April 14, 2025 • 31 mins
Join us for a deeply moving conversation with Ashley Spalla, as she recounts her extraordinary journey living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and hip dysplasia. From a seemingly benign basketball injury in college, Ashley quickly found herself facing a challenging medical path that culminated in 49 surgeries over a decade. Her story, filled with determination, resilience, and hope, offers valuable insights not just into the challenges of navigating chronic illness, but also the importance of advocacy, community support, and self-empowerment.
Ashley passionately discusses how her struggles led her to a fulfilling role as an advocate for others experiencing similar challenges. Discover her work with Miles for Hips and how she is committed to raising awareness and improving the patient experience in the healthcare system. She speaks candidly about her experiences with medical professionals and the crucial lessons she learned along the way, emphasizing the importance of seeking second opinions and being an active participant in one’s own healthcare journey.
Moreover, the podcast explores Ashley’s love for adaptive sports, highlighting how her passion for skiing has brought her joy and a sense of freedom despite her physical limitations. Listeners will find inspiration in Ashley's perspective: that living with chronic illness doesn’t mean giving up on your passions – rather, it can lead to discovering new avenues for joy and personal growth.
Through her heartfelt story, Ashley invites you to connect, reflect, and perhaps share in the triumphs and trials that accompany living with a chronic illness. It’s a conversation that speaks to the core of what it means to overcome adversity and emerge stronger on the other side. Don’t miss this uplifting episode filled with wisdom, humor, and hope! Subscribe, share, and connect with us in our communities!
Are you living with a chronic illness and want to make your voice heard? Rare Patient Voice connects patients and caregivers with research opportunities—so you can share your experiences and get paid for your time! Your insights help drive real change in healthcare.
Let's Get Started - Rare Patient Voice
Support:
https://rarepatientvoice.com/Myspooniesisters/
https://www.etsy.com/shop/MySpoonieSisters
https://www.graceandable.com/?bg_ref=980:nzTyG6c9zK (Use code GAJen10)
Website:
https://myspooniesisters.com/
Discount Codes:
GIANT Microbes | Gag Gifts, Teacher Gifts, Doctor Gifts, Gifts for Girlfriends and Boyfriends code SPOONIE20 for 20% off
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello and welcome back to my Spoonie Sisters,
where we bring you inspiringstories from those navigating
life with chronic illnesses.
Today, we have an incredibleguest who has faced an
extraordinary medical journey.
Her story began in college.
What she thought was a simpleinjury evolved into a decade of
(00:20):
resilience and determination,with 49 surgeries, 29 of them
just on her hips, and adiagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos
Syndrome.
She fought through unimaginablechallenges.
Not only has she overcome theseobstacles, but she's also
giving back to the communitythrough her work with Miles for
(00:42):
Hips, her role as an adaptiveathlete and her advocacy efforts
.
Please welcome Ashley Spala.
Hello, welcome to the pod.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Hey, thank you guys, Thanks Jen, Thanks Andy.
I'm so excited to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Thank you for joining us today.
It's myself, andy and Ashley.
We're going to have a wonderfulconversation.
We did, you know, like Andysays sometimes, the stuffy bio.
Do you mind telling us yourstory with what you thought was
a pulled muscle during your ROTCbasketball game, and can you
take us back to that moment, howit felt when you learned it was
(01:20):
much more serious than that.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Yes, I was playing basketball for ROTC in college,
I actually thought I had pulleda muscle.
When I came back from the gameI went to my local sports doc
and was like, hey, I think Ipulled a muscle, maybe tore some
cartilage, thinking in my headmaybe this is like a scope
surgery.
I'll be out for a few weeks.
I should be back in the swingof things in a couple months,
(01:45):
big deal.
He's like let's get an MRI.
Okay, that sounds good, let'sbe thorough.
The next morning he calls me at8am and I'm like this is not
good.
And he goes you have hipdysplasia.
And I'm like like a Germanshepherd.
And he's like you said it, Ididn't.
I'm like, oh my gosh, like aGerman shepherd it I didn't.
(02:07):
I'm like, oh my gosh, like agerman shepherd.
And he's like I have to sendyou to a surgeon.
Oh so this isn't just like torncartilage.
And he's like, oh, you havethat too, but you also have hip
dysplasia.
I'm like, oh, so this is a bigdeal.
And he's like, yes, and so I'mlike okay, then I get to the
first surgeon and the firstsurgeon's like I don't deal with
(02:28):
this.
Not many surgeons deal withthis.
I'm gonna have to send you toanother surgeon.
So then I was like shit, thisis huge, this is big, the
surgeon can't deal with this.
I'm gonna have to go to anothersurgeon.
And at this point I was verygreen into the surgery medical
game.
I'd had maybe two surgeries atthat point.
They were outpatient sportssurgeries at a clinic like
(02:50):
nothing like in a big hospital,nothing with staying overnight,
nothing like that.
Totally unprepared, not awareof like how I should advocate
for myself or if I should have asecond opinion, none of that.
(03:11):
When this trusted doctor, youknow, at a clinic I had gone to
for years, sent me to anotherclinic, I thought, okay, well,
this is probably the doctor Ishould be at.
Lo and behold, he did not dothe surgery correctly, he was
not trained correctly.
Behold, he did not do thesurgery correctly, he was not
trained correctly.
It set off a decade long ofsurgeries and issues.
It led me out to BostonChildren's Hospital and to a
(03:35):
myriad of other surgeries,including a femoral osteotomy,
which is where they break androtate your femur, and then um
other hip surgeries and scopes,um other major reconstructions
being done to try to likealleviate what was done
(03:55):
previously.
I ended up having a hipreplacement done at the age of
29, which was only eight yearsafter the original surgery,
because at that point we haddone everything.
And then some I happen to be.
Life likes to smack you in theface after you've already been
dealt with.
Enough stuff.
I ended up being 0.01% of thepopulation this doctor likes to
(04:17):
tell me.
I got in a reoccurringinfections in my hip replacement
that cost me my hip.
So I lost not only the hipreplacement but my hip entirely,
my right entire hip, for aboutseven and a half years.
I had it reconstructed inChicago in the fall of 2023.
(04:39):
Even then, it's still about 40to 60% of what it could be.
It's very painful.
I still have issues to this day.
It's not a typical total hip.
When I say total hipreplacement, it's not one what
everyone thinks of.
