What It's Like Donating Your Liver

Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of suicide, mental health, and emotional distress. Listener discretion is advised. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call or text 988 in the United States to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

What would make someone volunteer to give away part of their liver to save another person's life?

In this episode, we sit down with Mandy Williams, the living donor who gave 73% of her liver to our friend Andy. 

She shares the incredible story behind her decision, the surgery, recovery, and the unexpected emotional challenges that followed.

From misconceptions about organ donation to honest conversations about anxiety, mental health, family support, and finding purpose through hardship, this is a raw and inspiring look at what it means to make a life-changing sacrifice for someone else.

This is a reminder that ordinary people are capable of extraordinary things. If you’ve ever considered organ donation, this one is for you. 

Grab a coffee, pull up a chair, and buckle up as we get to know Mandy Williams.

Transcript

SPEAKER_06 0:10

This is either gonna go really boring, or if you hit the right topics, I'm gonna be burned at the stake. What topics are those?

SPEAKER_02 0:22

Cammy help us out with the questions, would you? All the ones.

SPEAKER_04 0:26

Faith, politics, health, you know, all the canceling ones.

SPEAKER_01 0:30

All the canceling ones.

SPEAKER_04 0:32

All right, let's get started. You are feeling close to me.

SPEAKER_00 0:41

You have to Nicole Fisher.

SPEAKER_01 1:05

Kayla's behind us. I wish we could get her in a the shot.

SPEAKER_02 1:08

Yeah, come on, Kayla.

SPEAKER_01 1:09

Just pop in and say hi.

SPEAKER_04 1:12

Just go between Keith and Nicole. Real quick. Just go between Keith and Nicole real quick.

SPEAKER_01 1:17

Just say hi.

unknown 1:20

Hey.

SPEAKER_01 1:22

She seems to make all the loud noises downstairs. The real. Yeah. Yeah, that's the real. Hi, I'm Nicole Fisher. This is my husband, Keith Fisher.

SPEAKER_03 1:32

Hi.

SPEAKER_01 1:33

And this is Beans and Banter. And our special guest today. Shh, no talking, no kidding.

SPEAKER_02 1:38

All right.

SPEAKER_01 1:39

All right. Our special guest today is Mandy Williams. Hi.

SPEAKER_02 1:44

Thanks for being here, Mandy.

SPEAKER_01 1:46

Thanks for being here, Mandy. So today, the how we know Mandy is Mandy is a customer of ours at the mill. That's it. Just kidding.

SPEAKER_03 1:57

That's at the end.

SPEAKER_01 1:58

But there's so much more to um her story. Do you want to take over?

SPEAKER_02 2:06

I feel like I have to. This is brutal.

SPEAKER_00 2:12

Hey, take over.

SPEAKER_02 2:14

So I didn't know you before. Um I sort of knew Cliff a little, but I didn't I didn't know you. And we went to the same school.

SPEAKER_06 2:26

Correct.

SPEAKER_02 2:27

Just wild. And you're like three years older than me, maybe.

SPEAKER_06 2:32

Graduated in 99.

SPEAKER_02 2:34

Yeah. So yep. Three years older. So many.

SPEAKER_01 2:38

Wow, you're I thought you were younger. Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 2:41

Yeah, right?

SPEAKER_01 2:42

Than you for sure.

SPEAKER_02 2:44

Look at me.

SPEAKER_01 2:45

You aged very well. He ages like a leather-bound book that's sitting out in the sun on a hot summer day in California.

SPEAKER_02 2:56

That's true. So this is what looks what gets you with um 10 years of marriage with the love of your life.

SPEAKER_00 3:08

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:09

Yeah. Well then I should be really old.

SPEAKER_02 3:12

Ages beautifully.

SPEAKER_01 3:14

Because he's such an easy man to be married to. A dog just went to him downstairs, and the lady's like, that's the second person ever that the dog has ever gone to. I'm like, he's an asshole. Don't think it's because he's a kind heart.

