321: Michael Yo Was Patient Zero

Summary

Podcast Summary: The HoneyDew with Ryan Sickler – Episode 321: Michael Yo Was Patient Zero

In Episode 321 of The HoneyDew with Ryan Sickler, comedian Michael Yo joins host Ryan Sickler to share his deeply personal and harrowing experience as an early COVID-19 patient, alongside insights into his unique comedic journey and family life. The conversation delves into themes of resilience, the transformative impact of illness, the importance of family, and reflections on career and education.

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1. Introduction of the Guest

Ryan Sickler welcomes Michael Yo to the show, highlighting their mutual connections in the comedy world. Michael promotes his latest comedy special, "Snack Daddy," and announces his upcoming "Issa True Tour," explaining the origin of its name from his mother's saying, "Issa True."

Notable Quote:

• Michael Yo [04:22]: "I got a brand new Comedy special that just, just came out. It's called Snack Daddy."

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2. Family Background and Early Life

Michael Yo provides an overview of his multicultural heritage, with a Korean mother and a Black father. He shares amusing anecdotes about his parents' meeting—his mother's account involving dancing on a pole at a club versus his father's story of meeting her at the same club but under different circumstances. Their 51-year marriage is characterized by loving verbal combat, which often serves as a source of comedy in Michael's acts and podcasts.

Notable Quotes:

• Michael Yo [05:13]: "Well, it's two different stories. My mom said she was at a bar and they met through a mutual friend. My dad said when he met my mom, she was on a pole."
• Michael Yo [05:49]: "Love verbal combat. Like, one upping each other. Not ever mean, but they go back and forth."

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3. Comedy Career and Style

Michael discusses his approach to comedy, emphasizing family-oriented humor and avoiding the pitfalls that have marred other comedians' careers. He aspires to be a family comedian with an edge, differentiating himself from peers by focusing on relatable, wholesome content without crossing ethical boundaries.

Notable Quote:

• Michael Yo [06:51]: "I do family comedy, you know, I want to be that guy... a little bit edgier, but I think there's a big opening, and that's what I do."

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4. COVID-19 Experience: Patient Zero

a. Infection and Initial Symptoms

Michael recounts attending a sold-out show at Gotham in New York, a notorious super spreader event, where he interacted with approximately 1,500 attendees. Shortly after returning, he began experiencing severe symptoms, initially mistaking them for exhaustion from touring.

Notable Quote:

• Michael Yo [08:35]: "Literally, I woke up gasping for air."

b. Hospitalization and ICU

Three days post-lockdown, Michael was hospitalized with COVID-19 and pneumonia. He describes the chaos and fear within the medical staff, who were unprepared for his severe condition. Despite being young and otherwise healthy, he faced life-threatening complications, including a high fever and intense pain that led to hallucinations.

Notable Quotes:

• Michael Yo [11:11]: "This could be Covid... you better get away from her."
• Michael Yo [12:00]: "I was the only one in there, you know?"

c. Medical Treatment and Challenges

Michael details the uncertainty of his treatment during the early days of the pandemic. Medical professionals were experimenting with various drugs without a standardized treatment protocol. He faced excruciating pain and the psychological toll of potentially not surviving, compounded by limited communication with his family.

Notable Quotes:

• Michael Yo [13:05]: "I saw myself standing next to myself listening to the doctors."
• Michael Yo [16:04]: "They were putting people on ventilators because it's almost like putting a person on ice."

d. Recovery and Long-term Impact

After nine grueling days in the hospital, Michael was discharged under dire warnings about his prognosis. He underwent prolonged isolation, suffering from long COVID symptoms such as loss of smell and persistent fatigue. The experience profoundly affected his outlook on life, emphasizing the fragility of existence and the importance of cherishing family moments.

Notable Quotes:

• Michael Yo [39:46]: "I have long COVID, so it took about a year before I felt."
• Michael Yo [43:57]: "You always lose focus of that moment. You gotta keep reminding yourself where you almost wasn't here."

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5. Reflections on Life and Family

Michael expresses deep gratitude for surviving COVID-19 and the renewed focus it brought to his life. He underscores the significance of being present for his children and the unwavering support of his wife. The ordeal reinforced his commitment to providing for his family and appreciating the everyday moments that often go unnoticed.

Notable Quotes:

• Michael Yo [19:05]: "I think about it a lot... I don't think I'd be the person I am today."
• Michael Yo [26:28]: "I'm getting older. Sometimes I'm like, I can't imagine being 30 years older and that feeling."

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6. Views on Education and Career Choices

The discussion shifts to the value of formal education versus practical experience. Michael and Ryan critique the conventional educational pathways, particularly the steep costs of degrees that may not provide direct benefits in certain careers like communication. They advocate for a more diversified educational approach, incorporating business and practical skills alongside traditional studies.

Notable Quotes:

• Ryan Sickler [31:48]: "I wouldn't set my sight on this piece of paper. I would diversify my classes."
• Michael Yo [32:18]: "Everything's changing... school can't teach you how to have a personality."

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7. Advice to Younger Self

Towards the end of the episode, Michael offers heartfelt advice to his younger self, emphasizing the importance of discernment and caution in trusting others. He highlights the inevitability of encountering deceit in both personal and professional realms, urging his younger self to lead with the heart while maintaining wisdom.

Notable Quote:

• Michael Yo [61:05]: "People will lie to your face for advancement... lead with your heart, but don't be dumb."

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8. Closing Remarks and Final Promotions

Michael wraps up by promoting his comedy special and tour once more, expressing gratitude for the platform to share his story. The episode concludes with mutual appreciation between Ryan and Michael, underscoring the human connections forged through shared experiences and storytelling.

Notable Quote:

• Michael Yo [61:37]: "I appreciate it."

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Conclusion

Episode 321 of The HoneyDew with Ryan Sickler offers a profound and introspective look into Michael Yo's life, blending humor with the stark realities of battling a life-threatening illness. Through his candid storytelling, Michael emphasizes the resilience of the human spirit, the paramount importance of family, and the nuanced path of a comedian navigating personal and professional challenges.

Transcript

[Ryan Sickler]

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[Michael Yo]

You know what? If nobody else is going to clap for you, you got to clap for yourself.

[Ryan Sickler]

You know, I one time did a podcast with Todd Glass, shout out to Todd Glass years ago. It still sits with me. And you go, you went in. It was a. Over this beautiful classic car, like floor. Yeah, I had. It had the smoking abandoned Carlos and the. Todd knew the guy. It was all glass, like Boogie Nights. And you're up over it and you're just looking at all these classic cars from the movies. And he starts doing his podcast. And Todd's different, you know, he does things his own way.

[Michael Yo]

Oh, yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

And after about 15 minutes, he's like, all right, we're gonna, we're talking for 15 minutes. He goes, all right, we're gonna introduce you now. I'm like, now? Yeah, we're gonna do an introduction now. Now. Yeah. And he had, he has like a. It was like a four piece band right here.

[Michael Yo]

Oh, wow.

[Ryan Sickler]

Right? And he goes, now you have an option. You can just sit here, we can talk and we can introduce you, or you can go back over there, down the stairs, wait out of sight, and the band can play you in. And I said, well, if a band's going to play me in. And I went up, got out. Like, I just got there, dude.

[Michael Yo]

That's the best. You're going to play me in for a.

[Ryan Sickler]

Come on, dude. So thank you for being here.

[Michael Yo]

No, thank you, man.

[Ryan Sickler]

Before we get into whatever we're going to talk about, please, right there.

[Michael Yo]

Oh, yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

Promote all of it, bro.

[Michael Yo]

I got a brand new Comedy special that just, just came out. It's called snack daddy michaelyo.com or it's on YouTube. It's doing great. Also, I just kicked off a brand new tour. It's called the Issachrue Tour. And that name, Issa True came out from my mom. That's a, A saying. If you see my special, she loves to say that it's a true. So, yeah, the special is out there, the new tours out there, and follow me on Instagram at. Michael. Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

So I wanted to talk to you about a few things. I know we've crossed paths many times in comedy. Just one of these good looking dudes. You're. You're old.

[Michael Yo]

I'm old, though. I'm old.

[Ryan Sickler]

Whatever. You don't look old. You're a good looking. Especially in comedy.

[Michael Yo]

Yes, thanks.

[Ryan Sickler]

Especially in comedy, bro.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah, yeah, okay, I see that. I see that.