When, when I say total hipreplacement, when when you like
look up a total hip replacement,it doesn't look like one on an
(05:01):
x-ray, like it's very like I'dhave to say medieval.
It's got like a cage on it,like just like it's got a lot of
extra metal because I had a lotof my pelvis missing from the
infections.
The infections caused me to beon vancomycin so long that it
caused severe kidney damage andkidney failure and so I have
(05:23):
stage two kidney disease fromthat.
So a lot of a lot of pain andsuffering from an initial
surgery that shouldn't havehappened that way.
Now that it's kind of in astable place um, as much as it
can be.
I work with others to promoteawareness and education on what
(05:49):
should be the proper way to goabout surgeries.
Get second opinions, whatquestions you should ask.
Here's the proper information,here's education on what is hip
dysplasia, what is femoralosteotomies, what is avascular
necrosis or other hip disorders.
And then, as well as then, I domy off time adaptive sports.
(06:12):
I've done everything fromwheelchair basketball to racing
with Challenge AthletesFoundation, which my favorite
thing is winter season, which Iknow people think I'm crazy
because I love winter and I lovethe snow.
So I go out skiing, adaptiveskiing.
That is my fun thing to do, soI'll be doing that the next week
or so I'll be flying out toColorado to go adaptive skiing
(06:35):
again.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
That actually sounds incredible, thank you.
But I'm also going back to someof what you said too, and eye
images.
Right, I've got all theseimages going in my head of what
this looks like.
I'm almost picturing this cage.
When you said medieval, I'mpicturing like chicken coop
material for some reason Don'task me why, but that's where my
brain went was a chicken coophip.
(06:57):
I mean, it sounds like thistorture that you've been through
.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
It kind of looks like it kind of goes around the hip,
it cages it kind of like aroundthe hip to hold the hip in.
It's like a wire system.
So it kind of is a little bit.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
If that it makes it sound like I could make it
visualize what it is from thereyou had to have more and more
and more sounds like there's notmuch of a hip there to even
work with, so how do they goaround building that up?
Speaker 2 (07:27):
They do what's like called a triflange and it is
like a metal like prosthetic ofyour socket.
Then they put in the femur thefemoral head and then off the
femoral head the like goes downinto your femur all the way down
.
The rod goes all the way downand because I had about this
(07:49):
much missing of my femur aboutfour inches they had to make up
for that with metal.
So I have a very long metal rodalmost down to my knee which
hurt, um, especially when itgets cold or especially when the
weather changes.
It's not even so much when itgets cold or especially when the
weather changes, it's not evenso much when it gets cold, it's
when the weather changes veryquickly and if you're in the
(08:11):
Midwest or in different areasand it changes in like five
minutes, like it just is what itis.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
You just deal with it .
Speaker 2 (08:19):
but that is.
It's a giant implant becausethey have to make up for all the
pieces that you've lost andunfortunate.
The irony of the situation iswith infections the more metal
you have, the more at risk youare for more infections, but the
fact is they have to put moremetal in because you lost
because of the infections.
(08:40):
So it's like a circularsituation of crack Wow.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
Okay Now from here, do they think you're going to be
kind of status quo for a while?
Do they have a game plan forthe future?
Well, I'm pretty stable rightnow.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
So it's kind of status quo for right now I don't
think, unless science changesand moves forward with an
implant that I think I wouldwant to go through anything else
.
So I'm pretty stable right now.
I don't have any activeinfections that I have to worry
about.
Knock on wood that I would justlike to keep it, like you said,
(09:17):
status quo.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
So, ashley, I have some questions.
You mentioned Midwest.
Are you currently still in theMidwest?
I'm from the Midwest, I'm fromthe Chicagoland area, very nice.
It's different.
So when you said you likewinters, midwest winters and
bodies, you're just built for itand you have to buy your winter
(09:40):
stuff from there, because it'sjust a different kind of cold.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
So, with all of these hip surgeries that you've had,
can you share maybe some of youremotional challenges that you
faced during the journey of yourphysical recovery.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
I think for me the biggest challenge was dealing
with the depression that camealong with all of the surgeries.
Yeah, came along with all ofthe surgeries.
Yeah, I would go through likesurgery and I would get through
the hardest part and that wouldbe like the physical part of the
surgery and the initial phase.
But then in the lull of therecovery and the longer part of
(10:21):
the recovery is when you kind ofget the like the recovery blues
.
I it was coping with all theconstant like circular, like I
would heal, get better, startover, heal, recover, get better,
start over.
It was the constant like havingto like pick myself up and
start over and do thatconstantly for years and in some
(10:45):
years I would have four or fivesurgeries or more.
It was just relentless.
Having to learn how to copewith that was very, very
difficult and for many years Ididn't know how to properly cope
with that and so it was somewith medication, with the help
of medication.
In recent years, in the lastI'd say like five years, I've
(11:07):
done a lot of counseling therapysessions and that has been a
huge change for me and that hasbeen like opening doors for how
I deal with like life in general, from medical trauma past
traumas to current situations.
(11:28):
That has been a huge change.
Speaker 3 (11:31):
So there is also another component that plays a
significant role in how yourecover and can cause some
complications.
So how did the diagnosis of EDSimpact your understanding of
how you?
Speaker 2 (11:44):
heal EDS.
Learning about EDS at thebeginning like when I went out
to Boston Children's at the verybeginning put puzzle pieces
together.
That surgeon his name was DrMichael Millis and he put puzzle
pieces together and it madesense that certain things didn't
(12:05):
work.
It also made sense that certainthings would work better in the
future.
He was able to help not onlyget me on the right track but
moving forward and get me to theright doctors.
Genetically Also, like withsurgeries, I don't deal with
(12:27):
local anesthetic very well, soit was doing better anesthesia
for me or better pain management, and then for wound care,
because I have classical EDS soit affects my skin and wound
care a lot more than it does forlike a hypermobile patient.
Then we would learn how toclose our sutures differently.
That made a huge difference inwound closures and infection
(12:49):
rates.
For me that just made a hugedifference altogether.
Learning about the diagnosiswas difficult, but it was also a
blessing in disguise because welearned what we were doing
wrong to do what was better forthe future.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
How do you stay motivated through all of those
rough?
Speaker 2 (13:07):
times I would say it's the people around me, it's
my support system, it's myfriends, it's my family, my
friends, it's my family.
For the longest time, up untilabout this past Christmas, I had
a dog for 15 and a half years.
She was my ride or die buddythrough the whole thing.
