Off The Vine with Kaitlyn Bristowe - Kelly Stafford | Touchdowns and Tumors
Episode Date: June 11, 2024#744. In this must-listen episode of "Off the Vine," Kaitlyn Bristowe chats with the vibrant and candid Kelly Stafford, wife of NFL star Matthew Stafford. Kelly takes us on a rollercoaster ri...de through her and Matthew's unconventional love story, starting with a hilarious tale of dating his backup quarterback just to get his attention. She opens up about the challenges and joys of parenting four kids, including the struggle of not putting so much pressure on them. Kelly also bravely shares her battle with postpartum depression and the life-altering moment she discovered she had a brain tumor. With her trademark humor and honesty, Kelly discusses everything from awkward nursing school experiences to launching her own parenting podcast, "The Morning After." This episode is packed with laughter, heartfelt moments, and inspiring insights that will leave you feeling both entertained and uplifted. Don’t miss out on this engaging conversation with Kelly Stafford on "Off the Vine"! If you’re LOVING this podcast, please follow and leave a rating and review below! PLUS, FOLLOW OUR PODCAST INSTAGRAM HERE! EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: (1:55) Kelly recounts the hilarious and unconventional start of her relationship with Matthew Stafford. (13:53) Kelly opens up about her postpartum depression and the importance of acknowledging personal changes after childbirth. (24:36) Kelly shares a funny and awkward story from her nursing school days involving a persistent patient. (29:02) The moment Kelly discovered she had a brain tumor and the emotional journey that followed. (46:30) Kelly talks about her parenting-focused podcast, "The Morning After." Thank you to our Sponsors! Check out these deals! Covergirl: Say hello to your real life makeup filter in a bottle, See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Off the Vine.
Hey, everybody, welcome to Off the Vine podcast.
I'm your host, Caitlin Bristow, and today I think I made a new best friend.
I think I say that a lot, though.
But Kelly Stafford, her husband is Matthew Stafford, who is a Super Bowl-winning NFL quarterback,
and I thought this only happened in the movies.
they met in college, their college
sweethearts. She was a cheerleader.
He was a quarterback, and
they've gone through some serious life together.
They have four daughters. Kelly also
had a brain tumor removed in
2019 that switched her perspective
on everything. She's got a podcast
now. She was a nurse.
She's got a lot going on. I mean, four kids,
working mom, married to a quarterback,
star in the NFL.
What could go wrong? We talk about everything.
I just love her, adore her.
She was so fun, and I know you're going to love this
interview there's a lot of impressive things that you've gone through in your life but we're starting
with the love story because i always say in another lifetime i will marry my college sweetheart because i
think that is so cute you guys have literally grown up together you have four daughters that's a lot
a lot of estrogen yeah it's a lot and now you got a dog and now i had well boy dog we had to
even out a little bit that's a i mean yeah all honestly the dog probably not my best decision or
timing or anything like that.
Didn't even tell my husband until the day before.
I was going to say shut up, but that felt rude.
Stop.
He, you could say it.
He, uh, no, because he would have said no.
So I just didn't tell him.
It's fine.
Wait, we've moved on.
Was he mad?
Oh, he was like, what?
I said, the elf is bringing a dog tomorrow.
I'm picking up with the airport and we will be home around 4 p.m.
I need you have the girls brought your dog.
Elf on the shelf.
That elf ruins.
Sure.
Truly.
I go, Matthew, you can't blame me.
You can just blame sugar plum.
because that's the problem here no but you know our love story i love that you think it's so great
it started out horrible tell me well met him spent like the evening with him did not let him touch me
me the first time ever but i were like not he like i was so i don't know i was still coming out of high
school i was in a law i was in a long relationship in high school okay and so i was like you know what
i'm taking my time okay got it oh 100 percent i'm only saying that because i was a huge slut so that's
amazing.
You know what?
I had been with one guy
and it was kind of just like,
okay, this is my first college
experience, met him before
school started because we were both there for
two days.
I was there for Chile and he was there for football.
Oh my God, your classic love story.
Also embarrassing.
And it was
kind of like we met, talked all night,
had a really good time,
but he was a quarterback of
an SEC college.
And I...
What does that mean? I'm Canadian.
Ooh, girl.
Quarterback of a SEC
college is kind of like the quarterback for what's like the most the cowboys oh okay like it's a very pot in
the south and in you're living in Tennessee now in the south really college football is almost
I would say actually no it's not almost it is more like there's more fans of college football than
I'm learning that okay and so you know and I think you know the Ryan's somewhat Matt and Sarah Ryan's oh yes yes yes
yeah and so we used to kind of joke about it because Matt would walk around they'd be like go dogs he's
He's like, I'm not the quarterback for Georgia.
Like, I play for the Falcons.
But no, so anyways, he was like, this is fun.
I was like, oh, we're in a relationship.
This is great, you know?
Like this, because that's all I knew.
Yeah.
I didn't know casual dating.
Wait, so was he trying to casually date and you were all in?
Oh, yeah, girl?
And I didn't know what that was.
So all of a sudden, you know, we're kind of doing this thing.
And then he's like, oh, I see him in a bar one night.
And I'm like, what the fuck?
Anyways, long story short, it wasn't that cute of a relationship at first.
I hated him.
I loved him.
I dated the backup to piss him off, which worked.
Oh, yes.
He was like, that'll do it.
He was the bad boy, too.
Like, Matthew's so sweet and Southern gentlemen and all this stuff.
And the backup was the complete opposite.
Yeah, yeah.
Ooh, and it upset him, which it worked, thankfully.
Yes.
But yeah, at first, it was a little.
Was that, like, the pivotal moment in the relationship where he was like,
actually, you can't be with him.
You need to be with me.
100%.
He would, so they lived in the same dorm because athletes lived in the same dorm and he would see my car there.
and so at one point he like waited and followed me out and got in my car and wouldn't get
out and he was like this is so hot I was like this is amazing working yeah I was get out of my car
and he's like I don't he's not right for you and I was like you know what you can't tell me that
it's like get the on my car meanwhile he's dating like 12s out of tens you know what he's dating
god knows supermodels legit yeah southern supermodels but still right and I'm having and it's funny
because I had to like rush them so
of them came through when I was a sophomore. I had to rush out and I was like, I cannot do this
right now. But anyways, it was a lot of back and forth. Yeah. Did not think by, I think if you
asked anyone who knew us at Georgia, if they thought we would have ended up together four kids,
they would have laughed their asses off. Really? Oh, yeah. I think I would have laughed my ass off
at that. That's, but that's kind of the cute part of it. Honestly, in the end, you know,
when we decided that it was it, it was it. What made you decide that? I didn't decide it. He did. He did.
Yeah. I was always all in. I was like. I was always all in.
I didn't let him know that, but I was, well, he might, he probably probably, but no, I was always all in.
I don't know.
There was something about him.
Yeah.
It was just, he's brilliant, for one.