[Ryan Sickler]

So you're your mom's Asian.

[Michael Yo]

My mom's Korean and my dad's black.

[Ryan Sickler]

Korean and black, yeah. And how did they meet up originally?

[Michael Yo]

Well, it's two different stories. My mom said she was at a bar and they met through a mutual friend. My dad said when he met my mom, she was on a pole. So I don't know know which, I don't know which one is true. And he sticks to that story. But my mom, but my mom is. No, but my mom goes, no, but in the club we met at, there was a poll and I was dancing on it and I was like, okay, that's. My dad never said that part. So. It's funny, man. They. And they have a great time, man. They've been married 50 years. 50, 51 years now. 51 years.

[Ryan Sickler]

They're still together. And do they love each other?

[Michael Yo]

Love.

[Ryan Sickler]

They do, huh?

[Michael Yo]

Yeah, but it's a different kind of love where they love verbal combat. Like, like one upping each other. Not ever mean. But they go back and forth and man, I get a lot of comedy from them because they're so funny. I do a podcast with them sometimes.

[Ryan Sickler]

Do you. You have them on? Oh, man, they're like that. They're cool to come and sit down and do that with you.

[Michael Yo]

Oh, they love it. Like they, it blew up in Korea, the podcast and the clips. And my mom is calling me saying, when we go on podcast again, can we podcast? Can we podcast again? So now she's hitting me up. I'm like, mom, I got to go on the road.

[Ryan Sickler]

She's like, no, hilarious.

[Michael Yo]

She's like, schedule podcasts. I need podcasts. So, yeah, it's great, man. And I think when I. When I started comedy, I started telling these stories about my parents, a lot of people didn't believe it. And I go, no, they are really like that. And one of my friends, Nick Gera, was like, oh, you need to show them. Just do a podcast with them every once in a while so you can show people that this is who they are in it. And I did it. And those clips go viral, and people just love them. People, they stop them everywhere.

[Ryan Sickler]

You talk about a lot of this in the new special and stuff.

[Michael Yo]

I do. I do. I talk about my parents a lot, all my specials and my wife. I'm like, I try. I'm not like Nate Borgozzi or Jim Cathican, but I want to be like. Like Bill Cosby without the rape. You know, I need to be right there. No pills, no jello. But I do think, you know, there is an opening for a guy like me because I do family comedy, you know, I want to be that guy, you know, and a little bit edgier, but I think there's a big opening, and that's what I do. Anyway, I'm not doing it because of the opening. I just see, like, hey, that's the path I'm gonna take. Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

So I want to also talk to you about what happened to you during. Because this is what you wrote in about COVID and I know people like, oh, this was different.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

So I was saying to you out there. I remember following you and your story because, like, I said, you were like, Patient 001, bro.

[Michael Yo]

Man, it was crazy.

[Ryan Sickler]

And it was early, too, in when we. No one even knew anything was going on. And I said, like, I've had Giannis Papas on, who had a horrible experience as well, but me, my daughter, like, we were. We were stuffy. It didn't. Never even got into our chest. I just had rsv.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

Okay. It.

[Michael Yo]

That.

[Ryan Sickler]

That crushed me way more than CO did. I was down for three weeks almost. But the COVID I say again, I'm not knocking it. I was very lucky. But I did lose my smell for. It's four years now, and I'm. I'm about 80 back. I'm really starting to get things that I didn't before. I'm like, oh, there's. There's there. I just smell air, whatever.

[Michael Yo]

And I don't know if that's good. I don't know if that's good.

[Ryan Sickler]

Like, yeah, with all this fire and shit. I know. But let's talk about what Happened to you because it. It almost killed you. So, like, it was bad.

[Michael Yo]

It was bad. It was bad. So literally I woke up gasping for air.

[Ryan Sickler]

What month are you in? February.

[Michael Yo]

Three days after lockdown.

[Ryan Sickler]

Three days after.

[Michael Yo]

Three or four days after lockdown. And the weekend that weekend before, I was at Gotham in New York. In New York. Literally sold out four shows. It was like a super spreader event we were at.

[Ryan Sickler]

I was gonna say.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah, literally everybody. Even one of the bouncers almost died from COVID Like, I took pictures with news people that came out to see me. They all got every. That was. Well, that holds 375. So you're talking about meeting every single person. So I met about 1500, 1700 people. And we're just spreading Covid like it was crazy. So I. I came back and I didn't feel great at all. But you know, sometimes after the road, you're like, oh, I'm just exhausted. So I woke up one morning and couldn't.

[Ryan Sickler]

But also after the road too. Not to cut you off, but I. Especially during the winter months, there's just filthy people on these tubes.

[Michael Yo]

Yes.

[Ryan Sickler]

And I expect to get something when I'm traveling like that. I expect to get some kind of respiratory shit head, whatever because people are sneezing or touching all that disgusting.

[Michael Yo]

I had a dude sitting next to me and that's the worst. This last trip I had to do sneezing the whole. And he knew he was sick. He even put a mask on. He was sick. But he must have been a boss of a lot of people that were on the plane because they kept coming up to him and I saw him sneezing his. And he would shake everybody's hand. Oh, I was like, I just wanted to yell out. You are king disgusting. You know, I don't know if I can curse on here.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah, of course. Yeah.

[Michael Yo]

I want to say, man, I was like, you are fudgeing disgusting. Like, you're the problem. You know, now we're way more educated. I mean, I can't believe it was a thing to do that. Now I'm polite. I try to do it asleep. But dude, I don't shake people's hands anymore unless I know them or try.

[Ryan Sickler]

I hear you.

[Michael Yo]

Like when we do meet and greets. Fist bumps.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah. Also, there's just people out there don't know how to wipe their ass to forget about COVID There's people.

[Michael Yo]

I see people. You know, we travel a lot. I. I see people go to bathroom and just walk out. Disgusting too, you know, so all right.

[Ryan Sickler]

Three days after lockdown, what happens? What are you experiencing? First? Just feeling like you might get a cold and run down. Okay.

[Michael Yo]

Worn out. And then I woke up one morning just gasping for air. Just. I couldn't catch my breath. And my wife was like, what's wrong? She says, can you. I like, no. And she called 91 1. And I. This is a true story. A lady, the operator, it was a black lady named Theresa. And.

[Ryan Sickler]

Sup, Therese.

[Michael Yo]

What's up, Therese? And she was looking it up because nobody knew what it was. She goes. And literally on the phone, she goes, this could be Covid. And then she goes, ooh, he could be contagious. Then a long pause, and then she goes, girl, you better get away from her, girl. Girl, you better. And my wife. This is true. My wife goes, what I do? She says, put him in the front yard. Like, I'm like, what? So I gotta go to the front Y yard and wait for the ambulance. And it was so new that the ambulance people, the guys that got it, they were in Hazmat suits.

[Ryan Sickler]

No.

[Michael Yo]

Because they were petrified. Yeah. Yeah. So. So they. They took me.

[Ryan Sickler]

You got two Hazmat guys coming out of the ambulance.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

Can you imagine also being in the neighborhood? Like, what the going on?

[Michael Yo]

I'm in the front yard, like, look at. And people walking by, like, you okay?

[Ryan Sickler]

Hazmat suits are coming out of the ambulance, dude.

[Michael Yo]

But, like, they picked me up and took me to the hospital. And they. Like, we've never seen a person like you. Because they. They had people come and get, you know, but nothing like me at that time.

[Ryan Sickler]

Right, Right.

[Michael Yo]

And I remember them taking me to the ICU right away, right away. And literally nobody was in there. I was the only one in there, you know? So I stayed there, and I got worse and worse. My temperature went up to, like, 104.104.9.

[Ryan Sickler]

Damn.

[Michael Yo]

I was hallucinating.

[Ryan Sickler]

I was gonna say, what's. When is it borderline? Like, really close?

[Michael Yo]

I don't know, but I know I was close. I don't know what the temperature is.

[Ryan Sickler]

10, 4, 9.

[Michael Yo]

10, 4, 9.

[Ryan Sickler]

You're hallucinating. Would you remember shit you were seeing?

[Michael Yo]

Dude, I saw myself standing next to myself listening to the doctors. And I don't know if this was real or not, but I heard the main doctor go, if we put him on a ventilator, he's gonna die because his body will forget to learn how to breathe on its own. And I heard that, and I asked.