She was my fuzz nurse and soshe was like the best friend I
(13:29):
had.
But it was everything like that.
It was everything from my dog,my parents to my friends, to my
support friends online,facetiming, in in the hospital
to check on me, and it waseverything like that.
I would have to say it wasdefinitely, definitely my
(13:50):
support system.
Speaker 1 (13:50):
Love that little verbiage you threw in there,
your fuzz nurse.
I feel like this needs to be ameme, a quote, a sticker, I
don't know, but it needs to besomething.
I love that.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
For a nurse yeah buzz nurse.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
Love it.
It's so cute.
Now you've had to navigate thecomplexity of being a patient
and an advocate.
What has your experience beenlike with the doctors, and how
did you find the rightspecialists who truly understood
your condition?
Speaker 2 (14:19):
I feel like trial by fire truly trial by fire for
some of them, like painmanagement has been trial by
fire Orthopedics I've kind oflearned through my own problems
how to red flag situations.
I would figure out that was nota doctor.
(14:40):
I would look at their CV and belike, okay, that's a doctor
that could possibly take my case, and then I would talk with
them or talk to their staff andbring up or email them and once
I got more into the advocatingpart of this side of the field,
I got to talk to a lot of thempersonally and then could also
(15:02):
talk to them professionallypersonally and then could work
with them on both sides of thefence.
So that was very helpful.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
That's great.
I think that that goes to showthat for those listening, do
your homework.
You don't have to go to thefirst person you find or the
first person that insurancecovers.
Keep digging, keep looking,talk to the staff.
It's worth it.
I've actually been doing thesame thing since we moved over
here to the other side of mystate.
I've been afraid to switchrheumatologists, but I've been
(15:33):
working with the ArthritisFoundation over here and I've
actually gotten to meet some ofthe rheumatologists and now I'm
kind of geeking out, going okay,I like this one, I like this
one, I like this one.
They have great stuff.
Okay, now I gotta find out ifthey take my insurance, because
I'm tired of driving four hoursand these people are actually
quite amazing and veryknowledgeable.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
Yeah, societies and foundations like that like the
Elder Stanlow Society is a greatresource.
Societies and foundations likethat like the Elder Stanlow
Society, is a great resource.
Like Miles for Hips.
We don't endorse any onesurgeon but like we will help
locate surgeons in differentregions for people to recommend.
If they request help finding asurgeon, we will help find a
like fellowship trained surgeonin that region Same for like the
(16:16):
PAO group.
I will really try my best.
Trained surgeon in that regionSame for like the PAO group.
I will really try my best.
I will even PM, like privatemessage, someone and really try
to link in someone to a surgeon.
If I know the region they're inor I'm familiar with that
doctor or specialist, or ifthey're having a problem, I will
like call, I will go work headover heels to try to help
(16:36):
someone get in with the rightphysician, because I know how
much that makes a difference.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
It sure does.
I think that's a fantasticresource to be able to have for
people.
And then that's exciting thatyou're working on part of that.
So as a board member for Milesfor Hips and you also co-admin
of the Perry Okay, I'm not eventrying to say it, I'm a partner
Osteotomia like osteotomy yeah,that thing.
As a co-admin for that or thegroup, you're now helping others
(17:05):
.
How has giving back to the hipdysplasia community influenced
your journey?
Speaker 2 (17:17):
I think it's made me more grateful for everything
that I've gone through.
It's made me.
People have asked me if I'veregretted what I've gone through
, and I will tell them no,because that I wouldn't have met
some of my friends the way,some of my best friends the way
I have, and that I wouldn't havebeen able to do these things.
I really think that I'mburdened, meant to do these
things for other people.
I feel like it's a way ofpaying it forward and moving it
forward.
I would love to help advancethis patient-doctor relationship
(17:44):
, advocacy type of relationship,forward in this field, not only
in this field, but in so manyothers.
But this is the one that has myheart at the moment, so it's
the one I'm merging with.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
Ashley, it's just a slight pause.
I am so glad that Jen asked youthe question, that she just
asked you, because when I wasreading it I said to myself I am
going to stumble across how topronounce this and I'm a whole
nurse.
I looked at it and I was likeman, this is really about to
(18:18):
test me and whether or not Istill remember how to pronounce
things.
And so, guys, when you listento the playback, I need you to
give, gracefully, jen, somegrace, because I'm looking at
the words myself and I had toask no, jen, you can go ahead
and take it.
We're over here strugglingsometimes, guys, ahead and take
(18:41):
it.
We're over here strugglingsometimes, guys.
So, ashley, I want to talk aboutadaptive sports, because sports
is my jam.
It has my heart in allcapacities.
Your decision to use awheelchair although may be tough
, but you turned it into anempowering experience for you.
Can you share a little bitabout what that transition was
like for you from what you didknow into adaptive sports, so
(19:05):
that you can know it from adifferent angle?
Speaker 2 (19:08):
I knew a lot about wheelchairs from a couple
friends and I didn't know a lotabout adaptive sports.
I actually joined an adaptivefoundation local to Indianapolis
(19:28):
that did adaptive sports.
I would do a clinic here orthere.
I first started with abasketball clinic and then I
joined the basketball team.
Then I was asked if I'd like totry a ski trip and I never
thought I would enjoy somethingas much as I did running.
I thought I lost my passionforever Once I got in a
(19:48):
wheelchair.
We went out and we triedadaptive skiing for the first
time five years ago or five anda half years ago, and we were
out in Crested Butte, colorado.
I went down the mountain forthe first time with the
instructor and I was like ohbuddy, this is it like I found
(20:08):
my shit.
This is like my jam.
I like sliding on snow is thebest thing ever.
I can do this over and overagain and I'm hooked.
And I was hooked from thatmoment on and so, like every
year, I gain more and more gearin my room my parents are like
(20:30):
like hundred, like lots.
Lots of gear is garnered everyyear for skiing adventures, but
it makes me feel so free.
I think that's what adaptivesports does?
It just makes you feel so levelwith everybody else.
It puts you on the same levelof everybody else.
It makes you feel free and open.
Everyone out there just lovesit.
(20:51):
Everyone's smiling.
It's not even their job, it'sjust a fun thing to do and
they're just like.
I mean.
Adaptive sports really doesopen up so much for people it
does.
Speaker 3 (21:03):
I love how you glow when you talk about going down a
mountain.
You can.