SPEAKER_02 3:29

But they were like both like probably because I smelled like snacks.

SPEAKER_01 3:34

No, but she's like, honestly, my dog never goes to anybody. I'm like, he is a kind heart.

SPEAKER_02 3:39

I didn't eat anything today, so it can't be the snack thing.

SPEAKER_01 3:41

It's gotta be the cold heart. But okay, so Mandy. The first time I remember Mandy, I was stocking the beverage cooler. And you and Cliff were like, hey, we just came from Madison. And I'm like, oh, from what? And then you're like getting tested to see if we can donate our liver. I have goosebumps, our liver to Andy. And I'm like, what? Because she doesn't she doesn't know Andy. Well, she knows him now. He actually has her body part inside of him. Um spoiler alert. That's what she said. Yeah. There you go. Good joke. She said a she said joke. Um, but I was blown away, and I'll be honest, because when I went through the process, um they explained like how large your liver has to be and all of the complication, like things that it's really hard to actually find. And as you can see, she's a little gal. She's tall. You're taller.

SPEAKER_02 4:43

So were you were you eyeballing her a little bit?

SPEAKER_01 4:46

Completely judging.

SPEAKER_02 4:47

I was like, You were like, she's not big enough.

SPEAKER_01 4:49

I'm like, shit.

SPEAKER_02 4:50

I said she's like her liver's gonna be teeny tiny.

SPEAKER_01 4:54

I'm like, she's so little, hopefully. But Andy's a little guy, he is. Um I tended to focus on the positives, at least with our business page, right? On all the good people. It does not mean we don't have souls we deal with every day, right? It doesn't mean that there's not negative things, doesn't mean that I'm not negative because I can be super negative. But when people like that, like you, like you just give everyone like why people like feel good stories is because it gives everyone like there is good out there yet, right? In humanity, right? It gives people hope.

SPEAKER_02 5:27

And like a refreshing, like I don't know, feeling of filled with it, you know, like I don't know. I've gone through like my own personal life of like ups and downs a little, and sometimes you're down a little longer than you'd like to be. And like things like that, I feel like are like when you hear of I'm gonna try not to be like emotional and stupid.

SPEAKER_01 5:57

It's hard not to be Andy's area.

SPEAKER_02 5:59

I like how much you gave up is like such a like I makes you wanna just kiss a baby and be happy, and like it gives it gives you like this newfound hope in humans. Like I think it was it's really cool. You're a good person. I am not sure you are.

SPEAKER_01 6:30

Mandy is a really good person. Mandy, tell me about the process. Okay, tell me about tell me about you reading the post.

SPEAKER_02 6:39

Where were you? What were you wearing?

SPEAKER_01 6:44

Now that's weird, it's super weird.

SPEAKER_02 6:48

Um she's trying to paint a picture, like what was going on?

SPEAKER_06 6:51

I was alone, and I had a few minutes that I just opened Facebook up, and it was one of the first things that popped up on my for you page. And I read it, and I'm like, I'm a match. That was my literal first thought. I have goosebumps was I'm a match. And I read it again, and it was probably long, it was, but I like those. I like how you write, like you write, like break it up like that. It I don't know, there's just something about it. Thank you. And I cry a lot at your posts, actually. Good. Um, I'm happy all the feel-good stuff. Good. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 7:31

That's sort of that.

SPEAKER_06 7:32

My kids have a bet on how long I I it takes before you make me cry. Really? Yes.

SPEAKER_01 7:39

That's sad.

SPEAKER_06 7:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:41

But like also good.

SPEAKER_06 7:42

Cliff says five minutes into it. Um, everybody else, I think the most was like 23 minutes. So I have to do I have to do it before like I have to more than 23 minutes. So I make people cry. Oh, great.

SPEAKER_02 7:53

And I'm a crier. People are betting on it.

