程讓我脫掉保護殼，讓我煥然一新。

I knew that he was getting old and his time was coming.

我知道 Peety 正漸漸老去，也知道死神悄悄靠近。

They discovered a really large cancerous growth on his spleen, and there was really nothing that they could do.

他們發現 Peety 脾臟上有很大的癌細胞腫瘤，且他們都束手無策。

I knew that he was gonna die. I just laid with him on the floor.

我知道他要死了。我跟他一起躺在地板上。

He just looked at me and I could tell, that the life had just passed out of him.

他看了我一眼，我看得出來生命已漸漸離他遠去。

And that was the end. And I just sat there, and I held him. I loved him so much.

就是這樣結束的。我呆坐在地板上，摟著他。我好愛他。

I just was so sad and, you know, I'm still not over it.

我悲傷至極，至今仍無法釋懷。

About 6 months later, after a race, suddenly, it just came into my mind : "Just drive over to the shelter right now." And I did.

大約六個月之後，我剛跑完一場馬拉松，腦中突然浮現：「現在就去收容所看看吧！」我便馬上行動。

There was a dog that had been put in the adoption pen four minutes earlier.

那時，有一隻狗才剛到收容所四分鐘。

His photo wasn't on the wall, he wasn't on the website, and I just looked at him, and he looked at me,

牆上沒有他的照片、資料也還沒傳上網，我看看他，他也看看我，

and he went, it was like, "Dude, let's get out of here!"

他的眼神像是在說：「老兄，一起走吧！」

Jake is a completely different dog.

Jake 是一隻完全不一樣的狗。

Jake loves to play and we started training, and he now runs 10 mile distances with me,

Jake 熱愛玩樂，我們也展開訓練，然後他現在會跟我一起跑十英里的距離，

and we're gonna do our first half marathon together.

而且我們要一起跑半馬。

He's the best running buddy I could possibly have.

他是我心目中最棒的跑伴。

So really, thanks to Peety, I wake up every day, wanting to be the best person that I can possibly be.

所以真的，多虧 Peety，我每天一睜眼，都朝著成為一個更好的人邁進。

He completely transformed me into a different person.

他使我轉變成一個不一樣的人。

I think about it now, who rescued whom? I mean, did I rescue him or did he rescue me?

我有時候會思考，到底是誰救了誰？是我救了他，還是他救了我呢？