It's like the adrenaline junkieand you just started beaming
and when you said, that's fine,my jam, you're led to your
transition to adaptive sports,led to some athlete sponsorship.
Challenge Athlete Foundationwhat is that like?
(21:24):
Can you tell us a little bitmore about the Challenge Athlete
Foundation?
The Challenge.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
Athlete Foundation is a great foundation.
I got my first racing chairfrom them via the grant from the
Challenge Athlete Foundation.
Via the grant from theChallenge Athlete Foundation
they do different sponsorshipsand grants for athletes, whether
it be grants for equipment orcamp or adaptive athletes,
because unfortunately for us,insurance does not pay for
(21:52):
sports chairs, and sports chairsare very expensive, just like
wheelchairs are very expensive,just like everything else in
medicine is very expensive.
They offer different grants atdifferent age groups and age
levels and different offeringsat camps at different intervals.
There's so many years liketypes of sponsorships depending
(22:14):
on what you're going for whetherit be a trip or a camp, or
there's different types ofthings and then you can apply
and then they every spring giveout the award notices and let
you know if you've been selected.
I was selected under theirveteran military section under
(22:38):
Challenge Athlete Foundation.
I was just absolutely stoked.
It's a great program.
It wouldn't have been possibleto get my chair otherwise.
It's a beautiful chair, I'veloved it for racing and it's
something that I think as I moveon to my next racing chair,
I'll pass that chair on tosomeone else and let them
experience racing chairs, sothat'll be a nice experience for
(23:02):
them.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
So you shared a quote about what from CS Lewis, and I
love the quote hardships oftenprepare ordinary people for
extraordinary destinies.
Why that quote?
What about that is like?
This is actually speakingdirectly to me.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
James Lewis is a favorite author of mine, like he
can make me tear up like almostlike on spot.
But that quote for me is likemy life in a quote.
I feel like, oh my gosh, likeeverything about life has been
hard, but that doesn't mean yourlife and the cards you play and
the hand you play cannot beextraordinary.
(23:40):
So I feel like even though I'vehad a lot of hardships doesn't
mean that my destiny is any lessthan anybody else's.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
Your story your journey, your strength, all of
the above.
Spending this time with you hasbeen amazing.
Getting to know you has beenamazing and your journey is
truly inspiring.
I can't wait for our listenersto hear just you and to
experience you and all that youhave to share.
(24:10):
Where can they follow you?
Where can they connect?
Speaker 2 (24:13):
You can follow just me on my Instagram at Ashley
Spalla, but you can also get onMiles for Hips and support our
Miles for Hips.
I'm our information andresource chair and I'm always
doing different activities withtheir nonprofit.
I'm always available that way,or friend me on Facebook.
Same thing, ashley Spalla.
(24:34):
I'm always looking to messageor have new friends, so I'm on
Instagram a lot, so Messenger isalways a great one.
Speaker 1 (24:42):
Before we close, I want to do something kind of fun
with you, and I think you'regoing to be up for this.
Are you ready?
Ready, unusual choices?
If you could be any animal,what would you be?
Oh, a wolf.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
Oh, why would you choose that?
That they can be anything fromlone hunters to wolf pack, so I
like that about them.
They can be like.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
They're adaptable and they're beautiful that suits
you.
I love that.
I love that, I love it oh,guilty pleasures.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
What is your favorite guilty pleasure tv show?
Speaker 2 (25:18):
man, let's see.
Big bang theory is my tv showand movies are harry potter.
For sure my mom gets tired ofthem playing on.
They're like my comfort, it'slike my comfort movie from, like
my kids show like.
So anytime there's like asurgery or recovery or hospital
stay, which is a lot, so HarryPotter's on, so for sure.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
Okay, let's do this one Celebrity crushes.
Which celebrity would you wantas your best friend For
Sendsworth?
Speaker 2 (25:50):
Thor Hands down, yes, the Hammer like hands down Thor
all the way, and he seemshysterical too, like he seems
like he would be hilarious Iwant to make sure of somebody
that's delicious and funny.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
Yes, exactly okay, andy, I want to ask you the same
question.
Okay, what question go?
Which celebrity would you wantas your best friend hands down?
Speaker 3 (26:16):
samuel jackson he'll keep.
He'll give it to me real, likehe will.
He will not hold any punches.
He's like here's the, the raw.
Do it like what are we doing?
Get it together also.
He's funny, right.
So if you just imagine himwalking around narrating my life
, that would be so amazing, thatwould be the dopest day of my
(26:37):
life if he just walked aroundand narrated my life.
He could be my anger translator.
He could be my peace negotiator.
He could be all kinds of things.
Speaker 1 (26:47):
That should be the question.
We should ask everyone who theywant to narrate their life.
Yes, samuel L.
Speaker 2 (26:53):
Jackson hands down Either Morgan Freeman or Liam
Neeson because their voices areamazing.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
I would say Morgan Freeman, but he would put people
too calm.
What if I'm?
Speaker 2 (27:04):
angry.
I need the emotion, I need theemotion.
Speaker 3 (27:07):
I need the emotion of how I'm feeling, especially at
doctor's appointments.
Can you imagine that Samuel LJackson is your bestie and
advocate?
Speaker 1 (27:15):
at a doctor's appointment.
So you have Morgan Freeman whenyou're happy and things are
calm, and then you switch it upwhen you're not Correct.
Speaker 3 (27:24):
Yeah, you have Samuel L Jackson when it's Hands down.
Speaker 1 (27:28):
Both of mine, I think , are delicious, that's why I
work the day Delicious, butthey're funny too, and you
probably won't be surprisedbecause I feel like I've told
you these before.
Dwayne the Rock, johnson yes,those arms, yes, that's my first
one, and Kevin.
Hart.
Speaker 3 (27:43):
This guy's Kevin Hart , jenny's a 40-year-old Black
man, and she dresses like abarbecue dad and she's it's okay
, though it's okay, she loves itand I love her so good.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
I let Andy in on my family inside joke about that,
about how I was like I wish Iwas Kevin Hart.
Yeah, that's so good.
I think it's because I likepeople that are so different
than me.
I think that's what it is,because he's hilarious.
I find him hilarious, Iunderstand his humor, but I am
not great at putting out my ownhumor, if that makes sense.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
She's not good at relaying the joke.
She can understand the joke,but she can't create or narrate,
say, a joke.
So by the time it leaves out of.
Jenny's mouth, it's not asfunny, and so she said I wish I
was got my hilarious.