SPEAKER_01 7:56

People are betting on it.

SPEAKER_02 7:57

I think we got a new, I think we got a new podcast.

SPEAKER_01 8:00

How long? Okay, let's get back to Mandy. Not about me making people cry.

SPEAKER_06 8:06

So I didn't even wait. I went first chance I got and went online and put my name in, hit the link or whatever. And I went home that night, and I think I was on my break at work when I did that. And Cliff came home and I looked at him, I said, I did a thing. And he's like, that can be so many different things.

SPEAKER_02 8:28

You didn't even consult with him at all. Nope.

SPEAKER_06 8:30

I did not. And I said, I put my name in to be a live liver donor. And honestly, he really wasn't that surprised because there was a family friend a few years ago that needed a liver. Um, very big man that needed a liver. And um, I had said that, you know, I'd look into it, but they when they found out how much I weighed, they're like, never wasn't gonna happen. Um, so he wasn't overly surprised. And I've been on the um, what is that called? The donor registry? The donor registry for like the big needle in the back thing, the stem cells.

SPEAKER_01 9:06

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_06 9:07

So I've been and bone marrow. Oh, bone marrow. That's it. Yep. I've been on that registry for sorry, and have you done that? No, I've never been on that regard.

SPEAKER_01 9:14

I hear that's super painful.

SPEAKER_06 9:15

Yeah, but pain doesn't bother me.

SPEAKER_02 9:17

So she likes the pain.

SPEAKER_06 9:20

It's in the case. Pretty much, yeah, it's a trauma response, I think.

SPEAKER_02 9:23

Okay, someone's healthy.

SPEAKER_01 9:25

Um we'll dive into that after this. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:28

Um that'll be a follow-up question.

SPEAKER_06 9:30

So I did that and I told him and he was fine with it. And so that was, and that started the whole spiral of waiting for the call, waiting, you know, whatever. And then I got to do the online testing where they ask you all the questions or whatever, and then I had the phone call. And um, then they told me, you know, yeah, you know, everything looks good, but there's so many people in line to do the testing for Andy that we're not gonna bring you down right now. If we need you, you know, you're on the list. So that was a wait. And you know, I just knew I'm like, it's gonna be me. You're just wasting time here, people.

SPEAKER_00 10:11

That's so funny.

SPEAKER_06 10:12

And yeah, so we got the call and went down there. Um, the like they they weren't kidding when they said that's the most in-depth physical you'll ever have in your life. Um, funny story, they said the person before me um taking the blood because they take like what 23 vials of blood, um, passed out. Come to find out, I think it was Lincoln. Forgive me if I'm wrong. Was it Lincoln? He's I swear to god, he messaged me on Messenger when I told the story. Or was it Jeremy? It was somebody you guys know.

SPEAKER_01 10:46

I think it was Jeremy. So it's probably well, regardless, it was one of somebody that knew Andy, and I think it maybe was Jeremy.

SPEAKER_06 10:54

Okay, yeah, or Lincoln.

SPEAKER_01 10:56

I don't think Lincoln made it that far. I think they told him to dry it up.

SPEAKER_06 10:59

Uh it's on my post. I'll have to go back and look. Okay, but yeah, and I'm like, oh, because I started feeling lightheaded, and I'm like, I am not passing out, not passing out. You know, your mind is pretty powerful when you want it to be, so it did not pass out. Good for you. Um, but then yeah, the the MRI where they put that stuff in it makes you feel like you're gonna pee yourself, and you know, it's very interesting what you find out, but yeah, like you said, who would have thought I had an extra large liver?

SPEAKER_01 11:29

Yeah, it's a massive liver, yeah. For a giant liver for a little lady.

SPEAKER_06 11:34

Not the first time I've been told weird things with medical, so really, yeah, but at least it worked out this time.