He called me from Arizona.
He went to train in Arizona.
I was still in college, having time.
And I still remember I was in my sorority house, which should have never pledged a sorority, but here we are.
And he was like, I just don't, I don't want to see you with anyone else.
I want to make this real.
And I was like, you waited until you left.
Classic.
Yeah.
I was like, okay.
So now I don't know what's going on over there.
Right.
You don't know what's going to be.
Yeah.
So you had to do long distance?
We did long distance for like a year maybe.
And then I moved to Michigan.
Wow.
Yeah.
And what year was that?
That was 19.
Whoa.
Yes.
It was, oh, 2010, I think.
2010.
Yeah.
So move there and.
against my dad's permission.
He didn't give me his permission.
And then my brain just goes to Taylor Swift.
But Daddy, I love him.
I do.
Okay.
Exactly.
That's kind of what I said.
I was like, I really, I think it's going to be okay.
And he's like, no.
And so Matthew had to sit down with my dad.
Good.
And kind of assure him if, where are you from?
I'm from Georgia.
Oh, Georgia, right, right.
Yeah.
Where are you from?
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Oh, yeah, that's right.
So here you have.
So he's been a old school.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So he had to sit down with my dad, kind of reassure him, you know,
if something went wrong, what would happen, because I was going to go to school up there, too.
Okay.
So there wasn't, Georgia didn't have a nursing program, so I transferred out to a school in Michigan
that had a nursing program.
Yeah, and so did my nursing degree, and yeah, we made it, thank God, because God knows where
I'd be if not, you know, who knows?
Probably in Georgia.
Yeah, just not a bad spot.
Living next to my parents and, you know.
I always wonder what would have been if I didn't, like, take that one leap, you know,
I'm sure a lot of people have that story
where they're like, oh, if I didn't take that one
chance. That's so true.
Yeah. Like, where would you be?
Where would the... I would be
married to a man named Ryan Butter
from high school. Oh,
yeah. Wait, that was your high school sweetheart's name?
Unfortunately. Ryan Butter? He's amazing,
but the tough last name. Oh, that is tough.
Yeah. But I kind of like it.
Caitlin Butter.
Ooh. Mrs. Butter. I don't know.
I feel like you could come up some awesome podcast names for that, though.
That's true.
Maybe you know what?
Maybe I would have been more successful because of that name.
Damn it.
You just never know.
You just never know.
And now you have four daughters together.
Yes.
That is, okay, did you always want kids?
I feel like Southerners love a big thing.
Yes.
You know what?
It's always very family forward down there.
And I never, to be honest, I don't know what I wanted, but I never saw my life without kids.
Yeah.
You know, it's not like I was like, ooh, I want a bunch of kids.
Right.
But I knew in my future, I was like, I'll be a mom.
Yes.
You know.
And tell me their names.
Chandler, Sawyer, Hunter, and Tyler.
You know my best friend I was telling you about that loves you?
Her son's name is Chandler.
Wait, really?
Well, it was going to be Chandler whether it was a boy or a girl.
It's the best.
Yeah.
And now he's the love of my whole life.
He's my godson.
Stop.
Yeah, Chandler.
I mean, it's such a good name.
All your names that you have for these.
You know, they're gender neutral because I kind of wanted all boys.
It's true.
That's what's going to happen to me.
I want all boys.
I'm going to get all boys.
girls oh yeah well to be honest it is that right now it's a blessing i've been feeling in like
seven years it's going to be hell but you never know the times the times are a changing
yeah that's generations are changing so much i feel like i mean my niece is 16 and she is a firecracker
with an attitude but god she's a good kid she is a sweetheart through and through she like knows right
from wrong i feel like she has a really open relationship with my sister who like they just like my sister
still parents her but they're like she trusts her she can tell her anything like my niece
trust my sister yeah yeah that's huge because you know what I will say that's like one of my
fears I'm really hard on my kids and I'm trying to like relax a little bit I also think I'm hard
of them just because I feel like there's a lot of eyes on them a lot and so I want them to behave
yes and being from the south like yeah manners all of that are very important so I'm really
hard on them but I had to like sit down the other day and have a conversation to be like I
I'm going to work on it because I want y'all to be able to come to me with anything.
I don't want you all to be scared to tell me something, especially when they get older.
And in this world, I mean, who knows?
I like when a parent can sit down and admit something to kids.
I think it's really vulnerable and important.
I think it shows the kids you're human.
Yeah.
And I hope they can, like, do the same with me.
Like, if they make a mistake, people don't know about it, it's okay.
And I said, listen, they did say, they're like, we're just so scared that you're going to get mad.
And I was like, there might be times where there's going to be, like, if you do something wrong, we'll talk it through.
Yeah.
But yeah, you might be disciplined.
if it's wrong.
Well, and guess what?
They're going to thank you later in life
because I do believe that.
Well, and I do believe that parents should be parents, not friends,
and you do have to be, you have to have discipline.
I mean, I can't speak from experience because I'm not a mother,
but I admire that in other moms because I feel like
that comes around with respect.
I feel like the kids are going to respect you.
Oh, you're studying them up to succeed.
I feel like when you are showing them, like, you have to follow,
this is life.
You have to follow rules.
And when you mess up in a job, there's going to be circumstances.
Yeah.
There's not, or one of my, is that right?
Yes, there's going to be, um, consequences.
Thank you.
Thank you.
You know, there's going to be consequences.
So it's, I think it's important to have that kind of throughout, but also to balance it with,
hey, I don't want you to be scared to come to me.
If you have something serious that you need to talk about, like, I want to be there for you.
We'll talk it through.
And if there's some discipline that needs to be had, we'll talk that through too.
Yeah.
and what we think is fair.
Whatever, you know, because that's kind of what I feel like, even if you mess up in the world or a job,
you talk it through with your boss and then they come up with something that's a fair
disciplinary action.
Yeah.
I like that.
Is Matthew the same kind of parent?
Oh, he's so much better.
Why?
In what way?
No.
He's just so patient.
And he's just like, you know what?
He gets to be a girl dad, which I'm happy for him.
He's been in sports with these big old dudes for so long that he gets to like had a soft side.
Oh, my goodness.
Yeah.
I love him to death, but sometimes I'm like, ooh, they run you.
They run you.
That sounds about, I feel like that's typical for dads and daughters and then moms and daughters.
And then boys just love their moms so much, and then they're like different with the dad.
It's just a whole dynamic, you know?
It really is.
And that's why I was like, I want all boys because I want some mama's boys.
Yeah.
But now I like, I wouldn't trade it because now we don't have to deal with, you know, the pressures for boys to do.
what their dad does. The girls can do whatever they want.
Yeah. And they love their dad. And they think dad's cool. And they're getting to an age where they're
starting to know what dad does because like they'll have support stays at schools and they'll be
kids and their dad's theirs. They're like, wait, that's my dad. That's pretty cool.
