streamers haven

Who we are: Peeling Back the Mask

A picture of Monodex

Hi there, my name is MonoDex. I am the Founder of Streamer’s Haven and am a streamer at heart with a love for teaching.

I started Streamer’s haven on April 16th, 2019, as a way to continue to interact with the streaming world while my responsibilities in life absorbed a large portion of my time that was once dedicated to streaming.

My background is a little bit unique as far as skills are concerned;

  • I’ve actively streamed for 2 years
  • I was contracted as a web designer for a Web Marketing company for a year. Here is one of my projects that is still mostly the same from when I last worked on it:
  • Over a decade of experience building my own PCs
  • Driven by a strong passion for technology, I have been researching audiophile-grade hardware for over 5 years.
  • I have researched extensively into voice acting as a potential career.
  • A passion to help and educate others about streaming
  • I have developed my writing skills over the last two and a half years on Streamer’s Haven
  • and more!

This unique skill set has enabled me to provide in-depth articles revolving around streaming; To help many streamers, partnered communities or otherwise, improve the quality of streamer’s content.

The origin of the name “MonoDex”

One of the most common questions I get asked is “Where did you come up with your name?” Well, to start, Monodex is short for Mono-dexterous, or basically proficient in the use of only one hand. It’s a play on the word “Ambi-dexterous.” As to the origin of why I chose this name as my persona?

It’s a long, and heartbreaking story. You… uh, might want some tissues if you’re an empathetic person.

Well, When I was 18 months old, I uh, collapsed in my crib. The force of the impact caused my heart to stop. That’s the theory anyway. I was too young to remember. I’m just reciting what I was told by my parents.

There was an underlying condition that we were unaware of. My mother shook me, and somehow that caused my heart to start back up. She called the pediatrician, and they had me come in immediately.

They performed something called an ECHO Cardiogram and found my Aortic valve was crimped. The condition was one that was in the medical books: Shone’s Syndrome, or Shone’s Complex.

The uh… mortality rate for this condition at that time was 80%.

A hard lesson to learn: A Medical Mishap

Just when we thought things couldn’t get any worse, they performed a cardiac catheterization and found the pressures in my heart that were supposed to be Zero… were around 250/180. By all intents and purposes, I should have been dead. Turns out, that wasn’t too far away…

The Doctor performing the Cardiac Catherization attempted to “balloon” the crimped valve. Without consulting a Surgical Consult. More on that later.

Immediately, I went into cardiac arrest and flatlined. The panicked doctor attempted resuscitation.

For nine minutes.

I was, for all intents and purposes, dead. Upon revival, the blood that began to clot was of significant size, and they were dislodged from their position and found themselves lodged in my brain.

I had suffered not one, but two major strokes. The left side of my body experienced complete paralysis. As the doctors informed my mother that I would likely never walk, talk, or be able to live on my own, her heart was shattered.

I was even told I would likely not live past 16 years old…

Well, I’m now 29 years old, so… Yay me!

The strokes are merely the tip of the iceberg

Well, I can say my life has been a doctor’s career.

Here is a list of surgeries I’ve undergone:

  • Three Open Heart Surgeries
    • The Ross–Konno Procedure for the first. They removed my Aortic valve, threw that away. Then they took my healthy Pulmonary valve and put it in place of the Aortic. Then used a donor valve for the aortic valve. I owe my life to someone who donated.
    • Replaced the donor valve that was calcifying for the second open heart.
    • And again, same reason,
  • Around 18 cardiac Catherizations, I couldn’t tell you what each one did.

To complicate things further… My blood type is O-.

And… I have a Bleeding disorder: Von Willebrand’s with a “Severe” rating. Though, right now it’s a bit of an unprecedented situation. My Hematologist tested me for it again some 5 years ago, and… it kinda disappeared. He was baffled, for good reason. There was literally only ONE OTHER CASE where this has happened, aside from me.

And my mother. I got it from her, so she had been tested again, she didn’t either. But they tested her again, and she does? We are thinking it was a misdiagnosis at this point, but we really don’t know. As stated by one doctor, we are an enigma.

The Next step is a heart transplant, but this heart of mine still beats, and is “mostly stable”.

Can I say I’m sick of doctors yet? By my side, the whole way was my mother, sister, and father. I can say that I am fortunate to have had the support of my family.

Living with Paralysis – An endless struggle for adaption

Well, I did say Complete paralysis, but that would be inaccurate today. I am able to walk, talk, and live a mostly independent life. Driving is even a thing! With a knob, to maintain control of the vehicle. This is thanks to the years of physical therapy and dedication to improving myself.

Sound familiar? See that tagline in orange?

That said, It wasn’t easy, and still isn’t. But I don’t let it stop me from doing something I really want to do.

Heck, I’m Diamond 1 in Rocket League, despite my physical limitations. But I had to learn special ways to use a controller to be able to do it. I use what I call, “Claw style”. I anchor the controller in my left hand using the handgrip and use my right hand for literally everything else.

Adaptive Technology has come a long way, but it is prohibitively expensive. Microsoft definitely turned some heads with their Adaptive Xbox Controller, and it is a step in the right direction, but there needs to be more R&D in the Adaptive Technology field if we are to see persons with disabilities lives improve to a degree where they can live independent lives.

Where I am today: Struggles with Blood Pressure & a low functioning Thyroid

I may be 29 years old, but I’m still not in the clear. I manage my blood pressure with two prescriptions dedicated to it: Losartan HTCZ & Amlodipine Besylate. In addition, I also take Levothyroxine, for a new problem that showed up just last year, due to some “standards for diagnosis being re-evaluated for Thyroid conditions.”

I am to take these prescriptions for the rest of my life.

As for the blood pressure, it is mostly stable while I am sedentary, but it spikes up really high: 163/103 or so with stress or low-mid level activity mere minutes after the activity.

This is my story. While it is pretty bad, It isn’t anywhere near what some others have to deal with, so I am grateful for that.

As for that doctor that ballooned my aortic valve and caused my strokes; I could have sued him for medical malpractice, but the man also saved my life. I chose not to do anything, simply grateful to be alive.

My hope is that my story inspires you to challenge yourself and to shatter those ideas of “I can’t, because of this or that.” You can do anything you set your mind to. I am living proof of that. Fight your ailments, your depression, your anxiety, your whatever. Don’t let them rule you.

You. Are. Worth. It.

I promise. Oh, and my real name is Devon. Nice to meet you!