Speaker 2 (28:34):
I'm just not hilarious, I just think I'm
hilarious.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
Like I'm hilarious in my own mind.
I was gonna say the same thing.
I think hilarious things allday long.
Can I communicate them?
No, exactly, and all the timeI'm speaking with Andy and I
stick my foot in my mouth, allthe time I say all the weird
things like I, what did I say toyou, the other, something about
I'll do you and I'll do this.
Speaker 3 (28:58):
I said I first I'll do the church and then I'll do
you later.
And I was like nope, nope, nope, nope, nope.
And though, if we could justpause for a second and reword
that, no, ma'am.
Speaker 1 (29:10):
Yeah, do do my work at the church and do a recording
with you.
Speaker 3 (29:14):
Yes, yes, the full the complete thought.
The complete thought mattersLike grammar and punctuation.
The complete thought mattersbecause too much was left out in
context.
Speaker 1 (29:25):
Okay, it was such a pleasure getting to know you
more, Ashley.
Thank you guys and listeners,go talk to her.
She's super fun.
Yes, please, she's sweet.
Reach out to her.
She'll talk back to you in a
Hello and welcome back to my Spoonie Sisters,
where we bring you inspiringstories from those navigating
life with chronic illnesses.
Today, we have an incredibleguest who has faced an
extraordinary medical journey.
Her story began in college.
What she thought was a simpleinjury evolved into a decade of
(00:20):
resilience and determination,with 49 surgeries, 29 of them
just on her hips, and adiagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos
Syndrome.
She fought through unimaginablechallenges.
Not only has she overcome theseobstacles, but she's also
giving back to the communitythrough her work with Miles for
(00:42):
Hips, her role as an adaptiveathlete and her advocacy efforts
.
Please welcome Ashley Spala.
Hello, welcome to the pod.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Hey, thank you guys, Thanks Jen, Thanks Andy.
I'm so excited to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Thank you for joining us today.
It's myself, andy and Ashley.
We're going to have a wonderfulconversation.
We did, you know, like Andysays sometimes, the stuffy bio.
Do you mind telling us yourstory with what you thought was
a pulled muscle during your ROTCbasketball game, and can you
take us back to that moment, howit felt when you learned it was
(01:20):
much more serious than that.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Yes, I was playing basketball for ROTC in college,
I actually thought I had pulleda muscle.
When I came back from the gameI went to my local sports doc
and was like, hey, I think Ipulled a muscle, maybe tore some
cartilage, thinking in my headmaybe this is like a scope
surgery.
I'll be out for a few weeks.
I should be back in the swingof things in a couple months,
(01:45):
big deal.
He's like let's get an MRI.
Okay, that sounds good, let'sbe thorough.
The next morning he calls me at8am and I'm like this is not
good.
And he goes you have hipdysplasia.
And I'm like like a Germanshepherd.
And he's like you said it, Ididn't.
I'm like, oh my gosh, like aGerman shepherd it I didn't.
(02:07):
I'm like, oh my gosh, like agerman shepherd.
And he's like I have to sendyou to a surgeon.
Oh so this isn't just like torncartilage.
And he's like, oh, you havethat too, but you also have hip
dysplasia.
I'm like, oh, so this is a bigdeal.
And he's like, yes, and so I'mlike okay, then I get to the
first surgeon and the firstsurgeon's like I don't deal with
(02:28):
this.
Not many surgeons deal withthis.
I'm gonna have to send you toanother surgeon.
So then I was like shit, thisis huge, this is big, the
surgeon can't deal with this.
I'm gonna have to go to anothersurgeon.
And at this point I was verygreen into the surgery medical
game.
I'd had maybe two surgeries atthat point.
They were outpatient sportssurgeries at a clinic like
(02:50):
nothing like in a big hospital,nothing with staying overnight,
nothing like that.
Totally unprepared, not awareof like how I should advocate
for myself or if I should have asecond opinion, none of that.
(03:11):
When this trusted doctor, youknow, at a clinic I had gone to
for years, sent me to anotherclinic, I thought, okay, well,
this is probably the doctor Ishould be at.
Lo and behold, he did not dothe surgery correctly, he was
not trained correctly.
Behold, he did not do thesurgery correctly, he was not
trained correctly.
It set off a decade long ofsurgeries and issues.
It led me out to BostonChildren's Hospital and to a
(03:35):
myriad of other surgeries,including a femoral osteotomy,
which is where they break androtate your femur, and then um
other hip surgeries and scopes,um other major reconstructions
being done to try to likealleviate what was done
(03:55):
previously.
I ended up having a hipreplacement done at the age of
29, which was only eight yearsafter the original surgery,
because at that point we haddone everything.
And then some I happen to be.
Life likes to smack you in theface after you've already been
dealt with.
Enough stuff.
I ended up being 0.01% of thepopulation this doctor likes to
(04:17):
tell me.
I got in a reoccurringinfections in my hip replacement
that cost me my hip.
So I lost not only the hipreplacement but my hip entirely,
my right entire hip, for aboutseven and a half years.
I had it reconstructed inChicago in the fall of 2023.
(04:39):
Even then, it's still about 40to 60% of what it could be.
It's very painful.
I still have issues to this day.
It's not a typical total hip.
When I say total hipreplacement, it's not one what
everyone thinks of.
When, when I say total hipreplacement, when when you like
look up a total hip replacement,it doesn't look like one on an
(05:01):
x-ray, like it's very like I'dhave to say medieval.
It's got like a cage on it,like just like it's got a lot of
extra metal because I had a lotof my pelvis missing from the
infections.
The infections caused me to beon vancomycin so long that it
caused severe kidney damage andkidney failure and so I have
(05:23):
stage two kidney disease fromthat.
So a lot of a lot of pain andsuffering from an initial
surgery that shouldn't havehappened that way.
Now that it's kind of in astable place um, as much as it
can be.
I work with others to promoteawareness and education on what
(05:49):
should be the proper way to goabout surgeries.
Get second opinions, whatquestions you should ask.
Here's the proper information,here's education on what is hip
dysplasia, what is femoralosteotomies, what is avascular
necrosis or other hip disorders.
And then, as well as then, I domy off time adaptive sports.
(06:12):
I've done everything fromwheelchair basketball to racing
with Challenge AthletesFoundation, which my favorite
thing is winter season, which Iknow people think I'm crazy
because I love winter and I lovethe snow.
So I go out skiing, adaptiveskiing.