Yeah. So they're like, oh, my dad's cool. Yeah. Which he's like, tries to remind these like,
yeah, I'm cool to your friends because that, but I'm also just your dad.
Right. You know. That's a tricky one. Yeah, I know. But I mean, so cool at the same time.
Yeah. I mean, it's fine. I have, I mean, you know. Did they think you're cool because you're big on
Instagram?
No.
Oh.
They don't know what Instagram is quite yet.
Oh, bless.
What is the oldest?
Seven.
My twins are seven.
You, oh, you have twins that are seven.
Yes, identical girls.
It's, you know what?
I love it.
Yeah.
It was really hard at first, but the minute they like knew each other a little bit and could play with each other and I didn't have to sit there and play with them.
Well, that's a built-in bestie for life.
It is.
And I know, I love how open that you've been about your postpartum journey and everything that you've been through.
And I feel like you've kind of spoken out.
about the journey that you went on.
I feel like so many people can sadly relate to that.
Oh, yeah.
I can't even imagine what the hormone drop and up and down and everything that goes on after
because, one, I already have severe body dysmorphia.
Two, my hormones are so whack that, like, I could ruin my whole life in one week just
because I'm like, oh, I'm getting my period.
Like, I will want to quit.
Well, the or the team will tell you when you're getting it, so that's good.
Yeah, my or a week.
You know what?
It's so validating because I'm like, you know what?
I don't think I'm going to quit podcasting and my aura ring's like, bitch, that's your true passion in life.
You're just on your period.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And starting in three, two, one.
Yeah.
Oh, yeah.
I'm going to find that clip.
I'm going to like add it in here right now.
But how did you work through your postpartum?
Because is there anything people can do?
Is it just kind of got to sit in it and talk about it and like surrender to it?
What is your advice?
I think to be honest, it's becoming more prevalent that people are speaking up about it.
Postpartum depression is real and it is can get.
really severe if you don't do something about it so there is things like what oh yeah well i mean
like talking to somebody is yeah the first step that i took that was really helpful you know and i think
this is where social media plays a part which is the you know there's good and bad parts of social
media but you see women thriving with their newborns or you know they're snapping back or whatever
they're doing and all of a sudden you're filling your head with all this stuff and i will say it's okay
to, and I said this on mine, but okay to mourn what you've lost when you have a child. So
whether it be a career that you're not anymore, your body's not the same, just like your
friends are different because of the situation you're in or you're not having adult
conversations. It's okay to mourn all that and be sad about it. I actually think it's really
important to do that. I do, but I think women think that they have to be so happy that they had
a baby. Yeah. Because there's other women that can't have babies. And I get that journey as well.
Of course. But the pressure. Yes. It's like mourning what you've lost while also being
happy with what you've gained.
But there's room for both of those.
And I feel like sometimes women pressure themselves to just go one way.
And then the sad side piles up until they can't control it anymore.
When Hunter rolled around, my third, I really struggled.
And I didn't, honestly, I just kept it in.
Because I was living what people think to be in.
And it is amazing life.
I have an amazing husband.
I've three healthy daughters at this point
But postpartum doesn't discriminate
It does not no
And to be honest the more pressure you put on yourself
To feel happy just the worse it gets
And so yeah sitting down talking to someone
Letting my friends in on what I was going through
That was big I think sometimes we try and hide it
From the people closest to you
And I let them all in and they were super helpful
So that's honestly how it started
And then it just grows from there
And I'm not a therapist
But they can teach them ways to cope and do all that
Which is kind of what it was
I mean it's you can literally
mourn anything and be valid like I truly believe you could mourn not having boys like you can
mourn somebody you thought you knew and they weren't a good friend you like there's it's the
process of like getting that energy out and talking to somebody about it that is actually so healing 100%
well what's the other Taylor Swift quote that just like don't trust me I'll tell you all once you like
speak it you can move on you can move past it it was like it's on it's I think it's one of her new
album I don't know tortured poets department yeah that one Google it everyone thinks I hate Taylor Swift too
so it's great you know well wait
do you? No. Oh. God. Why do they think you're
you know how when you see people all the time on TV and you're like, I just don't
want to see it anymore? Oh my gosh. The world felt that and I feel like Taylor alone even felt
that. Taylor didn't want to do. I know. Let me just cheer on my boyfriend on the foot without
making me be the new face of the franchise of the NFL. And I think that's what bothered me
too is that the NFL is taking advantage of it. They were. And it was just like it's just
grossed me out a little bit. So but I said that and then, you know, I think the Swifties came
after me like saying that I didn't like Taylor. Oh, that's a kind of a
my bucket list for the Swifties to come after me. No, it's not. It's not good. No, I can't imagine.
But I was like, wait, literally my daughter's theme in their room is Taylor Swift. That's all we
listen to. Yeah, but people just choose to hear what they want to hear and then decide like,
ooh, I'm going to go after her. Uh-huh. Yeah. The whole Taylor Swift thing was I did, I felt
Icky about that too because it felt very like opportunistic from them and just like she's so
outspoken about pressures of a woman in the first place. And then it's like the NFL. Like,
You know using her for, I was like, God.
I mean, at least she got to benefit in her own ways.
So, have you ever met her?
No.
No.
No, I have not.
But now I'm terrified to because I'm like, oh, gosh, does she think?
Not that she would know any about who I was or anything.
I don't know.
But we knew, I knew Travis and Jason, his brother.
But that's another story for another time.
Your husband's had quite the career.
It's so long.
And that's, but that's so impressive.
Yes.
Because for.
Yeah.
Yeah, so long.
It is, it really is a long career for an athlete to have.
But do you like love going to games?
Is it what the kids love going?
What's it like?
It's fine.
I would say the girls love it.
They're starting to really learn the game, which I love.
Yeah.
So each game is kind of like a teaching experience.
Sure, come on.
I need help.
You can sit with us.
No, she, it's fun to like see them and kind of they're starting, the seven-year-olds for sure
are starting to understand it.
So they know, like, when daddy's changed.
The only problem that is hard is obviously watching their dad get pummeled to the ground
and tough to get up when he's struggling to get up and things like that.
I have a very emotional one.
Sawyer feels a lot.
And so there's a lot of times when I look over and if Matthew's struggling to get up, you know, tears will be starting to build with her.
Oh, that's so.
When was she born?
Wow.
What was she born?
Is she a cancer?
She was born in March.
March.
I have no idea either.
March 31st.
I have no idea.
I always act like I know a lot, but I don't.
I know Aries?
Oh, she's such an Aries.
Just kidding.
I don't know anything about science.
It's fine.
We enjoy it.
But it's getting to the point where, you know, weekends, and this is why I tell him, too,
eventually weekends are going to be for their stuff and their sporting events.
So as much as, you know, and he's old.
He's old in this game.
He is 36.
I know it's not old.
I know it's not old.
I get what you're saying because I was thinking you were going to say 46, but you're right.