[Ryan Sickler]

Are you inside yourself?

[Michael Yo]

Like, no, get that metal layer to.

[Ryan Sickler]

Fuck out of here, let me tell you.

[Michael Yo]

So I was so. I was so. Like, the pain was so bad that if they had a button that said, take your life, I might. It was that bad, right? It was bad, Ryan. Like, it was to the point where you just didn't want to live, man. It was like.

[Ryan Sickler]

People say, how many days were you in?

[Michael Yo]

I was in there nine.

[Ryan Sickler]

God damn.

[Michael Yo]

Nine. In everything. Like, because it got. It got worse fast. Because at the beginning, like, the first day, just. They calm my breathing down, but I could watch tv, and literally everything that popped on tv, they would put him to me like I was a test. I was a guinea.

[Ryan Sickler]

I was about to say I was a guinea pig. Yeah.

[Michael Yo]

I was like a real.

[Ryan Sickler]

Like, you are the person. Let's see what we can do with this patient. Figure out what works.

[Michael Yo]

They gave me all the drugs, the hydroxychloroquine, all the stuff. They were testing everything. They gave it to me, and my pain was so bad, it. Like the second day and third day, it just like, from.

[Ryan Sickler]

What was it? Your lungs, like, pain in the chest?

[Michael Yo]

It felt like. I don't know exactly what it was, but imagine just everything shutting off in your body slowly, and you just feeling like every. It's just life is getting taken away. Like, it's almost like something's just. Life is being drawn out, and then everything's breaking down, so nothing's working, and you're just like. Just the pain. Like, I can't even describe the pain. Like, I would never want somebody to go through that. I don't care. Like, it was that bad. And. And my wife, like.

[Ryan Sickler]

I mean, are they letting her even come in?

[Michael Yo]

They told me. They told her. They told me before I went in.

[Ryan Sickler]

Like, if you go, you go.

[Michael Yo]

You can't come in. Yeah. So my wife, she's so sweet. She would drive by with the kids and just send me videos. Hey. It's just. It's.

[Ryan Sickler]

What hospital were you in? St. Joseph's oh, here in Santa Monica?

[Michael Yo]

Burbank.

[Ryan Sickler]

Oh, Burbank.

[Michael Yo]

Burbank.

[Ryan Sickler]

That's what St. John's is saying. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Michael Yo]

St. Joseph. And she sent me messages. And it, like, I think a couple of days, I knew what was going on, but I didn't because I was so out of it. I was just. It was just the worst feeling. And then the doctors really didn't know what to do because it was early. And, like, I remember going through it and the problem. The biggest thing about it when I remember is when you hit a button, Usually doctors come in, but they had to get dressed in the suit. So it took them 10 minutes. So you're, like, dying from pain. Literally dying from pain. You hit a button, and it takes them 10 minutes to put on the thing, and you're just, like, agony. And you're watching them get ready, you know? You know, and it. And just to see the doctor's reactions to not knowing really what was going on at that time.

[Ryan Sickler]

Let me tell you again. I had an experience in the hospital where they up and the surgeon came in crying. You.

[Michael Yo]

Oh, you don't want that.

[Ryan Sickler]

That's what I don't want. I'm laying there like, why are you crying? Like, this is not a good sign, right?

[Michael Yo]

No, you don't want that at all.

[Ryan Sickler]

Anybody ever say. Ever see something scary?

[Michael Yo]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

Let a surgeon come in to cry and be like, this, we messed up. I'm like, yeah, no shit.

[Michael Yo]

That's.

[Ryan Sickler]

So what are they doing for you? If they're not putting you on a ventilator, how are they helping you breathe? Or are they just making you do it?

[Michael Yo]

They're making me. They're making me do it on my.

[Ryan Sickler]

Own so that you.

[Michael Yo]

And they're pumping me up with a lot of drugs to calm, I guess, just to medicate the body because they didn't know how to treat it. Like, I remember like, a doctor giving me something and going, oh, okay, now we know what it does. You know, like, literally, like, they were like, oh, okay. And what's fascinating about it is a year, two years later, when I was doing standup in St. Louis, four doctors came to the show because they wanted to meet me. And they go, we were tracking you in St. Louis. Like, your chart. We were looking at your chart.

[Ryan Sickler]

Wow. From over there studying your ass.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah. So it was pretty incredible to know that some people were tracking what you were doing to see what the hospital was doing, because they had no idea. But it was a time where they didn't know what they were doing in there. It hurt really bad.

[Ryan Sickler]

What day would you say, like, you were at your worst?

[Michael Yo]

Oh, the third day.

[Ryan Sickler]

Third day.

[Michael Yo]

Third day in the hospital. Because the first day you're feeling the effect, but you don't know what it is really. Second day kind of hit in. But that third day, that's when I started. That's when the temperature spiked. That's when started hallucinating. That's when it's like, oh, my God, the pain is so bad. Just kill me. Just.

[Ryan Sickler]

Did you have any real conversations with your wife through text.

[Michael Yo]

Because I couldn't talk. And it was like, no. Well, until I turned it around, I couldn't talk on the phone. I couldn't talk. I couldn't. I remember I texted. I texted my parents, and I go, hey, I just want to say I love you. And I. That's all in my wife. I thought I was texting a lot, but my wife told me it was just a couple words because I couldn't even text that much. I was so in and out.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah. You know, and also, you're probably on Dilaudid or whatever else they're putting you on to give you pain free, so. So, dude, I had to pay my daughter's mom's like, hey, I had a sitter here the other night. Could you just pay her a couple bucks? I brought her here while you're in the hospital. I. I paid some lady named Kristen. I'll just send them up. It wasn't even the lady. And she never said it back. She never said it back. She just kept that. It's like 120.

[Michael Yo]

Oh, my God.

[Ryan Sickler]

And then the babysitter's like, hey, I. No offense. You never pay me. I'm like, yeah, I'm on drugs in the hospital. I'm like, oh, I just paid some other lady. I don't know who the this lady is. Just send him ra. Money out. I'm. You're out of your mind.

[Michael Yo]

You don't. I didn't know what I was doing. And it. It. You're just scared, too.

[Ryan Sickler]

That's about to say you're just scared to death.

[Michael Yo]

You know, literally scared to death. Because then you start thinking about, oh, I'm never going to see these people again. And at that time, My son was 3, and my daughter was only, like, 6 months old.

[Ryan Sickler]

Oh.

[Michael Yo]

And I was like, brute. And I was like, I.

[Ryan Sickler]

And you can't FaceTime them or anything?

[Michael Yo]

No, I was. Yeah, yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

Nothing.

[Michael Yo]

My thing.

[Ryan Sickler]

And they can't come see you?

[Michael Yo]

No, no. And my main thing was. And this is always. When I was a father, you know, became a father, I wanted to live long enough. And this is my main goal. And I can't control this. But I wanted to live long enough where my kids would really understand how much I love them. Because I think it's a crime that any parent gets taken away before their kids really know how much they love them.

[Ryan Sickler]

I say, parenting is a long game, and you gotta wait till maybe they're in there, like, 30s, when they start having kids and be like, man, no.

[Michael Yo]

That'S when they appreciate you. Yeah, but when they love, at least they could know, like, my son is seven. He knows. Yeah, yeah, he knows I love him. My daughter knows I love her now. You know what I mean? But it was so scary that, like, oh, they'll never really know, especially my six month old, like, how much. Really, you're just a bleep in their life. Just think about it. And that, really, that. That's the stuff you think about in the hospital. It's like, like, wow, my legacy with my kids.

[Ryan Sickler]

You're a picture to your six month old.

[Michael Yo]

That's right, A picture.

[Ryan Sickler]

A photo of a person.

[Michael Yo]

And to your son, you're like, oh.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, that guy.

[Michael Yo]

You're the guy that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I had a. I had a dad, you know, didn't really know him, you know, you're that guy, you know, and that's just like, oh, I. That just crushed me. That thought just crushed me, you know, and it's like.

[Ryan Sickler]

Have you dealt with any significant death when you were a child like that or anything? No. Because your parents are still alive. My parents still alive.

[Michael Yo]

My. I mean, just my grandmother, but they were like 90, so it was different, you know, the major death I dealt with and I didn't really know the guy, but I played football at the University of Arkansas. And you're a Razorback? Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

All right.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah, I lost all my dreams there, so I love the Miami Hurricanes, so.

