6/10/26

 I have heard from several people about facing the shower, putting your back to the shower or twirling. It seems the majority of people are twirlers. Little petite ballerinas in the shower! So funny. I am a stationary ballerina. 🩰 It’s probably for the best. I am not that graceful and would likely break a hip.

I did some light reading during my coffee consumption time. It was a study on a medication that has been shown to help reduce protein in the urine, a side effect of kidney disease that Ethan struggles with. It seemed promising at first. All the cool things noticed in the study. Then I read the side effect of sometimes causing increase potassium. Potassium increases can be detrimental to heart health. Nope! Disqualified! I will keep reading, searching and asking questions!

I asked Ethan if he would be interested in participating in stem cell therapy. They take donor stem cells (mine) and give them to the transplant recipient (Ethan). He said he would be interested in learning more. It could mean a trip or few to California as UCLA is the leader in researching this therapy. 

It has shown promising results for reducing the amount of rejection medication….which is harsh on the kidney. I sent an inquiry today asking if they would be able to do stem cell therapy on a double transplant. I am waiting for a reply. It is another avenue we could explore. I brought it up to the transplant nephrologist and she had not heard of this therapy but seemed supportive if we wanted to explore it.

I don’t mind learning more before Ethan decides if it would be something he would truly want to try.

Today I did some non-conventional recruiting for one of my company’s hospitals. I am hoping the results are beneficial. That would be really cool. Maybe it could help other vet hospitals.

I worked a bit late to catch up for the day. Tomorrow will be busy.

Sarah came this evening. She, myself, Paul and Ethan watched a show. We laughed together multiple times. Ethan was hilarious. It is nice that he shows that side of himself sometimes. He is usually very guarded around other people. Even though Sarah has been part of the family longer than he has…ha! He doesn’t remember all the lunches and shopping trips he went on with Sarah and I.

Luckily there is no sign of poison ivy on Paul. I have a few spots that are quite itchy. Stupid poison ivy. It’s like a mosquito bite on steroids that lingers. Ugh!

Paul and I are looking forward to our Alumni Weekend at our college. Ethan will hold the fort down and entertains the canine siblings he has.

I feel like a fish out of water with my new role. Fake it til you make it is how I am approaching it. 

Tonight my travel buddy, Melissa, texted me that her son is in middle school and she had pulled out her middle school yearbook. She was sending me pictures of the silly things 12, 13 and 14 year old Patti wrote. I was laughing. One of the things I wrote is still true today.

This was from our 6 th grade yearbook. The year we met. I still “like people that care and make me laugh.” It still “makes me happy”. ❤️❤️ 

I also like that I felt vulnerable enough to share that with her.

I also wrote next to a teacher’s picture that he looked like a pervert. When I saw the picture she sent, I agree…I still think he does look like a pervert in that picture. He had a pervert mustache that almost any child molester seen in the news today has.

Not much has changed.

To be clear, this guy was not a pervert and did nothing inappropriate. He was always nice. I just didn’t care for his mustach.  I was extra judgey! I would like to say I grew out of it….but I have my days. My job is literally judging people to see if they can make it to the next step in an interview process. Ha!

Thanks for the laughs tonight Melissa!