In that for that long.
of a career and for your body to be go through what athletes go through for that many years it's he
wakes up like he's a 70 year old right now well he probably is inside and i feel horrible but then he's
like all right i'm going to get to work i'm like why i'll never forget this guy i knew he was um
he played uh hockey and he was i don't know i want to say like 34 or something and he had to sleep
on the floor because his back was so bad with his feet up he would barely sleep his ankles were so
one every time was just a battle to get it into his skate he was in so much pain and like
his he just he was an 80 year old man and he just they they're meant the athlete mentality is
is real and you know it just shows you how much they love what they do yeah that they want to
keep doing it and my husband I love that I love watching him love what he yeah of course do what
he loves yeah but there will be a time soon where it's going to be time to you know is he like
looking forward to that time at all or is that going to be like
a crisis because I know that that's all you do your whole life is eat sleep, breathe that
sport to come out of it and lose your whole identity is scary. I don't think it's going to be
easy. I don't think it's easy for anybody. Now he has hobbies. Okay. Oh, that's cool. I think he wants
to work within the NFL at some way, probably announcing or doing something like that, like stick with
it in that way. But I think that, I mean, that's going to be a tough transition. Yeah. And luckily
he has his daughters, I think that's really helpful.
Because even, like, after games,
if he is a shitty game, or even if they lose whatever,
he gets in the car, and if his daughters are at that game,
it is, like, it didn't...
Yeah, nothing else matters.
Didn't even happen.
Yeah.
So he'll have them, which will be good.
Yeah.
But, yeah, I think every athlete kind of goes through this transition phase.
I mean, you saw, I think you've seen it with the top ones.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Because they're just like, what do I do?
Yeah.
I would do the same thing.
I mean, I have trouble.
I mean, I still don't.
don't know my identity. I'm like, you've had this identity since he was middle school.
Oh, yeah. Like they coined him as like a really good quarterback and the media start.
And then, you know, that's what he's kind of known his whole life. Yeah. And you were the
cheerleader? Oh, gosh. Oh, yeah, girl. It was. I love that though. Yeah. It's so, it's like the
American dream. I'm like so Canadian sometimes and I go, oh, I thought that was only in the movies.
Oh, well. Like I said, it wasn't, uh, it wasn't pretty when I was cheering. When I was cheering and he was playing
football. So did you, after you finished cheering, did you know you wanted to be a nurse?
yeah so I you know what I I don't know I for some reason I got injured a lot I played basketball and soccer and I think I was just small yeah we injured a lot and like always the nurses made the difference when you're coming out of surgery that was like kind of my thing yeah I fell in love with the idea of just helping people yeah and that's why now it turns out it's not all great yeah it's a lot yeah it's a lot and you know what nursing school not ideal well because you gotta really earn your spot in the nurse world and go through some shit literally ratchet yeah sorry I'm
say that but it was yeah i remember this one day this one guy kept requesting me for a sponge bath
and i was like i thought that was only in the movies oh no it happens and i was like i'm sorry i don't feel
i'm a student i just don't feel oh no i had to and you know what happens after that just
no oh old guys still got it good for him
unfortunately he wasn't that old oh oh oh
But he was, but he was large.
Now, I wonder in that situation, I don't know why I'm going to go here, but why not?
Well, I'm like, when you're getting a spot, aren't you, like, emasculated a little bit, like, helpless getting a sponge bath?
Like, what's turning you on about that?
Oh, okay.
Like I said, like, I think he was, I don't think he cared.
Okay, clearly he did not.
He just wanted to.
He just wanted you to touch it with a sponge.
Oh, my God, it still gives me like.
Oh, I'm sorry.
I don't mean to laugh at that because that's actually very, like.
No, you know what?
From at that point on, I was like, you know what?
And the hospital.
is not for me. I'm going to work outside the hospital. Okay, so then take me through your career
path from then on it. So I went to work. This is total 360, 180, don't know which one. I went and worked
for a plastic surgeon. Okay. So fine. That's actually not that crazy. I feel like a lot of nurses go
into like the injection space. Yes. And that's kind of what I did. Also, from a hospital of that
caliber and then going into, oh, we're just going to do plastic surgery. That's kind of fun. My best friend also
hospital to injecting. You know what? And injecting. And injecting.
really pays well.
But it turns out I got pregnant while getting trained,
only did a few and then had the babies and never went back.
Well, you still got to build a pretty cool career.
No, it was fun.
And you know what?
I loved working in a happy environment.
That's the one thing.
It's like nursing is sometimes not as dark.
No one wants to be there in the hospital.
No patients want to be there.
So then you don't want to be there.
And they take every, you know, you're with them all the time.
So they take everything out on you and the doctor's cut.
You know, it's just, it's a, me.
that's like but shout out to the nurses who are making it because that's amazing oh I bow down to
nurses all the time oh it takes it takes a certain soul to do that it's like teachers teachers
I always say that when I'm like if I'm ever doing like a meet for people that listen to the podcast
or something every time they're if they're a mom a nurse or a teacher I'm like yes like just doing
the Lord's work I mean raising just like yeah you're so right it's it's a I would say all
those jobs are thankless those are thankless job yeah like it's like oh you have to do that so
you're doing it. You're like, whoa, whoa, whoa.
Well, and kids, I know I have to, but you're welcome.
Kids could never understand what you're all doing for them until they grow up anyway.
So it's so hard because you're like, damn it.
You don't get any. I'm your little bitch.
I know. Yeah. You so are. And I will say, I tell my mom all the time, like,
I don't know how you did it. Yeah. She was a teacher.
That's how she did it. Uh-huh. She worked an angel.
I know, but we're kind of the same, and I don't think I'm an angel.
But if you were in nursing and you have four children and you can deal with,
with a husband who is an athlete of that long career.
You're an angel, too.
That's very sweet.
Thank you.
I will say my nursing career has come into play with just taking care of him.
And my daughters, in a way.
Well, and it sounds like you had to have somebody take care of you at one point in your life.
I was, like, reading my, obviously doing my research.
And you had a brain tumor removed in 2019.
Was it cancerous?
No, it was not.
So how did you figure it out?
I was teaching my girls how to do a front role.
Yeah?
And I told my mom, I was like, God, I'm.
I'm getting old.
I'm getting dizzy when I'm doing a front role.
And she was like, you're 29.
I was like, I know, I just feel old.
Turns out.
And then I started getting vertigo.
Oh, vertigo.
Thank you.
Started getting vertigo.
And I kind of just like, you know,
rushed it off,
rush it off, whatever.
I'm just a little dizzy.
Holding Hunter at the time who was an infant,
I think she was like three months,
and felt myself about to go down
and kind of like threw her to Matthew.
Thank God he caught her.
But that was when he just said,
you know what?
We need to get you checked.
So we went in, they gave me an avert, didn't do anything.
And I was like, you know what, we have other things going on.
I'll be back.
You know, because as a mom, you just kind of put shit off.