[Ryan Sickler]

But wait, did you go play for them?

[Michael Yo]

No, I wasn't good enough for them. I went to Arkansas, but I got too many concussions and couldn't play anymore.

[Ryan Sickler]

Is that right?

[Michael Yo]

Yeah. So the football dream died, so I just kind of like wiped out the school from memory. I've always been a Miami heritage.

[Ryan Sickler]

Well, that memory is all that cte wipe it out itself. Are you worried about that these days?

[Michael Yo]

No. No, because I'm a. No, because I got recruited as a receiver, so I didn't get hit in the head that much. But when they moved me to linebacker because I gained some weight and I was still fast, that's when I started to get hit in the head. And that was only like for a year, so I didn't get a lot in the head, you know, so that. But it was good that that happened because I got knocked out, like at practice. I woke up in the hospital.

[Ryan Sickler]

Did you?

[Michael Yo]

Yeah. Woke up and woke up in the hospital. And I was like, what's going on? And then the doctor said that. Literally, the doctor said.

[Ryan Sickler]

AAA football is a different game, bro.

[Michael Yo]

And that's when linemen were like, three. Like, they were just.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah.

[Michael Yo]

Monsters. Everybo.

[Ryan Sickler]

Everybody's small today. And fast. These guys are smaller and faster today.

[Michael Yo]

Not.

[Ryan Sickler]

Not the LP and Ray Lewis.

[Michael Yo]

I woke up and the doctor said, you can play football, but we need a year for your brain to, like, heal. And I was like, no, I'm done. Like, I didn't want to go through that again.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah.

[Michael Yo]

You know, so. Yeah. But I'm a big Miami Hurricanes fan, so that's how. But I am a Razorback, kind of, so I don't know where I was going with that. You asked me what college I was at, and I was like. Said that, but I don't.

[Ryan Sickler]

I asked you about significant death, and you. Oh.

[Michael Yo]

So the linebacker at. We had a linebacker that committed suicide, and we all had to go. That was my first time ever, like, experiencing something like that. Someone taking. Yeah. Taking their own.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah. Taking their own. Life's a different story. Yeah.

[Michael Yo]

And knowing, like, seeing that person every day, and then the whole team had to go to their funeral, you know, and see his family crying, and it was over a girl, you know, so it was kind of like this whole. My freshman year in college, like, you see suicide. You see that. Oh, this guy was so wrapped up into a girl, and she didn't like him, and he committed suicide. And it was. And he was the starting linebacker for the team, and it was very sad. Man. I remember going to the funeral. Like, we all got on buses, went to the funeral, and it was like, hey, Like, I never. I couldn't understand at that time why anyone would take their life. You know, it's. It's still foreign to me, but I understand. I guess I could say, because everybody got their problem when you get older. You understand? Yeah, everybody got their something, you know, Everybody has something going on.

[Ryan Sickler]

You came to a moment in your hospital situation where you said, if there was a button, I would have hit it. I would have committed suicide.

[Michael Yo]

Because that's. Yeah, the pain was so bad. Yeah, the pain was so bad. You know, I don't know if I would have hit that button, but.

[Ryan Sickler]

I hear you, but I think I was. Been there with the Jesus. If you take me, I. I understand.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah. You know, I'm good, You know?

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah.

[Michael Yo]

I mean, I'm getting older. Sometimes I'm like, oh, I can't imagine being 30 years older and that feeling.

[Ryan Sickler]

I think that all the time, too. Like, being 50 and what I went through. I'm like, I ain't making it at 70.

[Michael Yo]

That right.

[Ryan Sickler]

My body's not gonna make it at 70 through that same thing I made.

[Michael Yo]

And I'm like, do I want to?

[Ryan Sickler]

And then it took you longer. That's right. It took you longer. And I remember asking one of the nurses, too, like, why is this taking so long? And she said, because you're not 20 anymore.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah, dude, if you get a cut on your finger, it takes like three years to heal. Now, like, everything.

[Ryan Sickler]

Everything slows down.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

Okay, so you're in there, and at what point do they come to you, at least tell you, hey, we've got you stable, like, five days. And five days it took of experiment.

[Michael Yo]

No, they. They initially told me, we'll know if you're going to live in three to four days. And third day was my worst day. And then fourth day, a little bit better.

[Ryan Sickler]

I mean, they tell you that?

[Michael Yo]

Oh, yeah. They were very honest with me because I said, just be. I told them, though. I made. I didn't say, don't bullshit me, just tell me what's really going on. And my doctor was phenomenal. He was more of a. What is that called? Not a. What are those doctors called? Not a. Not a doctor, but there's a different kind of doctor.

[Ryan Sickler]

It's more of like a specialist.

[Michael Yo]

No, I can't think of the name, but it's more of the. Not herb side, but it's more of the medical healing. I forgot the name, but.

[Ryan Sickler]

East. West.

[Michael Yo]

No, no.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah, yeah.

[Michael Yo]

He was more one of those. And that's why I didn't believe in the mask. No. What is the thing they put down your throat? I'm forgetting all intubating. Yeah. He didn't believe in all he did. No. So he was the one that really, like, because of him, I made it. And he was the one that was so honest with me, that was like, hey, man, we got three to four days. If you can make it three to four days, you're gonna be all right. I can get you through this, but you gotta make it three to four days. And the third day was my worst day.

[Ryan Sickler]

And were you thinking, like, holy shit, this is it, this is it.

[Michael Yo]

This is it. This is it. Looking at, you know, the memory I have is texting my mom and dad and then looking at pictures of my family and then blacking out. And when they said, I woke up, like, probably four or five hours later, you know, and then the next day got a little better. But the fifth day, they're like, you're gonna make it day five.

[Ryan Sickler]

You. They're like, you're gonna Live.

[Michael Yo]

You're gonna live.

[Ryan Sickler]

But are you still in excruciating.

[Michael Yo]

I'm in terrible pain.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah.

[Michael Yo]

I'm in terrible pain. But they're like, you're gonna make it. And because you're stabilizing a little bit. And then they go. On the seventh day, they were like, we're gonna let you leave. And I remember them saying that. And then I was supposed to be getting ready to leave, and then they all came in the room. They said, lay back down. And then I go, why? And they go, we just let a person go home and they died.

[Ryan Sickler]

They told you that?

[Michael Yo]

I was like, dude, dude. I'm like, you can keep me in here forever. Yeah, you keep me in here forever.

[Ryan Sickler]

We just let a person go home and they die. Holy.

[Michael Yo]

That was. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's why they told me to get back in the back.

[Ryan Sickler]

Thank God it ain't you that they're telling him, hey, you know, just let this guy over here.

[Michael Yo]

Because they didn't. They thought once they let you go, it was fine.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah.

[Michael Yo]

But you remember people were relapsing, and the problem was they couldn't get back in the hospital because now.

[Ryan Sickler]

It's crazy.

[Michael Yo]

Literally, when I left, the ICU was packed. It was like a different. It's almost like a different world. When I walked out of that ICU room, the whole place, people waiting to get in the icu, it was rolling people out because they died. Like, it was all. It was night and day. Literally walking in and walking out, like, that's how fast it moved, right? And.

[Ryan Sickler]

But that's a big look. I had the moment as well, where they came to me and they said, look, the next 48 hours for you are touch and go.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

And I was like, what? And they're like, you've massive pulmonary embolisms covering your lungs. Your heart is pushing on your heart. It's swollen twice its size. Your.

[Michael Yo]

Your.

[Ryan Sickler]

Your left side or one of the sides is clogged, and it's gonna be. And they told me, you better make some calls. I had to call my daughter's mom, and she's like, what the going on? I'm like, I don't know. But they just told me that I've. If I don't make it in the next two days, it's. It's a wrap.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

I call my business manager. I was like, hey, remember how we, like, playfully joked about my living will and trust? I was like, please make sure that he's like, what? I'm like, I'm not Even kidding you. His name's Roy. The best. Roy Marks came in, helped me out big time. And they were like, you just need to wait. And because I have a blood disease, they couldn't. There's a process where they can go in through your groin and like suck the clots out. But because I have a blood disease, they said that could make you a vegetable. And I was like, well, we ain't doing that.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

So, like, we're gonna treat you the old school way like we always have. We're just going to give you blood thinner through an IV and hopefully in a few days it works for you. And I was like, what? And then you just lay there, there. And you just lay there and you're pain or no. Oh, yeah.