SPEAKER_01 11:43

They try to talk you out of it almost. I don't want to like I don't want to like diss on UW Health, but they do a very good job at telling you everything and anything that will go wrong and make it more give you more of the bad than the good. Yes, because as a donor, like they say, you have nothing to gain, only everything to lose.

SPEAKER_06 12:02

I don't necessarily believe that, right, because it's such a rewarding experience.

SPEAKER_01 12:07

Okay, let's talk about that. Tell me about how you feel like after donating. We'll we'll get to like your surgery and all that stuff too, but like I feel like we need to touch on you said it's rewarding, like explain that to somebody that is maybe thinking.

SPEAKER_06 12:23

So I never doubted my decision. There was one little instance um where they told me that I could never donate again. I didn't realize it was a one and done thing. And me having five kids, I'm like, okay, what happens if my kid needs a liver? And then I'm like, well, there's a loophole, you just have to unsubscribe from life, and then they can take the whole thing. So, because you can donate it, you can like give the whole thing now. So, like if I were to pass and you know, my liver was viable, I guess they can take that and put it in somebody.

SPEAKER_01 12:59

So you're saying like commit suicide.

SPEAKER_06 13:02

Yeah. If my kid needed it, I mean okay.

SPEAKER_01 13:06

What you didn't like that I said that? No. Oh, it's okay. I'm just making sure that's what you yeah, that's what I unsubscribe from what I was thinking like natural causes, and then timing worked out perfect. Yeah, I know it's dark, but I mean, like, when we all give our life for our kids. I didn't mean to don't don't come at me like that. Just making sure we're on the same page.

SPEAKER_02 13:27

Yeah, all that all that negativity's gotta get shored up because before you post on Facebook.

SPEAKER_06 13:36

But if you talk about it, how are people gonna know? Right, right.

SPEAKER_02 13:40

I agree.

SPEAKER_06 13:41

I'm just yeah, get out of here.

SPEAKER_02 13:42

This is the banter part. Oh, sorry, banter.

SPEAKER_06 13:46

No, she's bantering.

SPEAKER_01 13:48

Um, so okay. So my kids got threatened. Don't screw up your livers, right? Yeah, but you know what? Like I said, the last episode that wasn't aired yet. You now can abuse all of your organs because you get first dibs at any organ, huh? So, like if you need a kidney, okay, let's say you damage them. This really that's side note, that's a joke. Nobody take that to heart. Right? That's what I'm supposed to say. Don't do that.

SPEAKER_02 14:17

Um I liked it when you're like, eh, well, people need organs right now.

SPEAKER_01 14:23

They told me, they told me that if I will ever need an organ, I get bumped to the top of the list if you donate a kidney or a liver or anything.

SPEAKER_04 14:33

Really?

SPEAKER_01 14:33

So if you need something down the road, they're like, Oh, she has been a donor. Boop, you go to the top of the list.

SPEAKER_06 14:39

Well, I'm old now, so I don't know if I like that idea, but you know, that's and they never told me that. So that's old.

unknown 14:47

I am old.

SPEAKER_01 14:48

Yeah, and I told them that. I said, you need to tell people that because I don't think anybody like that's not I don't think I had no idea.

SPEAKER_02 14:56

Do you think it's like one of those like warranty things that they're like, we don't run really want people to know? I guess it's like fine print, like so they're like we don't put it out there.

SPEAKER_01 15:06

Hopefully they don't use it.

SPEAKER_02 15:07

Hopefully they don't cash in, just hoarding organs out there, probably with the money in them. We don't want anybody to be like her and be like, oh, let's abuse our organs.

SPEAKER_04 15:18

UW help is actually gonna come after us.