That is my fun thing to do, soI'll be doing that the next week
or so I'll be flying out toColorado to go adaptive skiing
(06:35):
again.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
That actually sounds incredible, thank you.
But I'm also going back to someof what you said too, and eye
images.
Right, I've got all theseimages going in my head of what
this looks like.
I'm almost picturing this cage.
When you said medieval, I'mpicturing like chicken coop
material for some reason Don'task me why, but that's where my
brain went was a chicken coophip.
(06:57):
I mean, it sounds like thistorture that you've been through
.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
It kind of looks like it kind of goes around the hip,
it cages it kind of like aroundthe hip to hold the hip in.
It's like a wire system.
So it kind of is a little bit.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
If that it makes it sound like I could make it
visualize what it is from thereyou had to have more and more
and more sounds like there's notmuch of a hip there to even
work with, so how do they goaround building that up?
Speaker 2 (07:27):
They do what's like called a triflange and it is
like a metal like prosthetic ofyour socket.
Then they put in the femur thefemoral head and then off the
femoral head the like goes downinto your femur all the way down
.
The rod goes all the way downand because I had about this
(07:49):
much missing of my femur aboutfour inches they had to make up
for that with metal.
So I have a very long metal rodalmost down to my knee which
hurt, um, especially when itgets cold or especially when the
weather changes.
It's not even so much when itgets cold or especially when the
weather changes, it's not evenso much when it gets cold, it's
when the weather changes veryquickly and if you're in the
(08:11):
Midwest or in different areasand it changes in like five
minutes, like it just is what itis.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
You just deal with it .
Speaker 2 (08:19):
but that is.
It's a giant implant becausethey have to make up for all the
pieces that you've lost andunfortunate.
The irony of the situation iswith infections the more metal
you have, the more at risk youare for more infections, but the
fact is they have to put moremetal in because you lost
because of the infections.
(08:40):
So it's like a circularsituation of crack Wow.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
Okay Now from here, do they think you're going to be
kind of status quo for a while?
Do they have a game plan forthe future?
Well, I'm pretty stable rightnow.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
So it's kind of status quo for right now I don't
think, unless science changesand moves forward with an
implant that I think I wouldwant to go through anything else
.
So I'm pretty stable right now.
I don't have any activeinfections that I have to worry
about.
Knock on wood that I would justlike to keep it, like you said,
(09:17):
status quo.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
So, ashley, I have some questions.
You mentioned Midwest.
Are you currently still in theMidwest?
I'm from the Midwest, I'm fromthe Chicagoland area, very nice.
It's different.
So when you said you likewinters, midwest winters and
bodies, you're just built for itand you have to buy your winter
(09:40):
stuff from there, because it'sjust a different kind of cold.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
So, with all of these hip surgeries that you've had,
can you share maybe some of youremotional challenges that you
faced during the journey of yourphysical recovery.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
I think for me the biggest challenge was dealing
with the depression that camealong with all of the surgeries.
Yeah, came along with all ofthe surgeries.
Yeah, I would go through likesurgery and I would get through
the hardest part and that wouldbe like the physical part of the
surgery and the initial phase.
But then in the lull of therecovery and the longer part of
(10:21):
the recovery is when you kind ofget the like the recovery blues
.
I it was coping with all theconstant like circular, like I
would heal, get better, startover, heal, recover, get better,
start over.
It was the constant like havingto like pick myself up and
start over and do thatconstantly for years and in some
(10:45):
years I would have four or fivesurgeries or more.
It was just relentless.
Having to learn how to copewith that was very, very
difficult and for many years Ididn't know how to properly cope
with that and so it was somewith medication, with the help
of medication.
In recent years, in the lastI'd say like five years, I've
(11:07):
done a lot of counseling therapysessions and that has been a
huge change for me and that hasbeen like opening doors for how
I deal with like life in general, from medical trauma past
traumas to current situations.
(11:28):
That has been a huge change.
Speaker 3 (11:31):
So there is also another component that plays a
significant role in how yourecover and can cause some
complications.
So how did the diagnosis of EDSimpact your understanding of
how you?
Speaker 2 (11:44):
heal EDS.
Learning about EDS at thebeginning like when I went out
to Boston Children's at the verybeginning put puzzle pieces
together.
That surgeon his name was DrMichael Millis and he put puzzle
pieces together and it madesense that certain things didn't
(12:05):
work.
It also made sense that certainthings would work better in the
future.
He was able to help not onlyget me on the right track but
moving forward and get me to theright doctors.
Genetically Also, like withsurgeries, I don't deal with
(12:27):
local anesthetic very well, soit was doing better anesthesia
for me or better pain management, and then for wound care,
because I have classical EDS soit affects my skin and wound
care a lot more than it does forlike a hypermobile patient.
Then we would learn how toclose our sutures differently.
That made a huge difference inwound closures and infection
(12:49):
rates.
For me that just made a hugedifference altogether.
Learning about the diagnosiswas difficult, but it was also a
blessing in disguise because welearned what we were doing
wrong to do what was better forthe future.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
How do you stay motivated through all of those
rough?
Speaker 2 (13:07):
times I would say it's the people around me, it's
my support system, it's myfriends, it's my family, my
friends, it's my family.
For the longest time, up untilabout this past Christmas, I had
a dog for 15 and a half years.
She was my ride or die buddythrough the whole thing.
She was my fuzz nurse and soshe was like the best friend I
(13:29):
had.
But it was everything like that.
It was everything from my dog,my parents to my friends, to my
support friends online,facetiming, in in the hospital
to check on me, and it waseverything like that.
I would have to say it wasdefinitely, definitely my
(13:50):
support system.
Speaker 1 (13:50):
Love that little verbiage you threw in there,
your fuzz nurse.
I feel like this needs to be ameme, a quote, a sticker, I
don't know, but it needs to besomething.
I love that.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
For a nurse yeah buzz nurse.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
Love it.
It's so cute.
Now you've had to navigate thecomplexity of being a patient
and an advocate.
What has your experience beenlike with the doctors, and how
did you find the rightspecialists who truly understood
your condition?
Speaker 2 (14:19):
I feel like trial by fire truly trial by fire for
some of them, like painmanagement has been trial by
fire Orthopedics I've kind oflearned through my own problems
how to red flag situations.
I would figure out that was nota doctor.