[Michael Yo]

Okay.

[Ryan Sickler]

The guy said, you feel like there's an elephant on your chest. I was like, I feel like there's three of them on my chest. You can't breathe the same. Everything you're saying. And you're doped up. You're also doped up. You don't know. I'm telling you, I'm just randomly paying people on PayPal. Like, I'm out of my mind. I'm scared to death.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

I'm thinking about my daughter. My dad died when I was 16. That's all I keep thinking is like, I can't let this kid grow up without a dad.

[Michael Yo]

How did that affect you? Like when your dad, like when you look back on it, how would your life would have been different if he was around longer?

[Ryan Sickler]

I think about it a lot, actually, because I wonder if I still would have come here and. And be who I am today or if I would have stayed home in Maryland and just stayed working for UPS. Shout out to UPS. Baltimore Hill Primary 1, Joe Avenue. If I'd have stayed there and just been like a supervisor and just like a family dude around there. Because I had a good job. I had a good job before I left and everything, but I was like, no, I just got to do it. Yeah. I don't. I don't know. I mean, I do know. I don't think I'd be the person I am today. Yeah, I definitely wouldn't be the. You know, from 16 on, I have no parents. And that's begins the hustle.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

And I like to think that I have a doctorate in street smarts and I got a GED and regular life. You know what I mean? I don't know about. I've recently had to learn about money. You know, no one's ever educated me I just save it or spend it.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

You know what I mean? Like, I don't know. I didn't know what to do. I never did stocks or.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

Stuff. I never had any.

[Michael Yo]

So it's so amazing when I look, because I have a next door neighbor who's huge on YouTube, financial advisor, was a millionaire at like 23, and now he's like 33. And this kid is 17 years younger than me. And I go to him, I see him walking his dog every day. It's just the knowledge he learned when he was young from his. The people around him. And it just, it just. It doesn't make you mad. Like my parents weren't financial experts or anything, but it just makes you mad. Like you wish you could go back and be like, oh, man, I wish I knew this growing up. But you don't. You don't.

[Ryan Sickler]

Even in like, looking back about, I went to college, I got my degree. I wouldn't do that again. Yeah, I would go to. Still go to school, but I wouldn't set my sight on this piece of paper.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

I would diversify my classes. Instead of streamlining them for this one goal, I would take some business classes. I didn't. I didn't have to take any of them for mass comm. You know what I mean? I would try to at least get a little knowledge and some things that I think would help me down the road a little bit.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah, I think. And honestly, I think everything's changing. I think school isn't. I always say this. I used to speak at schools because I was a radio DJ in Miami, big radio station, and they used to ask me to go to schools. And they stopped asking me because the question I always get asked, do you need to finish school to do what you do? I go, no, because school can't teach you how to have a personality. No, but if you want to run the radio station, go to school. And most people didn't want to run it. They just wanted to be on the air like me. So the teacher's like, hey, you need to stop signing this.

[Ryan Sickler]

My daughter's mother and I have this dish disagreement where she's like, you, you should be saving for her college. I'm like, I don't listen. Unless my daughter wants to do something and she's firm about it, that requires college, medical, law, whatever. I'm gonna let her decide whether she wants to go to college. I don't think anymore. It's like, you gotta go to college to be successful. You don't. You can go in there and spend 80,000 fucking dollars and be in debt forever.

[Michael Yo]

Dude, I see these people graduate college.

[Ryan Sickler]

And don't even use it with communication degrees.

[Michael Yo]

What the hell is a communication degree?

[Ryan Sickler]

Do you need.

[Michael Yo]

Do you need a degree to communicate? It's so dumb. It's a money suck. That is the biggest money suck.

[Ryan Sickler]

And also, I come from a time you do as well where when you go to film school or anything, you're learning about lighting and angles and, and this person's positioned higher in the scene because they're in power and things like that. Today, this, there's a video that looks like this. It's got 20 million views. Like all of it's out the window. Yes, Everything is changing. Changed.

[Michael Yo]

Everything has changed.

[Ryan Sickler]

But to go back and answer your question, I, I wish I had my father here to ask father questions.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

My dad's the father of two twin boys. I'm a twin and a younger son. Divorce, all that. And I would love to have his hindsight on any of it. Like what a kind of dick was I, you know what I mean? Like, I want to hear about that. Like, how'd you do this? Why'd you do it that way? He came from a good family. His mom was good to him. Like, my grandma was the best.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

But our mom wasn't, you know, and so all these different questions. I wish I could pick that, you.

[Michael Yo]

Know, and, and on the YO show, I. When I talk to my parents a lot. I've learned more about my parents in the last two years by passing with them.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah.

[Michael Yo]

Than all my life.

[Ryan Sickler]

I bet.

[Michael Yo]

I've heard stories. I was like, What?

[Ryan Sickler]

I got 16 years of my dad. And you know, the first three years, four years, you're just a little, you don't. So I got about 10, 11 years of real memories.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

And that's nothing. I've got good ones. But, man, I wish I could be like, hey, you know that. Tell me your wild stories from growing up that you could never tell a 16 year old. Because then I'm gonna go do that.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

You know. Yeah, I'd love to. That's great for you.

[Michael Yo]

No, and I, and I love it. It's, it's. We were never like far apart, but it definitely brings you closer because you just learn things that, that, that it just educates you more about how your parents came up. Like hearing about my dad, you know, having a PhD in nuclear physics and.

[Ryan Sickler]

Does he.

[Michael Yo]

Oh, yeah. And being black and didn't even know he was poor because he lived in a black Neighborhood. And you didn't leave the neighborhood.

[Ryan Sickler]

Where is he from?

[Michael Yo]

Houston? Fifth, Third Ward.

[Ryan Sickler]

Okay, so. But isn't that Fifth Ward is where the ghetto boys. Ghetto boys? Yeah.

[Michael Yo]

So that whole area. So what's interesting, he goes, I didn't even know there was racist because we'd never left our neighborhood. You know what, that blows me away.

[Ryan Sickler]

You're just always seeing your people, your people. Everybody's doing the same thing.

[Michael Yo]

And you had no desire to leave.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah.

[Michael Yo]

You know, that was your bubble. It's kind of like living in these neighborhoods in la. Like you never leave your bubble. Really. Like Studio City. You stay in Studio City unless you have to.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah. This Santa Monica bubble over here is.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah. You don't want to go to Hollywood. Not from here.

[Ryan Sickler]

I, you know, my daughter's mom, they live there and I go to all the sporting events over there and I'm just like, this is not real life over here. No, I live in real life over here.

[Michael Yo]

I live in Vegas. And literally everything is five miles and we got our five mile bubble. And it has to be me going to the airport to leave that bubble. That's pretty much the only time we leave it. So that's what you get caught in. And my dad got caught into that. And it's just amazing to hear those stories about him. My mom, you know, she dropped out of high school, but she was like the business person of the family. Family. Like, she's the one that got the business loans, she's the one that put together the business plans. Like she was street hustler. My dad's like, streets. Like, my dad's not street smart. He's educated smart. My mom is street smart. So they make a perfect couple, man. Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

So back to the hospital here. As you make the turnaround, you're starting to get better.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

Do they ever let your wife come in or. No, no, no, no, no.

[Michael Yo]

I didn't see my wife. They didn't even let her pick me up.

[Ryan Sickler]

Really?

[Michael Yo]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

How do you go home?

[Michael Yo]

They dropped you off back in the ambulance, do they? Oh, yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

You got a ride home in an ambulance?

[Michael Yo]

Well, yeah, because they don't want any. They didn't want you in a car. They don't. Oh, you know what? It was because they wanted you go to a straight home. And how they confirmed that.

[Ryan Sickler]

Oh, they didn't want you going to.

[Michael Yo]

The grocery store and possibly spread because they think you're done. But I. Here's what's interesting is they sent me home to make me stay in a room that I. They isolated me in my, in my room and I couldn't even be around my family.

[Ryan Sickler]

Is this because they thought you were still contagious at that point? You really were after 18 days?

[Michael Yo]

No, eight days.

[Ryan Sickler]

Eight days.

[Michael Yo]

But here's what's crazy is I went home and they go, when you test negative and remember there was no test. So I had to go back to that hospital once a week. And they pulled the test, but they only could do it for three weeks in a row because they were out of test. So they did it for three weeks and I still had it. So I had to stay isolated. I think I stayed isolated for like close to two months.