Oh, my gosh, that is such a mom move.
I was like, I don't have time to stay in the hospital.
Yeah, this is a waste of time.
I'm fine, waste of time.
We actually came out to California and his doctor's calling.
And they're like, do you want her to get seen?
Because Matthew had mentioned.
Yeah.
He was like, yeah.
So I went to go to UCLA, did an MRI, walk into the doc.
They're like, they called the team doctor's call.
The team doctor's call and said, hey, they found something on Kelly's MRI.
They want you to go to...
Oh, scary.
Yeah, UCLA Hospital, and it was a brain part of it, which I can't remember the name, which is horrible.
Anyways, walk in, and this doctor looked to me and was like, so here's your brain tumor.
And I was like...
Oh, my God.
No bedside manner.
Nothing.
Nothing.
She.
Oh, she.
She just threw it out there.
I don't know if she didn't know I didn't know or what, but she threw up the scan and it was like, it looked so, it
Look, I just blacked out.
I was like, no kidding.
Were you like, ma'am?
Do you want to?
I blacked out.
I don't think I spoke.
Oh, okay, okay.
I think my husband had a lot of questions.
Yeah.
And then we got up, went back into the waiting room.
I remember seeing this girl with a massive scar on the backside of her head.
I'm sitting behind her, and I just lost it.
Yeah.
He started calling everyone.
Yeah.
Every doctor he knew to try to get in touch with the best ones.
Turns out the best one was in the backyard in Michigan.
Really?
He did a bunch of these tumors, tumor removals.
which may you feel good
because the biggest thing
was for me
you could lose your hearing
which is
sucks but
you can live with it
yeah your balance
your brain would have to rely
on one side
which my brain learned how to
afterwards but the main thing
was facial paralysis
that doctor was like
if it's too sticky
on your facial nerve
I'm gonna leave some of it
I'm gonna cut it
because you can live
with no hearing one side
you can but like
if you have a bell palsy on one side
that's going to change your life.
Yeah.
And it's very true.
And as superficial as that might sound, it's the truth.
So did you only get part removed?
He got it off.
Wow.
It was like, he worked on it.
So my, and he, I mean, he was amazing.
My auditory wave went dead at one point, and he made everyone stop.
10 minutes sat there.
And the E&T was like, hey, it's gone.
We should just keep going.
Hearing's out.
And he was like, no.
And it came back.
No way.
Yeah.
So like when you mess with a nerve enough, it'll like, you know,
it'll go dead for a little bit but if you knew it to do he just well he just thank god but yeah he just
made everyone wait and so they sat there and waited until it came back because wasn't your surgery
supposed to be like six hours and it ended up taking double the time which is is another
crazy thing this doctor that did my surgery had seen my condition one other time meaning he went
in where he was supposed to go in and there was an artery sitting there that was not supposed to be
there what so he did like a whole paper on this years ago because like I feel like I feel like
like if you cut, now I'm not a doctor, but if you cut and you don't know if there's an artery
there? Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's bad. Problem. Yeah. So he's like very meticulous and slow. Well,
turns out I had an artery there. Wow. They had to find another way to get in, like another
route to get in. So that's why it took so long. Oh, and how scary for Matthew probably sitting
there waiting with no answers? The pager said, they had a pager. No. Oh, yeah. A pager.
It was 2019. They, that's just is what it is. Okay. A pager and the pager side,
hit a roadblock, expect a longer surgery.
No.
And that's what it said.
Yeah.
Like the worst thing you could admit.
That's your biggest nightmare as a partner, as a human connected to anyone there.
I would, if the roles were reversed, it would have been a nightmare.
Yeah.
He is so just like, I mean, I feel like this is his job, too, like in a huddle.
He's so calm.
Yeah.
And so my parents are in there going, what's going on?
What is it saying?
He's like, she's fine.
The surgery is just going to take a little longer.
He calmed everyone down.
I don't know.
There's something about him, but again, if those would have been a nurse.
Yeah.
Oh, no.
Yeah.
I don't, you know what?
He wouldn't be able to do the sponge baths or like cleaning the poo.
Just the patients.
Yeah, yeah, okay.
He's like, yeah.
So, yeah, it took way longer, but honestly, I'm so grateful for that doctor really just
didn't amazing.
And he, he, every patient that I've heard from after me and before me is when he's the same
with everyone, which is what you love, you know.
Because it's so hard.
I have so many trust issues in life and especially at a doctor.
doctor's office and like I don't know I just feel like everybody talks about having to advocate for
their own health and the system is this blah blah so it's so I love hearing this story because
it's nice to know there are one yeah that he's amazing and he literally saved your life obviously
and a lot of things about it yeah did you have like the pain after because I know people can
easily get addicted to opioids and they don't have the conversation with people and you know like
there's so many things that come with that where they just okay you're healed and
Here you are.
Did you have to go through, like, what was the recovery like for you?
So luckily, well, luckily for me, I was on steroids where I'll just to keep the swelling down
in my brain and very little pain medicine because they want your brain to, they want to see
how you do.
Yeah.
Just because they wipe out my whole right side of balance, like my brain's trying to learn
how to balance my body again.
I mean, Matthew told me he came in the first night and they sat me up and I was screaming,
I'm fought.
Like, I felt like I was falling off a cliff.
And I, like, vividly kind of, not vividly, but I, like, remember this moment that he's talking about, feeling like that. But I was just sitting there.
How long does it take for your brain? I mean, your brain's incredible, but how long does it take for it to?
It took about six months to where I was, yeah, comfortable enough to, like, move around on my own.
Yeah.
But it was, it was a lot to get there. And Matthew didn't, like, again, he's an incredible man, but his support during that time was huge.
Wow.
But I did not have the ability to get addicted to upwards because they took me off of them like almost immediately.
Okay.
Well, that's good.
Yes.
But I will say like the NFL, that's a really interesting case study.
I think that they've removed a lot of it now.
Oh, okay.
But back in the day, they used to just, yeah.
Oh, my gosh.
You know, and it's crazy.
It was wild.
Because then you're dealing with brain injury and addiction and like so many things that come along with the side effects of that and everything.
I'm glad they're changing that.
The world of, yeah.
It's tough for them to get stuff now, which is good.
That is what you want.
That is good.
That is good.
It sucks, sucks.
Because when Matthew's, like, moaning about being heard, I'm like, God, can I get some painkillers in here so I get this guy up park a set?
Yeah.
I need sleep because I have my kids in the morning and he's moaning all night.
That was, that was wild because I feel like we saw the transition from when it was very prevalent.
Yeah.
Now it's really hard to get.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Wow.