(14:40):
I would look at their CV and belike, okay, that's a doctor
that could possibly take my case, and then I would talk with
them or talk to their staff andbring up or email them and once
I got more into the advocatingpart of this side of the field,
I got to talk to a lot of thempersonally and then could also
(15:02):
talk to them professionallypersonally and then could work
with them on both sides of thefence.
So that was very helpful.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
That's great.
I think that that goes to showthat for those listening, do
your homework.
You don't have to go to thefirst person you find or the
first person that insurancecovers.
Keep digging, keep looking,talk to the staff.
It's worth it.
I've actually been doing thesame thing since we moved over
here to the other side of mystate.
I've been afraid to switchrheumatologists, but I've been
(15:33):
working with the ArthritisFoundation over here and I've
actually gotten to meet some ofthe rheumatologists and now I'm
kind of geeking out, going okay,I like this one, I like this
one, I like this one.
They have great stuff.
Okay, now I gotta find out ifthey take my insurance, because
I'm tired of driving four hoursand these people are actually
quite amazing and veryknowledgeable.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
Yeah, societies and foundations like that like the
Elder Stanlow Society is a greatresource.
Societies and foundations likethat like the Elder Stanlow
Society, is a great resource.
Like Miles for Hips.
We don't endorse any onesurgeon but like we will help
locate surgeons in differentregions for people to recommend.
If they request help finding asurgeon, we will help find a
like fellowship trained surgeonin that region Same for like the
(16:16):
PAO group.
I will really try my best.
Trained surgeon in that regionSame for like the PAO group.
I will really try my best.
I will even PM, like privatemessage, someone and really try
to link in someone to a surgeon.
If I know the region they're inor I'm familiar with that
doctor or specialist, or ifthey're having a problem, I will
like call, I will go work headover heels to try to help
(16:36):
someone get in with the rightphysician, because I know how
much that makes a difference.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
It sure does.
I think that's a fantasticresource to be able to have for
people.
And then that's exciting thatyou're working on part of that.
So as a board member for Milesfor Hips and you also co-admin
of the Perry Okay, I'm not eventrying to say it, I'm a partner
Osteotomia like osteotomy yeah,that thing.
As a co-admin for that or thegroup, you're now helping others
(17:05):
.
How has giving back to the hipdysplasia community influenced
your journey?
Speaker 2 (17:17):
I think it's made me more grateful for everything
that I've gone through.
It's made me.
People have asked me if I'veregretted what I've gone through
, and I will tell them no,because that I wouldn't have met
some of my friends the way,some of my best friends the way
I have, and that I wouldn't havebeen able to do these things.
I really think that I'mburdened, meant to do these
things for other people.
I feel like it's a way ofpaying it forward and moving it
forward.
I would love to help advancethis patient-doctor relationship
(17:44):
, advocacy type of relationship,forward in this field, not only
in this field, but in so manyothers.
But this is the one that has myheart at the moment, so it's
the one I'm merging with.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
Ashley, it's just a slight pause.
I am so glad that Jen asked youthe question, that she just
asked you, because when I wasreading it I said to myself I am
going to stumble across how topronounce this and I'm a whole
nurse.
I looked at it and I was likeman, this is really about to
(18:18):
test me and whether or not Istill remember how to pronounce
things.
And so, guys, when you listento the playback, I need you to
give, gracefully, jen, somegrace, because I'm looking at
the words myself and I had toask no, jen, you can go ahead
and take it.
We're over here strugglingsometimes, guys, ahead and take
(18:41):
it.
We're over here strugglingsometimes, guys.
So, ashley, I want to talk aboutadaptive sports, because sports
is my jam.
It has my heart in allcapacities.
Your decision to use awheelchair although may be tough
, but you turned it into anempowering experience for you.
Can you share a little bitabout what that transition was
like for you from what you didknow into adaptive sports, so
(19:05):
that you can know it from adifferent angle?
Speaker 2 (19:08):
I knew a lot about wheelchairs from a couple
friends and I didn't know a lotabout adaptive sports.
I actually joined an adaptivefoundation local to Indianapolis
(19:28):
that did adaptive sports.
I would do a clinic here orthere.
I first started with abasketball clinic and then I
joined the basketball team.
Then I was asked if I'd like totry a ski trip and I never
thought I would enjoy somethingas much as I did running.
I thought I lost my passionforever Once I got in a
(19:48):
wheelchair.
We went out and we triedadaptive skiing for the first
time five years ago or five anda half years ago, and we were
out in Crested Butte, colorado.
I went down the mountain forthe first time with the
instructor and I was like ohbuddy, this is it like I found
(20:08):
my shit.
This is like my jam.
I like sliding on snow is thebest thing ever.
I can do this over and overagain and I'm hooked.
And I was hooked from thatmoment on and so, like every
year, I gain more and more gearin my room my parents are like
(20:30):
like hundred, like lots.
Lots of gear is garnered everyyear for skiing adventures, but
it makes me feel so free.
I think that's what adaptivesports does?
It just makes you feel so levelwith everybody else.
It puts you on the same levelof everybody else.
It makes you feel free and open.
Everyone out there just lovesit.
(20:51):
Everyone's smiling.
It's not even their job, it'sjust a fun thing to do and
they're just like.
I mean.
Adaptive sports really doesopen up so much for people it
does.
Speaker 3 (21:03):
I love how you glow when you talk about going down a
mountain.
You can.
It's like the adrenaline junkieand you just started beaming
and when you said, that's fine,my jam, you're led to your
transition to adaptive sports,led to some athlete sponsorship.
Challenge Athlete Foundationwhat is that like?
(21:24):
Can you tell us a little bitmore about the Challenge Athlete
Foundation?
The Challenge.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
Athlete Foundation is a great foundation.
I got my first racing chairfrom them via the grant from the
Challenge Athlete Foundation.
Via the grant from theChallenge Athlete Foundation
they do different sponsorshipsand grants for athletes, whether
it be grants for equipment orcamp or adaptive athletes,
because unfortunately for us,insurance does not pay for
(21:52):
sports chairs, and sports chairsare very expensive, just like
wheelchairs are very expensive,just like everything else in
medicine is very expensive.
They offer different grants atdifferent age groups and age
levels and different offeringsat camps at different intervals.
There's so many years liketypes of sponsorships depending
(22:14):
on what you're going for whetherit be a trip or a camp, or
there's different types ofthings and then you can apply
and then they every spring giveout the award notices and let
you know if you've been selected.
I was selected under theirveteran military section under
(22:38):
Challenge Athlete Foundation.