[Ryan Sickler]

Did you.

[Michael Yo]

And I couldn't even see my family or my kids.

[Ryan Sickler]

Where were you? At the house, but in a, like.

[Michael Yo]

In a bathroom, guest room.

[Ryan Sickler]

Did you have a. How'd you. You couldn't see him. How'd you do?

[Michael Yo]

I heard it. I just heard it.

[Ryan Sickler]

That's fucking worst.

[Michael Yo]

So my mom, I mean, so my wife would leave food at the door and then the only time I would leave the room is when they all went to bed, you know, But I would just run and get a drink if I needed. I didn't want to get them sick. So because I couldn't get test at that time, nobody could get tests. I had to wait because I wasn't going to put my 6 month old or like, you can keep me in that room a year. Like, I'm not going to jeopardize my wife or those kids. So we had to make sure in like for two weeks I could have been clean. But we couldn't get a test.

[Ryan Sickler]

Right.

[Michael Yo]

Because I had to go there to take the test. You know, they didn't give it to you. You couldn't just order it. Like you had to go to the hospital. And they were like, hey, and this is, and you got to remember, this is the spike of everything. Like if they had a test and they wouldn't even test people at that time, they didn't even have enough tests to test. It's just like they kind of took your temperature and see your symptoms and be like, okay, you got it. Or you don't go. Go in your room for 14 days and be fine. So, you know, they didn't have the rule back then, if you don't have a fever for seven days, you're good. They just like, if you test positive, you stay in your room. Room. And I think it was like 45 days or 60 days. I was isolated. So my wife's a Trooper, man.

[Ryan Sickler]

And she did all that by herself?

[Michael Yo]

All by herself. Six month old, a kid. And I heard them crying all the time, asking for daddy at the door.

[Ryan Sickler]

Oh, dude.

[Michael Yo]

Oh, man. But I tell you, for 45 days I didn't have to deal with them, so that was nice. I was at home, just. I was living the life.

[Ryan Sickler]

I was like, was there a point where you got so good in there? You're like, I'm just gonna chill in here for a couple days.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah, man, you know what? I was like, you gonna drop food off at my door? Where are my nuggets? Right? I was using that co excuse. Like, my wife is like, take out the. Oh, man. Got me, man. Co got me. Yeah. I don't know what's going on over here now.

[Ryan Sickler]

Do you have any, like, lasting scars or anything? Have you gone back to a pulmonologist or anything like that?

[Michael Yo]

I did. It took. It took about a year. I had long covet, so it took about a year before I felt.

[Ryan Sickler]

That's what I realized. I have. Because the smell thing, I didn't know. Yeah, I didn't even know that was a thing.

[Michael Yo]

So I. About a year I had it and then I started feeling great. And a year it.

[Ryan Sickler]

You up.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

Well, not impacted.

[Michael Yo]

You impacted. Yeah, you could feel like just tired all the time. And it wasn't because of age. It was something bringing me down, you know? So I kept going back. But like, levels. What is it? There was levels in me that were still high. Like I had fluid in me. So it took about eight months to get all the fluid out. Because what happened was I had Covid and pneumonia at the same time.

[Ryan Sickler]

When did they find that out?

[Michael Yo]

Oh, right when I went in. That's why they were like, we'll know in three or four days if you live.

[Ryan Sickler]

So you had. You had fluid in your lungs too. Jesus.

[Michael Yo]

Dude. It was. It was. They said I'm.

[Ryan Sickler]

You are lucky.

[Michael Yo]

No, they. Because they said I was in such good health. That's the only reason I made it.

[Ryan Sickler]

Only reason Is that right?

[Michael Yo]

That's what they said. And they didn't put me. Because the rumor and this is alleged. And I don't want to be a conspiracy theorist or. But I heard from doctors after I get out, because they'll meet me at shows, they'll come out to shows and talk to me about the experience still. And they go, and this is allegedly from a doctor, but he goes, we were putting people on ventilators because it's almost like putting a person on ice. Because we thought we would know how to fix it and, like, cure it in two weeks. So literally, we're putting these people on ice, on pause, just on pause. So we're like, we'll figure it out. When they found out too late that it actually was making everybody worse because it was a chest thing, like, about, like. I forgot what it's called, but it was about your breathing. And when you. When you cut off, you know, put that ventilator in, it messes all the chest up and that where it all came from. I don't know the technical.

[Ryan Sickler]

You don't have to. You're a comedian, bro.

[Michael Yo]

You know, I was like, yeah, because I want to sound educated, but then I remember I'm not. So there you go.

[Ryan Sickler]

You know, Also, I talk about all the time, too. They're coming in and telling you about these new medications and all these diagnosis when you're up and you don't know what's going on. Nothing, bro. I just started. I just put my phone next to me and started recording everything.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah. Oh, that's good.

[Ryan Sickler]

Go back and listen later and stuff. You know what I mean?

[Michael Yo]

You know what's so funny is I'm getting to. You realize you're old. Sometimes when a young person does something, I remember a person.

[Ryan Sickler]

That's who made me think of recording it.

[Michael Yo]

Right.

[Ryan Sickler]

Well, let me tell you, stepson, I was like, bro, we record everything for a living. I didn't even think to hit record on my phone.

[Michael Yo]

So a person hands me their card, and I was at a comedy show, and a person hands me their card, and young comic. I take the card, and young comic just goes and text it to me and gives a card back to the guy, and I go, oh, I don't even have to take the card. You're right. I felt so old. But when you grab a pen, I was like, grabbing a pen, what's your number? Then they're like, all right, you got it. Like, oh, my God, I was so old now. So old. You know? But fifth day got better. Seven. Like the fifth. Fifth or sixth or seventh day, they told me to stay in the hospital because somebody went home and died. And they.

[Ryan Sickler]

Now you just keep. They're keeping you there to see.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah, just to make sure. Because they didn't want you to relapse. So they kept me, like, another day and a half, and then they let me go and went home and then isolated for 45 days to 60 days. I can't remember.

[Ryan Sickler]

Do you know why it got you specifically so hard to talk to you about that.

[Michael Yo]

Yes. The doctor said it's almost like. Because Covid is a virus.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah.

[Michael Yo]

But imagine doing four shows at Gotham, meeting pretty much everybody, and you're getting more and more. You're not just getting one dose of it.

[Ryan Sickler]

You're getting like 15 strain out.

[Michael Yo]

You're getting. Everybody's right. You are. You're like a walking virus. I was like. I was like a, you know, Marshmallow man and Ghostbusters. That was me.

[Ryan Sickler]

But giant.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah, but a virus. I was just a giant virus walking around. And that's why he said it is. I was. I got pneumonia. Covid couple and I was working and.

[Ryan Sickler]

Flying pneumonia is enough to take down. Dude.

[Michael Yo]

Dude, I had it. It's amazing that I'm alive.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah.

[Michael Yo]

And then I get to look back.

[Ryan Sickler]

Glad you are.

[Michael Yo]

Every time my kids have a birthday, I go, wow, I might have not been here.

[Ryan Sickler]

Doesn't it mess with you like that?

[Michael Yo]

Did it change you? What you're. Did it change you 100%? Let me tell you.

[Ryan Sickler]

Still.

[Michael Yo]

Still.

[Ryan Sickler]

It's been two years and I still think like, man, I wouldn't. That's a whole week I would have missed with my kid right there.

[Michael Yo]

But you have to remind yourself sometimes because you always lose focus of that moment. So you gotta keep reminding yourself where. Oh, I almost wasn't here. Because like anybody, you'll forget. Time will make you forget a lot of things. So a birthday, There's a lot of key times in my life. My birthday, my wife's birthday, any holiday. It's like, I really make it a point to say, hey, I might have not have been here. Am I being the best I can be for them, for my wife just. Or for career, you know? And that's what really pushes me.

[Ryan Sickler]

So, yeah, I was in the hospital for three weeks and then just up after that for a while. And my daughter's mom were split, so she had her the whole time. And then her mom just passed away recently and she had to go deal with some her affairs up in Seattle or whatever. So I had my daughter for three weeks every day. And I. It's like I got to catch up on that time. I loved it. I told her every day, like, we're gonna do this, we'll do this. And I was like, just staying on point with school and, you know, extracurriculars, all this stuff. And I was like, man, this is. It isn't a problem at all. This isn't a problem at all.

