1. I was up and at 'em first thing this morning to get cleaned up and to get Copper and Gibbs ready for me to blast off to Kootenai Health for labs.
I'm on a once a week blood draw schedule again for the time being.
I find all of the staff who work the counter at Lab Services very helpful, but I am especially happy when an employee named Deborah is available to check me in.
She looked up my order among the faxes transmitted to her computer, found the one Dr. Murad had faxed in for me on June 23rd, and for a second the color drained from her face.
"It's nine pages long," she said, smiling bravely. "Have a seat and I'll get your order entered. It'll take a while."
No problem.
She then alerted her fellow counter worker that she'd be working on a nine pager and would be occupied for a while.
She patiently and carefully entered the orders.
I got called in.
Everything worked out perfectly.
About fifteen minutes later, I was seated in the lobby outside lab services enjoying a chocolate croissant and a superbly prepared latte.
2. As I've mentioned before, the doctors I work with are assessing some signs that have popped up of early rejection of my transplanted kidney.
I've also mentioned that not one of the kidney pros appears alarmed.
I saw Dr. Murad last Monday (June 23) at the transplant clinic and after our visit he sent me to the hospital lab for a handful of tests that can't be done at Kootenai. He told me the results would take a bit longer than my routine tests take.
So, today, I messaged Nurse Jenn (my nurse coordinator at the transplant clinic) and asked her if all the June 23rd results had arrived yet.
She replied immediately.
Yes. In fact, the last result had just arrived.
She liked what she saw: things look stable and she used the words "great" and "double good".
Before too long, Dr. Murad will also study these June 23rd results and the results of today's blood work and then I'll find out if he wants to change any of my medications or any of my dosages.
In summary, at this point, on July 1, 2025, as I understand it, things look encouraging in my little world of transplantion and some complication.
I sure hope I'm right!
3. This evening my mind wandered back to about 1993 or '94. As it does so often, I wandered back to the Bijou theater in Eugene and got to thinking about the three hour Robert Altman masterpiece, Short Cuts. The movie features an incredible ensemble cast of actors ranging from Lily Tomlin to Jack Lemmon to Lyle Lovett to Buck Henry. It blends together a whole bunch of story lines and examines multiple aspects of life in suburban Los Angeles.
I remember it being an emotionally demanding movie and a marvel of improvisational development.
It's dumb for me to feel this way, but I really wanted to leave the house and go the a local art house and just watch whatever independent movie was playing from whatever country it was made in.
That experience is unavailable in Kellogg. Or CdA. I don't know what's playing at the Magic Lantern, my favorite Spokane movie theater from 1974-78 and 1982-84.
For now, though, I'll dial up Short Cuts one of these afternoons or evenings and groove on Robert Altman while, at the same time, allowing myself to be disturbed by what I'm watching.
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