Did that change your whole?
perspective like did it change how you parent did it change how you were a partner did it like
what did that do because anytime you have some sort of experience like that rocks your whole world
or something like that it changes you yeah you know what it made me I will say one thing I'm so
happy I went through it really oh yeah I just had my intuitive spiritual coach whatever you want to
call her on my podcast and she was saying like that whole saying of why did this happen for you
not to you yeah and sometimes oh and sometimes I go
there's no way this happened for it and then we'll talk through it and we'll get to like a really
deep level and I go holy shit happened for you so I love that you believe that oh yeah I never heard
it said like that yeah yeah with this I mean with a lot of things but with this yeah you know
I think it made not only we had three kids Matthew and I had three kids under oof I don't even
know under two what how's it oh because I twins oh right and then I had yeah I had my
this the math ain't math yes I had three under 17
months. Wow. Whoa. Yes. So that was at the time that you went through all this. Well, no, they were, let's see, I had my, the twins had just turned two when I finally got the surgery. Yeah. So it was, I would say Matthew and I's, not that like our marriage was not, we just, we weren't connecting because we had. Because you have, nobody does. I don't think it's possible. Yes. It was complete survival. Nobody is like connecting with their partner. Yeah. That many.
kids under I mean I'm to be honest when we had the two I'm surprised we had a third because I was like did I mean like we had sex one time like what's happening once a year it was during the season like whoa yeah it made us both stop for a second and slow down yeah you know because life can just really I mean you're just when you're surviving like that you're just wishing the days through yeah like let's get through this day let's get through this day it made us both slow down in a way and just realize you know what and it sounds so cliche like what's important
I mean, I love cliche because it's the simple things that mean the most.
Like slowing down would make everybody's life so much better yet we choose not to.
It's like we're almost choosing to speed up and speed up time.
And it's at that, in that moment, you know, I wrote them all letters before I went in.
Because not that I wasn't going to come out of it, but like brain surgery is just scary.
And like I was saying, like that artery being misplaced, like there's just weird.
things that can happen so i wanted to make sure like everyone had a little letter from mom or yeah yeah it was
it makes me a little tearyed out but um you know when i woke up from the surgery and had matthew sitting
there he told me before going and he was like if they saved your hearing i'll whisper into your ear
like i love you he also taught my daughters to whisper in my left ear just in case my right ear went
I know.
And so, like, again, it's just like slowing down life a little bit
and putting things into perspective of just like, yes,
my husband is an incredible NFL athlete.
We have an amazing family.
We have a great life.
But there's weight, like, when you get too busy
or when you're just surviving, you don't learn to live it.
Yeah.
And so that was one of the things that we can.
I believe truly our marriage was stronger
and also like our family unit was stronger.
So again, like, it sucked, but I'm so glad it happened.
Oh, and can I take that one step further for you?
Because this is what my coach also says.
Yeah.
Not but, and.
So it sucked and it made your family stronger.
Yeah.
You're so right.
I love and.
I love it.
I love it.
I hate butts are bad.
Butts are negative.
I hate butts.
Yeah.
I hate.
Butts are a masculine language.
Did you know that?
Oh, well, it sounds kind of.
Yeah.
But like there is like, and is feminine.
Yeah.
It's lighter.
Yeah.
It's more approachable.
Yeah.
See, I learned that from my therapist.
Lots of things from the outside right now coming in.
You know what? Together, we could change the world, I think.
With our vocabulary.
Oh, man.
Just leave the butts in the outside and keep it with the ants.
And so feminine.
I always talk about this on my podcast, how I hate that people have to hit rock bottom to, like, learn to appreciate life.
My dad says the same thing.
He's been sober 30 years.
And he goes, I hate that people have to have a problem to go to AA because it's like basically going to church or therapy every Monday and, like, learning what life is about.
about but I just I still can't wrap my head around you having your podcast your career your
Instagram being a mother of four your husband having an NFL career and you sitting here saying like
you just got to slow down I'm like what right listen and I'm not live by it every day but I do
my best to try and remind myself of everything but I listen let's be honest we can sit I can sit here
and tell you oh I you know we're just we're not surviving we're really living life no we're
also surviving ever yet you know there's certain days where you're just like this day's hard yes but
maybe you're just more aware of you know the the little things in life along the way instead of
rushing them yeah and i and i think i am and i feel like it like your dad it sucks but you kind of have
to go through something to really feel it yeah or you have to know so you know like and that that that
that sucks but i also always thought or people always say like why did god choose me i'm like
unfortunately i feel like god chose you not just for your sake but also the people you love sake
like yeah tell everyone around you to slow down it's true it's it's i keep trying to think so my girlfriend
um one of her good friends just died of a brain hemorrhage and like an absolute light in this
world young mother of two and oh my gosh we just kept saying the same thing like why her and what
but then my best friend was saying god i i woke up and i i hugged my kids type of
and I'm treating them differently and I'm way more present and I go well there's that to take away from like she was such a light that the way she lived her life is now inspiring you to live a better life and a life more of light and their her legacy is obviously going to live on through her kids and everything like if we have to find a not a positive but like a meaning around and unfortunately I think when stuff like that happens and when people go you're still here yeah so how are you going to turn you know they wouldn't want I and I have a friend going through some
something to learn right now, but they wouldn't want you to carry on life in a negative way
or not live life because they can't.
Yeah, exactly.
So, like, they'd want you to.
And you're allowed to go through every emotion, you know, talk about mourning, gosh,
you're allowed to be so mad at the world and not understand.
And it's not like you're just going to be like, well, there's a lesson to be learned here.
No, yeah.
This is why, you know.
Yeah.
And that's why we were talking about, like, there's space for both, you know, more and
but also use the positives to make your life.
I don't know, live your life how she would have wanted you to live it.
Yeah, through their perspective of, like, if they could still live that life,
I think that's an important lesson.
I love that you have a podcast.
I could tell because it's always easy to talk to people who have a podcast.
Yeah, I agree, I agree.
So the morning after podcast.
So tell us more about this podcast.
When did it start?
What's it about?
Oh, man, it started three years ago, and it basically started as like a fun little inside our guest room.
Morning after football games.
And I would do like morning.
Now, you can't go too deep into things with the football.
because that affects the team.
Yeah.
So it was more like light, like, you know, just the football experience,
especially in L.A., I feel like it was new because it was the first time people were
allowed in that stadium.
So it was kind of like that at first.
And then I was like, I'm kind of bored of football.
But it would be like five, ten minutes.
And then I move into like parenting.
Her friends would come on.
It would just kind of like move through.
Yeah.
Now we've kind of shied away from that.
We are doing the morning after is more of just like a overall sense.
and most of the podcast is kind of like the chaos of modern parenting.
I have a co-host who is in Detroit.
He's like my, well, I would say he's my best friend.
And he has a daughter who he adopted with his ex-partner.
And so there's like a lot of dynamics.
And we parent differently, obviously.
So it's kind of nice.
But it's just kind of putting out there the fact, like what we see every day and what we hear are the
positive, like, the best experiences in parenting.
Yeah.
And it's not real.
There's so few accounts and platforms that actually tell the truth and it's so frustrating because
I'm sure people also struggle to put out there like the veils of motherhood because
you're like, why would I show people that?