[Michael Yo]

It's the greatest gift, man.

[Ryan Sickler]

I was so stoked to Be like, you're what? You're not a burden. Like, this is great. I don't normally get you three weeks in a row. I'm gonna enjoy this, you know? So that. That was really interesting and fun. It hits me a lot. Is each birthday like I'm about to have another one? It hits me because I. When. For me, the day. I can't remember the actual day. Not to look at my phone, but it was MLK day, which switches every year. But that year two years ago, and then every day that this lady would come in and she would wipe the date off the dry erase board, and she would just write the new one up. I was stoked.

[Michael Yo]

Dude. It's a beautiful moment.

[Ryan Sickler]

I told her every day this. A new person will come in. I'm like, favorite part of the day.

[Michael Yo]

Yep.

[Ryan Sickler]

She's like, why? I was like, because I'm seeing you write a new day on that board. That's why.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah, just a little.

[Ryan Sickler]

Ceiling tiles are the nicest ceiling tiles.

[Michael Yo]

I've ever seen of all.

[Ryan Sickler]

I'm so glad to see these ceilings.

[Michael Yo]

I tell you, just give me another piece of craft.

[Ryan Sickler]

Single here at the hospital.

[Michael Yo]

Just. Just when. Just the simple things, when you're in that state, all of it, and you got to keep remembering that. You got to remind yourself about that all the time, or you lose sight of that, you know, and you just get. You're just ungrateful about life. And now, you know, it's almost like that opposite thing where I just turned 50, and now it's like, oh, okay, mortality. You got about 30 more good years, hopefully.

[Ryan Sickler]

Right?

[Michael Yo]

Hopefully. So I'm gonna push even harder now, you know, and try to. That's. That's the thing, you see. Like, me. My parents are still alive, so I see them get older, and it's like, oh, my gosh.

[Ryan Sickler]

Like, are they healthy?

[Michael Yo]

Yes, very healthy. Very healthy. But you never know. You know what I mean?

[Ryan Sickler]

Like, my stepson's mixed.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

Just like you.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

And usually they say just genetically mixed kids tend to get the best of both parents.

[Michael Yo]

Yes.

[Ryan Sickler]

And they're healthier and tend to be. You know, do you have allergies and all that shit or anything like that? Are you healthy, dude?

[Michael Yo]

No, I'm a great. Like, here's this.

[Ryan Sickler]

Your worst. I mean, obviously, you almost die from this, but are you normally healthy? This knocked you, like.

[Michael Yo]

Like, people get colds and everything. It's very hard to take me down.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah.

[Michael Yo]

You know, and even with COVID like, they were like. Like, that was a. You met close to 2,000 people.

[Ryan Sickler]

You were in New York and you had pneumonia.

[Michael Yo]

And you had pneumonia, still made it. And you were touring for like, that was your sixth week of tour. You were exhausted, not enough hydrate, like. Yeah, everything was supposed to like, hey, you're not supposed to make this. So. Yeah, they said because I was in shape, I try to eat well. But I also know, like, my dad's never had a health problem. My dad's side of family, they lived to 90 all the time. My mom's side, they die at 60. So my mom's 74 and she beat breast cancer three times.

[Ryan Sickler]

Wow.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah, so. But she's super healthy. Like, she's active. And my dad walks a thousand calories a day. Like, it takes him a while. He only walks on two, but he. He does that. What's funny is I FaceTime him one day and he was on the treadmill and he walks that too. So I'm talking to him and he gets on and then I just see him fly off the trail.

[Ryan Sickler]

Two miles an hour.

[Michael Yo]

No, no. Oh, the 12 was under the 2, and he wasn't paying. He hit 12 and my mom runs in because he's like, oh, my mom runs in and goes, why, you hurt my wall? Like, all she worried about is her wall. That's.

[Ryan Sickler]

That's it.

[Michael Yo]

That's it. Yeah, man. So, yeah, my thing with. With recovering is just enjoying life and providing the best for my family.

[Ryan Sickler]

Remember?

[Michael Yo]

And remembering that part. Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

How do you. Do you intentionally make time now you're a really busy man, so do you intentionally make time for. I do kids for family time. For your wife.

[Michael Yo]

You have to.

[Ryan Sickler]

And how do you do that? Were you. Are you better at it now since COVID happened? Are you more cognizant at least?

[Michael Yo]

Yes, I am cognizant. I do believe, though, you know what our schedules like. I know when I land Sunday, it's showtime. Like, that's the real show. It wasn't the shows I just did. It's Sunday. I land. I always. The promise I made to my wife, no matter how much it kills me, I take the first flight out. I get home by 10, 11 o'clock in Las Vegas. And then literally I'm there.

[Ryan Sickler]

6:00Am or whatever, out at 5:30.

[Michael Yo]

6:00Am, wake up at 4:00am, sleep on the plane. As soon as you land, you're going all the way to 8 or 9 o'clock because your family hasn't seen you. And mama needs a rest. So I'm taking the kids out and Monday they go to school. So I get to recover a little. Like we have a whole system where Monday, okay. I take the kids to school and then I do what I want. And Tuesday, kind of like me and my wife do stuff Wednesday and then Thursday, back on the road. So literally, that's the whole cycle that we do. And those three or four days, it's all theirs. Because when I'm on the road, like, it's hard to convince, you know, like, you would know this. It's hard to convince people that when you're on the road, it's work. Like they're thinking you're just living it up. Like you're throwing it. Nah, it's. It's exhausting. And what's the most exhausting?

[Ryan Sickler]

Smiling. Because I know. Yeah. Like we just out there having a good time. Like. Yeah. Listen, do you know how long it took me.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

To put this hour together that get out here. And I'm fortunate. Thank you. That the people still want to come see me.

[Michael Yo]

Yep.

[Ryan Sickler]

And I'm responsible for their weekend.

[Michael Yo]

They're paying money to see.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yes. And if they go to work on Monday and somebody says, what'd you do this weekend? They're gonna say, I went to this great show and saw this comic I like named Ryan Sickler. I'm like, I saw this shitty ass comedy show at this.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

And like, that's a big thing for them.

[Michael Yo]

It's their weekend.

[Ryan Sickler]

Looking forward to it. They bought tickets in advance, dude.

[Michael Yo]

And I tell.

[Ryan Sickler]

It's look, also, it's fun work. There's no doubt. That's like, that's like being mad at a football player or whatever. Like, it's fun. But I still gotta work, but I have to.

[Michael Yo]

But I think when you can hang around comics, like when we're husbands or we're married or dating someone, they just, they're like, oh, you don't really work. You know, it's. It's weird because. Oh, you just go up there and can do that. So you can. It's not like a football where you got to go to practice every day. You got. Even though we go to the clubs, but we're going to a club, you know, like, everything about what we do sounds like, oh, it's easy, but it's the hardest thing in the world. Stand up. Like, like actors have come to me and said, how do you do that? Big actors. Like, it's the most respected thing I tell people in Hollywood from people in the industry. It's the hardest thing you by yourself. It's like, gladiator you against them. And a lot of people come to shows going, make me laugh.

[Ryan Sickler]

That's the other thing. And I got about 60 seconds to make these people, first of all, comfortable.

[Michael Yo]

Yep.

[Ryan Sickler]

Believe that this guy knows what he's doing. I could tell he's been there before. And then you got to get them to like it. And you only got about a quick minute or so. It's funny because a friend of mine is. He's a salesman. He tells me he comes to shows and he's like, man, it's very similar to what I do in the sense of having to go in. And because he sells medical equipment for hospitals, he's like, I gotta go in. Yeah. They don't know who I am at first. I gotta break the ice. I gotta show them I know what I'm doing. He's like, same thing. He's like, I get about 90 seconds before they go, get the out of here.

[Michael Yo]

No, it's true. True. It's true. Because we've all seen younger people coming up, and just the stage presence makes even the audience feel icky.

[Ryan Sickler]

Sometimes.

[Michael Yo]

You're like, oh. And I don't believe an audience ever says, I want him to fail. But they will. And they won't turn on you, but they'll feel bad for you really quick. You know what I mean?

[Ryan Sickler]

Like, oh.