I was just absolutely stoked.
It's a great program.
It wouldn't have been possibleto get my chair otherwise.
It's a beautiful chair, I'veloved it for racing and it's
something that I think as I moveon to my next racing chair,
I'll pass that chair on tosomeone else and let them
experience racing chairs, sothat'll be a nice experience for
(23:02):
them.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
So you shared a quote about what from CS Lewis, and I
love the quote hardships oftenprepare ordinary people for
extraordinary destinies.
Why that quote?
What about that is like?
This is actually speakingdirectly to me.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
James Lewis is a favorite author of mine, like he
can make me tear up like almostlike on spot.
But that quote for me is likemy life in a quote.
I feel like, oh my gosh, likeeverything about life has been
hard, but that doesn't mean yourlife and the cards you play and
the hand you play cannot beextraordinary.
(23:40):
So I feel like even though I'vehad a lot of hardships doesn't
mean that my destiny is any lessthan anybody else's.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
Your story your journey, your strength, all of
the above.
Spending this time with you hasbeen amazing.
Getting to know you has beenamazing and your journey is
truly inspiring.
I can't wait for our listenersto hear just you and to
experience you and all that youhave to share.
(24:10):
Where can they follow you?
Where can they connect?
Speaker 2 (24:13):
You can follow just me on my Instagram at Ashley
Spalla, but you can also get onMiles for Hips and support our
Miles for Hips.
I'm our information andresource chair and I'm always
doing different activities withtheir nonprofit.
I'm always available that way,or friend me on Facebook.
Same thing, ashley Spalla.
(24:34):
I'm always looking to messageor have new friends, so I'm on
Instagram a lot, so Messenger isalways a great one.
Speaker 1 (24:42):
Before we close, I want to do something kind of fun
with you, and I think you'regoing to be up for this.
Are you ready?
Ready, unusual choices?
If you could be any animal,what would you be?
Oh, a wolf.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
Oh, why would you choose that?
That they can be anything fromlone hunters to wolf pack, so I
like that about them.
They can be like.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
They're adaptable and they're beautiful that suits
you.
I love that.
I love that, I love it oh,guilty pleasures.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
What is your favorite guilty pleasure tv show?
Speaker 2 (25:18):
man, let's see.
Big bang theory is my tv showand movies are harry potter.
For sure my mom gets tired ofthem playing on.
They're like my comfort, it'slike my comfort movie from, like
my kids show like.
So anytime there's like asurgery or recovery or hospital
stay, which is a lot, so HarryPotter's on, so for sure.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
Okay, let's do this one Celebrity crushes.
Which celebrity would you wantas your best friend For
Sendsworth?
Speaker 2 (25:50):
Thor Hands down, yes, the Hammer like hands down Thor
all the way, and he seemshysterical too, like he seems
like he would be hilarious Iwant to make sure of somebody
that's delicious and funny.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
Yes, exactly okay, andy, I want to ask you the same
question.
Okay, what question go?
Which celebrity would you wantas your best friend hands down?
Speaker 3 (26:16):
samuel jackson he'll keep.
He'll give it to me real, likehe will.
He will not hold any punches.
He's like here's the, the raw.
Do it like what are we doing?
Get it together also.
He's funny, right.
So if you just imagine himwalking around narrating my life
, that would be so amazing, thatwould be the dopest day of my
(26:37):
life if he just walked aroundand narrated my life.
He could be my anger translator.
He could be my peace negotiator.
He could be all kinds of things.
Speaker 1 (26:47):
That should be the question.
We should ask everyone who theywant to narrate their life.
Yes, samuel L.
Speaker 2 (26:53):
Jackson hands down Either Morgan Freeman or Liam
Neeson because their voices areamazing.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
I would say Morgan Freeman, but he would put people
too calm.
What if I'm?
Speaker 2 (27:04):
angry.
I need the emotion, I need theemotion.
Speaker 3 (27:07):
I need the emotion of how I'm feeling, especially at
doctor's appointments.
Can you imagine that Samuel LJackson is your bestie and
advocate?
Speaker 1 (27:15):
at a doctor's appointment.
So you have Morgan Freeman whenyou're happy and things are
calm, and then you switch it upwhen you're not Correct.
Speaker 3 (27:24):
Yeah, you have Samuel L Jackson when it's Hands down.
Speaker 1 (27:28):
Both of mine, I think , are delicious, that's why I
work the day Delicious, butthey're funny too, and you
probably won't be surprisedbecause I feel like I've told
you these before.
Dwayne the Rock, johnson yes,those arms, yes, that's my first
one, and Kevin.
Hart.
Speaker 3 (27:43):
This guy's Kevin Hart , jenny's a 40-year-old Black
man, and she dresses like abarbecue dad and she's it's okay
, though it's okay, she loves itand I love her so good.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
I let Andy in on my family inside joke about that,
about how I was like I wish Iwas Kevin Hart.
Yeah, that's so good.
I think it's because I likepeople that are so different
than me.
I think that's what it is,because he's hilarious.
I find him hilarious, Iunderstand his humor, but I am
not great at putting out my ownhumor, if that makes sense.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
She's not good at relaying the joke.
She can understand the joke,but she can't create or narrate,
say, a joke.
So by the time it leaves out of.
Jenny's mouth, it's not asfunny, and so she said I wish I
was got my hilarious.
Speaker 2 (28:34):
I'm just not hilarious, I just think I'm
hilarious.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
Like I'm hilarious in my own mind.
I was gonna say the same thing.
I think hilarious things allday long.
Can I communicate them?
No, exactly, and all the timeI'm speaking with Andy and I
stick my foot in my mouth, allthe time I say all the weird
things like I, what did I say toyou, the other, something about
I'll do you and I'll do this.
Speaker 3 (28:58):
I said I first I'll do the church and then I'll do
you later.
And I was like nope, nope, nope, nope, nope.
And though, if we could justpause for a second and reword
that, no, ma'am.
Speaker 1 (29:10):
Yeah, do do my work at the church and do a recording
with you.
Speaker 3 (29:14):
Yes, yes, the full the complete thought.
The complete thought mattersLike grammar and punctuation.
The complete thought mattersbecause too much was left out in
context.
Speaker 1 (29:25):
Okay, it was such a pleasure getting to know you
more, Ashley.
Thank you guys and listeners,go talk to her.
She's super fun.
Yes, please, she's sweet.
Reach out to her.
She'll talk back to you in a
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!