Jennie has spent years as an Operating Room nurse, counseling her patients, holding their hands through the pain, hearing their fears and seeing the heartbreaks. Then, one fateful day in 2022, the tables were turned and Jennie became the patient who needed counseling, some hand-holding, whose fear and heartbreak became palpable.  Jennie Ebmeyer was diagnosed, at the age of 39, with Stage I breast cancer. Within days, after a PET Scan, the diagnosis was changed to Stage IV metastatic breast cancer. Being told she had limited options, and “we’ve done all we can” after some harsh chemo, the medical institution was ready to usher her to the “Stage 4 Pasture”, as she calls it. But Jennie wasn’t done. She just needed to advocate for herself   And her story still isn’t done. Her advocacy isn’t done. She is meant to write the story of a Stage 4 metastatic  breast cancer THRIVER and that is exactly what she’s doing - one page at a time.

Vickie spent her life building armor that she believed would save her from emotional pain. After decades of surgeries, medical appointments, dental procedures, scarring, braces, and bone grafts, Vickie thought her emotional armor was pretty solid. Then, her daughter came home from school in 1st grade and told her about a bullying situation that happened. After seeing red and having a “disproportionate” reaction to the situation, Vickie came to realize her armor had some chinks in it. After working on herself, unpacking her trauma and focusing on healing and self-acceptance, she has found her purpose in life - helping the cleft community, and parents of cleft individuals, build resilience and pave their own paths toward self-acceptance and love.  “Vickie Stolle is the founder of the company Dragonfly Paradigm – A Cleft Resilience Community. She is a writer, speaker, pianist, general aviation pilot, relentless list maker, book lover, strategy builder, and is also a woman born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate. Vickie knows from firsthand experience the emotional challenges one goes through living with a facial difference. As a result, she has built a community wherein she shares strategies and tools for building and maintaining emotional resilience for cleft affected individuals as well as parents and caregivers of cleft affected children.”  www.dragonflyparadigm.com

Hearing is different than listening.  Dr. Matthew Kircher is not only a talented surgeon, a brilliant doctor, and an all-around good person, but Shailushi and Kosha also are lucky enough to call him family. He is married to their cousin (and previous guest on IAS) Sheetal. He sits in the Speaker’s Chair this week to discuss his work as an ENT surgeon, how an ear functions, and why Q-tips should never go near your ears.   Matthew L Kircher, MD is currently an Associate Professor of Otology, Neurotology and Skull Base Surgery in the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at Loyola University Medical Center. His practice includes the medical and surgical treatment of patients afflicted with ear disease. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and book chapters. He currently serves on several national ENT committees, Co-Editor for Audiology and Neurotology Journal and is an active member of the American Neurotology Society and the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

What a freaking fun and interesting conversation.  Marijo has been making the world more accessible, one conservation at a time. For over 30 years, she’s been signing her way, being of service to the deaf and hard of hearing community.  Marijo Fiacchino’s resume is lengthy and her credibility is solid - she has her Certification of Interpretation (CI) and Certification of Transliteration (CT), she is RID (Registry of Interpretation for th Deaf) Certified. She has a Masters Level license in Illinois, and is qualified as an Illinois Master Mentor. So, we know she’s capable, she’s educated, and she’s driven.   But until you speak with her, or shall we say, let her speak, you wouldn’t know how passionate she is for this work that she loves, how much compassion she is for her deaf and hearing clients, and how much she views her life’s work as service to a marginalized community.  The world needs more people like Marijo. And she’s hilarious, to boot.

Holy Crap. There is a reason Kosha isn't the "main host". She lost words. But Shailushi found the words. And Kosha come around eventually. Violet Turner is the most self-possessed teenager you can meet. Violet has a significant stutter. It does take a few moments to get into her vocal cadence, but STAY WITH US because her words and her sentiments will change you. This young woman is on a trajectory to change the world. We cannot do that by ourselves. And to close out of this conversation would be to "other" Violet for her stutter. But I promise. her voice is worth listening to. "Violet is an example of what is possible as a young person." - Shailushi In this episode, we spoke to one of the most self-possessed young women I have ever met. The fact that she is 16 years old simply makes the story more beautiful.  Listen to this story. Violet Is Speaking. And what we figured out in this discussion is that when Violet speaks, everyone should listen.