[Michael Yo]

You know. And when they start doing that, you know, it's not a good thing. So. So luckily, from radio, I came from radio, so we already kind of had stage presence. And that's why I think I kind of. Because I'm going on 13 years of comedy right now, I'm fairly new in the game compared to the people that have been 20, 30 years. But I feel like radio really helped me a lot because radio, you paint pictures with words, and once they can see you, it's like, just take that skill and kick it up and learn how to write and do that. And Joe Coy helped me out a lot with that. He's my mentor, so he started me in comedy. I was on Chelsea lately, so I got the fast track to be able to get on stage. But Chelsea, the biggest thing Chelsea said, do not be that guy on TV that shows up and doesn't know how to do comedy, because they will laugh you off and you will get booted out. These clubs respect what comics do and put in the work.

[Ryan Sickler]

Put in the work.

[Michael Yo]

You got it. And that's what's. So this is what I love about comedy. Unlike any other industry, you have to have stage time. I remember Russell Peters saying, just because I was getting a lot of opportunity on stage very early, he goes, you'll. It's not about. It's not about years. It's about stage time. He goes, you'll meet comics that have been doing it 15 years, but they have five years of stage time. It's about that. Stage time.

[Ryan Sickler]

I remember early on, this one guy being like, man, I got up twice this month, and I was. And he. But he thought that was a lot. And I was like. I was like, what, this month? He's like, yeah, how many shows you doing? I was like, I'm doing two tonight.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah. No.

[Ryan Sickler]

And, like, I'm going. Going anywhere. I can. I want to say this real quick, because I want to give Joe Coy props. So when I'm in the hospital, I'm literally climbing. They're rushing me into the thing. I get a. I get a Filipina nurse. And they had already seen who I was. Like, the people like, oh, we. We saw you have a podcast. And I was like, yeah. And then this Filipina nurse is like, you're a comedian. I go, yeah. Swear to God, Michael. Yo, do you know Joe? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Everybody knows. Joke. She's like, can you FaceTime him? I go. I swear to God. I go, are you serious right now?

[Michael Yo]

Over here?

[Ryan Sickler]

So she leaves. I text Joe Coy. I'm like, bro, I'm dying. And this Filipina nurse wants to know if I know you, wants me to FaceTime you. And. And he's like, are you okay? And I'm like, I don't know. Know. I really don't know. And he Jo Koy, to his credit, offered to pay for all my medical bills. And I was like, I can't let you do it, but thank you. I love you for that. And I go. He goes, is that nurse coming back? I go, that nurse. He goes, listen, trust me when I tell you she's not coming back. And another Filipina. And it was. It was. I texted. He's like, my people are everywhere.

[Michael Yo]

I tell you. Another good story about Joe. No, Joe, like, when I was in the hospital, hospital, Joe checked up on my wife. Like, literally anything we needed, you know, he would be there for. And you know what? I don't want to say you find out who your friends are, but you find out how special you are to certain people because. Because you can be. You can still be friends.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah. Some people are just scared and uncomfortable. Uncomfortable, sure.

[Michael Yo]

But some people are like, this is my guy, and I'm Going for it like a guy I know, his name is Chris, and he's not a comic. You know, he works in medical supplies or something like that. And I saw him, and it almost. I get teary. He was dropping off groceries to my wife. And I'm seeing this on the ring cam, and I was like, that dude right there. That guy.

[Ryan Sickler]

That's nice.

[Michael Yo]

That's.

[Ryan Sickler]

And you can see that from the hospital.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah. When I was on the record. Oh, man, I'm tearing up. And I was like. That moment really shook me so much, because a lot of times we feel that there's not good people in this world. And then you see that, you're like, oh, my God.

[Ryan Sickler]

And if you were gone, that dude's still rolling by with groceries.

[Michael Yo]

That's what I'm saying. For my family. And that's what it all comes down to.

[Ryan Sickler]

That's all that matters.

[Michael Yo]

That's all that matters. We do all this for family. When you're young, you do it for ego. When you get married and have kids and you integrate, you do it for your family. And, man, that moment right there, it's just humanity. You know what I mean? Like, it's just a beautiful moment where that would be etched in my head till I die is that that guy showed up with his wife with groceries, and he did a couple days. You know, that's funny.

[Ryan Sickler]

Like, a good friend of mine, years ago is a crazy story, but he and his wife has a son and a daughter. And the daughter was. She's married, all good now, but she was just dating this thug.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

And. And he kept telling her, like, look, this guy is an ex gang banger. I'm not gonna tell you what to do, but I'm just telling you he's not the good dude. And I guess one night, he and his wife are laying upstairs and her brother comes home, and he and the boyfriend have an altercation. And the boyfriend takes a knife from their kitchen and stabs their son and then leaves. Runs out of the house. Their son's, like, bleeding out in their kitchen. So the whole thing happens. They're a black family. The Palmdale police are fucking scum to them. They won't take the kid to the hospital. She has to drive her son to the hospital. They accuse my friend, the father of all this. It's crazy. They arrest him. They don't even let him. They don't even let him know if his son lives or dies. They don't take. It's crazy. So he's telling me all this shit and they live in Palmdale. And I was like, fuck that. So at the time, I was seeing a girl who worked at a restaurant, and I just went in and I bought a gang of food.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

Just tons of it. Tacos, all this. And I drove it out to Palmdale, and I was like, look, you're about to go through hell for the next few days. Here's just some food so you don't have to cook, you know? And to this day, that will. This is like, I can't believe you drove all the way out here. And, like, it's like, it's not that I brought food.

[Michael Yo]

It's not.

[Ryan Sickler]

You care. And then you thought about us and you considered what we were about to have to go through, even though you don't know what that. Yeah.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

And that means you're a good person. Oh.

[Michael Yo]

And I. Yeah. Yeah. I try to be. And that just makes you more conscious to do stuff for other people.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah.

[Michael Yo]

You know, and that's really. You know, the. What I love about comedy is you really do give a lot of yourself to people. And I believe there's a big why comics feel. I remember Joe when he. He would come home from touring and be so tired, and we would do a podcast back then, and he would go, why are you so tired? You just performed. Because I didn't get it right. But then doing it, I'm like, oh, because you're transferring all this great energy to them, and if they had to me, if they had any bad debt, you're taking everybody's problems and they're transferring that to you. You. You know, it's almost through their laughter, you're getting. Even though it makes you feel good, there's still a transfer of energy. I believe in energy. I believe you could have a shitty room. One person walks in that room can change that whole room.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah.

[Michael Yo]

Guess where all that negative energy goes to that one person. But he's given everybody great energy. And that's how I explain. Like, you know why it's very lonely on the road being a comic? Because I believe you take all this negative energy the whole weekend, and you're giving all the best energy, and it just, like, if you're not strong enough, it could wear you down. It could make you drink heavily. It could make you get into things you don't want to get into, because how do you deal with 3, 400 people, 800 people a night, negative energy hitting you, and you're giving everything you got to them. So then that's what I. And you're exhausted, I go, oh, that's why it's the energy transfer. And that may sound kooky or something like that, but to me it's real. Because to me, me, the evidence is everyone's been in a room where it's just like the vibe is terrible. One person walks in and changes that. We're that one person.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah.

[Michael Yo]

You know, so I love it, man.

[Ryan Sickler]

Well, thank you for doing this, dude. Thank you, man. I mentioned before we recorded that at the end I was going to ask you advice you'd give to 16 year old Michael. Yo, so curious after this conversation what you would tell yourself.

[Michael Yo]

I would tell myself people will lie to your face for advancement. Don't ever.

[Ryan Sickler]

Not just professionally either.

[Michael Yo]

Everything. No, because I'm a person that wants to believe in the good in people. But being in this industry, being around, maybe because we're in Hollywood, I would just say, hey, people will lie to your face. You'll believe them and then they'll double cross you. You in life, in business, in everything. So lead with your heart, but don't be dumb.

[Ryan Sickler]

That's great.

[Michael Yo]

That's what I would say.

[Ryan Sickler]

Thank you, man. Thank you for the show.

[Michael Yo]

I appreciate it.

[Ryan Sickler]

Promote one more time and get all of it, please.

[Michael Yo]

The special snack daddy right now on YouTube or go to michaelyo.com and I'm kicking off my brand new tour. It's a true tour. All the dates michaelyoe.com just go there. And I appreciate you, man.

[Ryan Sickler]

You got it so much. Thank you.

[Michael Yo]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

As always, Ryan Sickler on all your social media. We'll talk to y'all next week.