In 2010, my doctor told me to buy a funeral plot because I would need one within the next 5 years, but I"m still here because a shelter dog saved my life.
2010年，我的医生叫我准备好后事，他说五年内就会派上用场，但我还能够站在这里，因为我领养了一只狗，而他拯救了我。
When people see a photo of who I was 5 years ago, they can"t, and often don"t believe that it"s me.
当人们看到我五年前的照片，他们不可置信。
My weight had crept up to 340 pounds, my blood pressure was through the roof, super high cholesterol, I had Type 2 diabetes, and I was taking over a thousand dollars worth of medications a month.
那时的我大约 150 公斤，我的血压高到冲天，患有高胆固醇、第二型糖尿病，我每个月光是医药费便会花费一千多美金。
And I just felt really uncomfortable around other people. I became separated from society and I just stopped living.
我跟其他人相处时总是不太自在。我与社会脱节、行尸走肉。
I went on a business trip. You know how small airplane seats are.
有一次我出差。你也知道飞机的座位有多小。
I could barely squeeze into one and basically, I"d spill over both sides.
我根本坐不下一个机位，而且会影响到两旁边的乘客。
They had to delay the flight because they didn"t have a seatbelt extension that would fit me.
他们必须延后起飞时间，因为机上没有我可以用的延长安全带。
There was a gentleman next to me, and he just looked in complete disgust, and he looked at me, and he goes, "I"m gonna miss my connection "cause you"re too fat."
那时，我旁边坐了一位男士。他一脸厌恶地看着我，说：「我因为你太胖而错过转机时间。」
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.
这便是一个停损点，这时我真正下定决心，我要嘛一死了之，不然我一定得做出改变。
I looked in the phone book and I found a nutritionist near me.
我在电话簿里找到了附近的一位营养师。
One of the first things that she asked me to do was to go adopt a shelter dog.
她一开始请我做的事情之一就是去收容所领养一只狗。
It would force me to go outside; it would force me to become more socially interactive.
它会迫使我出门且多跟其他人互动。
So I went to a local shelter, and I remember telling the lady, "I would like an obese, middle-aged dog so that I would have something in common with him."
所以我到了当地的收容所，我还记得我跟柜台的女士说：「我想要领养一只过度肥胖的中年狗，这样我们就有共通点了。」
And when I walked in the room, we both looked at each other with, like a look of"really?"
我走进大房间里，我们互看了一眼，那眼神像是在说：「真的假的？」
I took him home that night, neither of us knew what to expect.
我当晚就带他回家，我们都不知道未来是如何。
And over a period of time, we really formed an inseparable bond, and one that I"d never really experienced with another person or animal or anybody.
但是过了一阵子，我们形影不离、心有灵犀，我从来不曾跟一个人、或任何动物有这样的连结。
We began walking for at least a half an hour a day, every day.
我们每天都至少会去走个30分钟。
And over the course of a year, just by changing what I ate, and walking with Petty, I lost about140+ pounds.
然后在那一年间，只靠着改变饮食习惯，加上天天跟 Peety 散步，我成功减了六十几公斤。
Everything about my life improved.
我的人生好像突然大跃进。
I got off all meds, I no longer have Type II diabetes. Petty also lost about 25 pounds.
我不再靠药物维生，也摆脱了第二型糖尿病。
So we did it together. It was like a miracle.
Peety也减了十多公斤。所以我们是同心协力的。这简直是奇迹。
There you go! Whoo!Hi Peety!
这样就对了！ Peety 好棒！
So I read overPeety"s paperwork when I adopted him, and it turns out that, he was left alone in a backyard, and nobody played with him.
我领养 Peety 的时候看了一下他的文件，发现他一个人被丢在后院，没有人陪他玩耍。
He had arthritis and all kinds of rashes, and his skin was just itching all the time.
他患有关节炎、各式各样的疹子，皮肤也好像无时无刻都在发痒。
He was wondering what would ever happen to him.
他也不知道未来将是如何。
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.
他跟我过去的处境一样，从没有朋友、谁也不认识，到成为一只能够昂首阔步的狗。
Peety, ready for the next stop? Peety"s a good boy!
Peety，准备好去下一站了吗？ Peety 好乖！
Beyondunconditional love,
除了不求回报的爱，
(Yum! Peanut butter!)
(花生酱超好吃吧！)
Peety taught me absolute loyalty.
Peety 也教导了我绝对的忠诚。
He looked at me, in every sense, as though I was the greatest person on the planet.
他看我的眼神在每个方面都仿佛我是世界上最棒的人。
I decided that, I wanted to be the person who he thought I was.
我下定决心，我想成为他心目中的我。
One of the things that I dreamed of doing was running a full marathon. And he looked at me, like,"You can do it!"
跑完全马一直都是我的梦想之一。他看着我，好像在说：「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.
这个过程让我脱掉保护壳，让我焕然一新。
I knew that he was getting old and his time was coming.
我知道 Peety 正渐渐老去，也知道死神悄悄靠近。
They discovered areally large cancerous growth on his spleen, and there was really nothing that they could do.
他们发现 Peety 脾脏上有很大的癌细胞肿瘤，且他们都束手无策。
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，我看得出来生命已渐渐离他远去。
And that was the end. And I just sat there, and I held him. I loved him so much.
就是这样结束的。我呆坐在地板上，将他抱在怀里。我好爱他。
I just was so sad.And, you know, I"m still not over it.
我悲伤至极。至今仍无法释怀。
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.
大约六个月之后，我刚跑完一场马拉松，突然天外飞来一笔：「现在就去收容所看看吧！」我马上行动。
There was a dog that had been put in the adoption pen four minutes earlier.
那时，有一只狗才刚到收容所四分钟。
His photo wasn"t on the wall, he wasn"t on the website, and I just looked at him, and he looked at me, and he went, it was like, "Dude, let"s get out of here!"
墙上没有他的照片、资料也还没传上网，我看看他，他也看看我，他的眼神像是在说：「老兄，一起走吧！」
Jake is a completely different dog.
Jake 很不一样。
Jake loves to play and we started training, and he now runs 10-mile distances with me.
Jake 热爱玩乐，我们也展开训练。他现在都会跟我一起跑个十英里。
We"re going to do our first half-marathon together.
我们要一起跑半马。
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.
因为Peety 的缘故，我每天一睁眼，都朝著成为一个更好的人迈进。
He completely transformed me into a different person.
他让我脱胎换骨。
I think about it now, who rescued whom? I mean, did I rescue him or did he rescue me?
我有时候会思考，到底是谁救了谁？是我救了他，还是他救了我呢？