Paul Varghese did his first comedy set in June 2001. Four months later, the world got very scary and very dark for brown people. Twenty-two years later, he continues to take the stage, kill with eloquently crafted jokes, and use his Indian-ness as a source of pride and humor.  Several months ago, one of Paul’s jokes (the iPhone icon joke) went viral. Kosha saw it and showed it to everyone she knows. Paul’s YouTube special dropped and your cohosts decided that this guy has got to be in our Speaker’s Chair, he’d be an amazing guest. And whoa boy, were we right.  Paul is incredibly funny. But he’s also incredibly thoughtful, incredibly confident, and incredibly humble. He won’t go for the easy lay-ups, because he knows there’s more to unearth that will be ten times funnier if you put in the thought and the work.  It was an honor and a privelage to have this amazing stand-up sit down with us for a couple hours to tell us his story. We encourage you to listen to the episode, then watch his YouTube special, and do a deep dive into his Instagram where he posts bits and jokes multiple times a week.  And if you are anywhere near where he’s performing, do yourself a favor and go see one of his “programs”. And sit in the front row without fear, this dude doesn’t do crowd work.  As I Was Saying: https://youtu.be/2AWY8YDO-yI Instagram: @paulvcomedian

When David Figueroa was born, his mother was told he would never walk, talk or learn enough to go through school. Last week, David turned 32 years old (Happy Birthday David!). He’s a college graduate, he walked across the stage to get his diploma and now he’s a motivational speaker and youth advocate for underserved and underprivelaged youth. He’s also a cyclist and former 3 sport athlete. What’s his message? Only you know what you are capable of.  David talks at length about who spurred him on before he developed his own voice of self-advocacy, how cruel people can be when they see someone “different,” and when not listening to a doctor was a good step in his process.  David was a joy to have in the Speaker’s Chair. He has achieved plenty and deserves all the accolades and attention and love he’s getting for what he’s accomplished. But mostly, David is a caring, joyful, kind person who sees purpose in helping others, disability or not.

There are certain events that punctuate a person’s life, and one can’t help but think of life as “before” and “after”. We might think of life “before having kids” and “after having kids”. Or “before the pandemic” versus “after the world shut down”. Anuja Martinez (née Mehta) has her life “before brain aneurysm” and “after brain aneurysm”.  At the age of 29, Anuja finally had th answer to why she would get debilitating headaches, light flashes, and tunnel vision, but the answer was terrifying. Finally a doctor listened to her and ordered an MRI, which revealed a fusiform brain aneurysm. She and her family, along with the best doctors in the world, chose a less mainstream surgery to repair the aneurysm, the surgery was successful, and Anuja is living a full and wonderful life in her “after”. But the story never ends there. To kick off our Season 5 “Physical Disability & Challenges: Seen & Unseen”, Anuja shares her journey of facing her mortality in her 20s, the consequences of not looking like she had brain surgery, and how she uses her experience to address systemic problems in the healthcare system now. A fun bonus for us: Anuja is our cousin! She is passionate, compassionate and truly lovely. You will hear her high highs and low lows in our conversation. But overall, you’ll hear the drive to use her “after a brain aneurysm” life to impact change and be a force for good.

To cap off Season 3: Mental Health & Neurodiversity, we have an amazing guest who is fighting the good fight. Nikki Naglich is a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner at a mental health hospital in the suburbs of Chicago. She talks about treating serious mental illness, the difference between inpatient & outpatient work, and her hopes for her patients’ futures.   We discuss why and when people are brought to an inpatient psych unit, which can involve police bringing a psychotic patient to the hospital instead of to jail (given someone’s psychosis may include agression/violence, destruction of property, a threat or harm to oneself or others). Nikki talks about having a good relationship with the local police force, and that calling the police is an option if there is a situation where one feels unsafe or threatened. Nikki and everyone at I Am Speaking are aware and note that involving the police is not the first or ideal option for dealing with a mental health crisis.  “At the end of the day, police are trained to handle criminal activity, not provide health care. Many police tactics (including strategies of intimidation and control) are counterintuitive in mental health emergencies, where people need empathy and care.” - I Don’t Mind Depending on the area and the situation, calling the police could exacerbate the situation, especially if the person is a person of color (POC.) Nikki speaks of understanding, deescalation and empathy. If you must call the police, NAMI has some advice here: tinyurl.com/3rt625w3 Nikki is a wealth of knowledge, but you hear the compassion come through loud and clear. She loves what she does, even when it’s hard. And we are glad she’s caring for people who have been marginalized, victimized, and demonized. Nikki, thank you for doing what you do. We need more people like you in mental healthcare.  DISCLAIMER: I Am Speaking is for information, education and entertainment purposes only. In no way is I Am Speaking intended to provide medical advice or substitute for mental health advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you are feeling suicidal, thinking about hurting yourself or concerned that someone you know may be in danger of hurting themselves, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or the Suicide Hotline at 988, or call 911.

“Athi is deeply committed to our clients, and takes a personal interest in the relationships that she builds through the practice of architecture.” - Scott Delano, Architect Extraordinaire Athi Toufexis is an architect. She specializes in designing educational environments for learners of all abilities. She supports school districts and communities in transforming their visions into inspiring built realities. Athi strives to create future-ready solutions to better prepare students for the ever-evolving world of tomorrow. Athi is also a joy to speak with. She is clearly passionate about public service, amd creating spaces in which people can find comfort, joy and awe. As Athi mentions, architecture is a facet of life that is constantly impacting our lives, every day, every hour, every minute. We loved speaking with Athi to learn about what an architect does, and how she approaches work for different projects in and for different communities. Kosha also learns what a portico is during our conversation, which was exciting for her. Do you have a favorite building?