But really, it's so helpful if people were to just talk about it.
100%.
It makes it real.
Yeah.
Because parenting's hard.
Being a parent, especially in the same age, I feel like.
the pressures of just like what you see and I I say this but I honestly that I feel pressure from
what I see and I put that pressure on my kids and there was a moment I was like I've got to stop
doing this like I can't feed myself this information it's not real but what you said is real like
you're saying this is so real like that's so cool that you couldn't even well because I've I've hit a
point now you know I mean like it's just it's if it's starting to affect my kids which it was you
I'm like, why aren't you potty trained?
You're three, you should be potty trained.
What?
No, they don't have to be potty trained.
They're going to potty trained when they want to potty trained.
But there's all these pressures from the outside just like, and there's so much information.
Oh, my gosh.
So you try it one way and it doesn't work.
And then you're like, oh, I'll try this way.
Oh, I'll try this way.
And it turns out, bitch isn't ready to be potty trained.
That's the end all be all.
That's so, isn't it crazy, though?
Because obviously, too, having a platform, having a husband who is like a lot of voices that can come in.
Oh, yeah.
it's how could you not let that get into your bubble but whenever you just like actually remove
yourself and think about what's real in your household oh yeah you know your intuition and what's
right and what's true 100% all the illusion of what other people are saying when they're making
their own freaking mistakes every day yes and I do feel like that is I don't you know it is one
thing that I have struggled with and I continue to struggle and I feel like this is very normal
for most parents, but letting that get in and letting it change you or the way you parent
or the way you are a wife or a friend or whatever it might be and changing you are
because people that you don't even know are telling you to do so.
Yeah.
And you let it in.
I let it in and I.
Everyone does.
It doesn't matter if you have a huge platform or a small one and it's your friend's circle
or the judgy moms at school.
Oh, God, they're there.
Yeah.
It doesn't matter.
You're all letting this noise affect you in some way, shape, or form.
Yeah.
And it's hard.
I can't even imagine because people tell me like that I'm walking my dog wrong.
And then you open it up to everybody and you're like, and then you question yourself.
Always.
And I don't know.
It's so tough not to let it in.
And I feel like in today's world, you know, if you're not, it sucks, but if you're not on social media, if you're not to be, like, you know,
you're not like with the times in a way.
But the part of me so bad wants to not be with the times.
So bad.
Yeah.
That sounds nice.
Doesn't it?
And that's like part of slowing things down.
Like back in the day, shit was slow.
Yeah.
You didn't know everything.
Respond to everybody every two seconds.
I can't with the phones.
I mean, yeah, people think you're a bitch to kids.
You're all bitches to our phone.
Oh my gosh.
Yeah.
Not bitch as in you being mean.
I mean like a little like where it's a little bitch.
Yeah.
I totally.
I'm with you.
But you know what?
will say like I I'm horrible with my phone yeah horrible which is a problem when you don't live close
to family or friends yeah and that sucks but I hate my phone oh I know so like I don't want to be I don't
want it near me because then you look it down you got 50 texts I'm like I don't have I know
where's the time in the day there's not there's not I don't know how you do it I literally
don't know how you do it no I in there's people are doing it it's crazy to me I mean I mean I
it there and I go, this is hard.
Yeah. And to be honest, I have a lot of things that can help me.
Yeah. And I think about those people that don't. I'm like, I don't know how you
do it. Because I think about my mom. I'm like, how? Somehow, I think it's women. Women just
do it. Like, you don't even know how you're doing it and you're just doing it. Somehow at the end
of the day, you're like, well, I did it. Yeah. Let's go again. I know. Yeah. And we're going to
start a new day tomorrow. And here we go again. No, I agree. I mean, it's a lot. In the world that
we live in and there's so much pressure and everything is so much information so much information oh god
there's too much information well and it i mean we try and overcomplicate everything health well-being
oh my gosh parenting like we it there's so much of like be doing this and look at this and then
it's it's too much of an illusion it is it's like it's the simple things you want good kids you
parent them yeah yeah yeah kind individuals right and and things like that you want to be healthy
eat your vegetables
and you go walk and your body
it just seems like it does seem like it's
the simple things that we just kind of forget
and we do that's such a good point
like we make things so much harder on ourselves than we need
to all the time. The parenting's huge too
because you're never going to be perfect parent
and I feel like all I see is all
the perfectness about it and I'm so done with it
the podcast is that I like
talk about my failures we talk about vulnerability
we talk about just like I don't know
being a mom
with all the pressures that come with it
now. And like I haven't even gotten to like where my kids are in the era of not being invited
to things or which is going to happen because you know what I'm not I'm not going to be the mom
at school all the time that gets to know the mom so then the kids get to know I'm just not that
person. I'm really not and I love and I I just have things going on. Yeah no that you don't have
to be some and some and some people are like built for that and love it and some people we're all different
and that's okay. I was the kid that I wouldn't get invited to
birthday parties because everyone was like, she cries too much.
That was me.
I would cry too much at birthday parties.
Oh, if someone wasn't paying attention to me or if a boy didn't want to talk to me or
it was like in the fifth grade, something came over my body where I was just the, I was
an emotional.
But you know what?
Parents were going through a divorce at that time.
So looking back at it, it all adds up.
See?
And that's another thing, too.
Like, make the simple thing simple.
So when something comes around and it's hard, at least like.
you're not making everything else harder on yourself too yeah you're yeah you're like we're a unit
and we got this together yeah the other things we get through day to day but this we're gonna like
yeah i know what you mean yes and you know what talking about a unit i rely on my family so like my
husband and even my kids so much i rely on my kids to just be decent kids and also have fun
because i'm so tired of putting pressure on kids and with sports in school i'm like god just go run
around the backyard yeah just be a kid yeah and so i mean i i i rely a lot
on them and I rely a lot on my husband just to be that unit it is nice and we're in like we're not
home neither of us are from L.A yeah um now we've made it our home but that can be tough this is our
we're going we're coming on three years now three years yeah do you like it I do yeah we're out in
the we're out of the city that's nice yeah so we're not in like the craziness of it found some
really good friends with kids our kids ages and kind of actually had a really good time so
See, that's all you need is a little community and a little village.
Yes.
And we're like, you can raise my kids.
I'll help raise yours.
Like, let's just do it together.
A podcast of mine just came out where you should actually have her on your podcast.
She talked about how it's proven that women live longer if they have a community.
Like, literally proven.
Wait, I love that.
Like, you can drink wine every day.
Like, you can eat whatever you want.
You will live longer if you have a village and a community.
And do you think that comes with like you're able to be vulnerable with that community and like get them?
off so you're not so tied up and stressed.
Think about the last like our parents' generation and how they were just like everything
needed to be so perfect.
Like we feel that now because of Instagram.
But we're starting to talk like you have an actual podcast around not being perfect, which is
going to help so many people, which does take the pressure off, which I think relieves some
stress.
Like you said getting through postpartum helped you to just talk about things.
Just talking about not being perfect can help everybody and then relying on others to help you
in tough times you live a longer life i agree and like this is another thing i think we have trouble
with accepting the help i don't someone you don't i'm like help me all the time and i accept it
i'm right then i take that back i digress no a lot of people do though a lot of people do have a
tough time accepting help sometimes people are so prideful and i thought like i was like that at first
with kids i was like no i don't you want help i need help i'm fine i'm fine and turns out i needed all the
help. Yeah. We all do. Yeah. We all do need help in so many, so many ways. Including vocabulary.
I was going to say some of us vocabulary, some of us more, we're doing fine. We're doing fine.
We're all just at the end of the day doing our best. And that's all we can do. I totally agree.
I don't know if anyone told you. Sometimes on my podcast, we do confessions. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
They did? Okay. I think, yeah. Okay. So anything embarrassing that you're like, oh, you know what?
I thought of this and this is humiliating. And I've never told anyone.
So I did, Kira told me about this and I was like, God, I feel like my whole life is embarrassing.
So it's like hard for me to pick a moment.
That's how I feel, yeah.
I mean, mine's like way back in the day.
Okay, that's fine.
Okay, so it was actually, I think Matthews last year playing football at Georgia.
And I was on the Chilings squad.
Yeah.
And was dead center, 50-yard line doing the pre-game stuff.
Yeah.
This is like when the fans are, because they're about to run out.
Yeah.
And again, college football is huge.
Yeah.
So I'm in the middle of the field.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah, and I'm like, woo.
And go to do a standing tuck, which is a standing back float, which I've done since literally I was, I think, before my mom taught me, face planted.
I have no idea what happened.
Like, my hands didn't go down because I've never, I've, I've never done that.
Yeah.
Like grass in the teeth.
And I just stopped.
And I see the student section is like, and I see the student section, we're like, oh, shit, pointing what they're going to do.
I literally did not.
I just stopped doing what I was doing.
was supposed to go into a stunt didn't do it you just laid there i sat i didn't know what to do
my coach was like what are you doing what are you doing i was just like oh my god i can't i can't move
froze i think i honestly think that was my last game i think i retired no you hung him up
i moved to michigan it's like i can't ever go back oh no girl i i didn't know what to do
and i like again i don't get embarrassed that easily because i feel like my whole life is kind
of embarrassing so like i but in that moment i literally was picking grass out of my teeth
girl I'm glad you're okay
I'm surprised I didn't break my nose
well truly I was thinking about this
because one of my first confessions on this podcast ever
was how I faced planet
I was in the musical fiddler on the roof
very different from your life
I was not a cheer captain I was literally
the fiddler on the roof dressed as a boy
and I was sitting on
I went to like go so I was going to play the fiddle on top of the roof
and all my family and friends were there and the boy I had a crush on
and the orchestra was ready to play
and the spotlight came on
and I wasn't on the roof
and so I was like crawling
and it's like a very like
a tough way to get onto the roof
and I was like
turn the damn light off
but I did anyways
I finally get up there
and everybody's laughing
because it's like
it's not cute
on how to get up to the roof
and then it was like
knee knee
me knee
me
stop I was like
no it gets worse
oh no
because my family and friends
were there and I'm a show off
I was like
how can I stay on stage longer
so I was a townsperson
in the background
and I wanted to stay on stage to show off
and I got in the middle of a fight scene
and somebody got pushed in front of me
and my feet just came up from under me
and I just did a nose dive on the stage
and everyone like audibly gaffed like
oh no and then I
what was your response?
It gets worse.
Okay.
And then I was like oh God
and I knew I had to get out of there
and I got up and I ran to go off stage
tripped on my way out and fell in it.
It just kept going as dominoes.
And instead of my drama teacher, instead of him being like high school, yeah, but 12th grade.
You were a senior.
Yeah.
And he instead of him being like, oh my God, are you okay?
He was like, why did you change the blocking?
You shouldn't have changed the blocking.
And I was like, ugh.
And so then when I go, you're like bruiser and Rachel like, like, thanks.
Well, and then I go to me, my crush and I'm dressed like a boy.
And he's like, nice fall.
And I was like, oh, do you think that worked for like the fight scene?
like I thought maybe it'd like add some drama like trying to play it off and he was like
totally on purpose we know you fell I was like oh my gosh wait I'm dying to see this
costume you were in oh I'll find it I'll find you a picture it's it was like one of those paper boy
hats I bet you were a cute boy though I mean I really sold it I look like a little boy I bet you
were really cute I didn't develop until like 25 no I still I never developed no I have not
clearly surgery helps me so we're fine oh I need that um
But I had a little news boy hat and a collared shirt up to here with my hair and a bun in the hat and like suspenders and high-waisted pants and like long socks.
So it was the high school play.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Okay.
Yeah, that's tough.
And I thought I was the star of the show because I was like, I'm the fiddler on the route.
Oh, yeah.
You were.
We didn't have cheerleaders in high school.
Listen, cheerleading is not cool.
It's really not that cool.
No, it's not.
Well, in the movies it is.
Well, yeah.
To us Canadians it is.
Okay.
Until you land on your face
to pick your grass out of your teeth.
Just kidding.
Girl.
It was, I felt, and it's not that everyone,
because that's a massive stadium,
but like the front ten rows I follow it.
It was like, oh my God.
I literally, I did not go back.
No, I believe you.
I don't, I think I retired my theater career
from there on.
You retired your fiddle.
Yeah, I find out the fiddle.
It's like the sad music.
It's like, teat, tee, tee, tee, tee, te, I hung it all up.
Oh, my God.
It's not right.
That's amazing.
We'll tell everybody where they can find your podcast and you on Instagram and...
Podcast, wherever you get your podcast, it is the morning after with Kelly and Hank.
That's also the Instagram feed.
Oh, feed, that's wrong.
Instagram handle.
Look at you slowing down and not getting it.
Yep.
There we go.
Slow everything down.
And my personal is KB Stafford, 89.
Oh, you're a KB too.
Yeah.
Same Zies.
Yeah, my middle name's B.
just the letter oh wait my middle name's Don so my mom calls me KD so it's like Katie but it's
KD oh interesting was that on purpose no I don't think so no okay she was KD yeah I was KB or or cup but that's
another story um but yeah KB I'm gonna call you that from now on there you're like you're not
allowed actually um thank you so much that was such a fun conversation and everything you've just
gone through and now I love that you have like this vulnerable podcast thank you I appreciate
You just feel like a real one.
That's why my girlfriend, Kat, was like, you're going to love her.
She seems like a real one.
Oh, thank you.
So there you go.
Even though you think you're feeling the pressure, you're known as a real one.
I feel like that's like one of the best things you know that.
So thank you.
Truly.
I'm Caitlin Bristow.
I'll see you next Tuesday.
See you're next Tuesday.
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