SPEAKER_01 15:20

How do you know that? They told me, yeah, because I said the thing about I said that because they asked for like any doubt. I'm like, the only thing is like you think about your kid, like if your kid needs it, but I feel like if someone like you did something like that for somebody, yeah, we talked about that. I didn't talk about it to her though that God is gonna take care of you and your children and be like, you know what, we got a donor for you. Like I feel like I feel like there is such a thing as good karma, right? And bad karma. And I feel like what you put out there, I it like can you imagine if your child needed something? It would take one post and people would line up, they'd be like, I'm here for you, you were there for someone else. So I feel like there is good out there, but that's a valid question, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 16:03

And they have siblings too, so like my kids they have the benefit of having siblings, so it's not like take his, take his kidney, right?

SPEAKER_03 16:13

No, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:15

So they um they brought it up when I said something about I think kids are like, actually, do you know that if you donate? I'm like, I did not know that. You guys need to tell people that you can come up here, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:26

It's okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:28

Um okay, so how do you feel after?

SPEAKER_06 16:32

Um, I was more concerned about Andy than I was myself. I'll be 100% honest. Like, I know what I can handle. Pain doesn't bother me. I knew I was gonna be fine. I just, you know, because I always ask you, what happens if it fails? Are you gonna be able to handle this? Or, you know, what happens if God forbid he dies? Or the he get rejects it, you know, that kind of thing. I lied through my teeth with them, I'll be honest. Um you gotta have not handled it well at all.

SPEAKER_01 17:08

No, that would have been hard.

SPEAKER_06 17:09

Uh that would have crushed me, I'll be honest. Um, I am very much invested in how he's feeling, how he's doing. You know, I try not to bug him and his family, um, because I don't want to be that person, but but he does have your liver.

SPEAKER_02 17:25

I mean, I don't think he owes you, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 17:27

He owes you an explanation. It's funny that you say the O's thing because we were the night before we were in the hotel, or not the hotel, the scary. I don't really know if I want to say scary, because they were so nice to us. The um that house, the house was a little creepy, you know, but we were sitting there talking and you know, we really couldn't sleep a whole lot. And I looked at Michelle and I was like, you know, this comes unconditionally. I would have done it no matter what, but if you don't want to be friends like and keep in touch after the fact, I I understand. Like, don't feel like you have to be my friend because of this. You know, I don't want it to be forced, you know, is what I'm saying.

SPEAKER_01 18:17

You know, if I will gladly accept the friendship, you know, it's kind of weird because you and Michelle kind of look alike, Andy's wife, and you and Andy kind of look alike, so therefore Andy and his wife are related. Maybe let's start that rumor. That's why his liver's bum. Just kidding. Just kidding. Um, but yeah, you guys have like some weird look, like not weird, but I mean like weird common look.

SPEAKER_06 18:47

Yeah, my mom said we looked like twins that one day when we were standing outside for one picture that was posted in front of the mill. My mom's like, oh my god, you guys could be twins. Yes, for sure. But yeah, it so like there's no obligation, you know. I didn't want that weirdness, and you know, I want to I want to know more than I let on.

SPEAKER_01 19:08

I want to know because ask him, he wants to talk all the time, he calls us all the time. Just kidding, Andy. Um, but I mean, I'm sure you'd like to share. Like at time out, no, he's gonna lie to you. Yeah, he's not very he's not very good at like he's yeah, he's not gonna tell you how many times he's at the hospital and like he's gonna tell me for like we'll know because all of a sudden they'll be like, Have you talked to Andy? He's like, Nope. I'm like, he's in the hospital.

SPEAKER_02 19:38

He's probably in the hospital. I'm better calling. I'm like, I haven't heard from him in like 20 hours.

SPEAKER_01 19:43

But the his issues are not your liver, the issues are the bile ducts.

SPEAKER_06 19:48

Yeah, that's what I've kind of gathered. Yeah, I'm waiting for him to get the weird cravings. Yeah, you said you're craving pickled. Oh, I ate jars of pickles and pickled asparagus after I got back. Like that's all I wanted to eat.

SPEAKER_01 20:04

And how did you like that before?

SPEAKER_06 20:06

I like I love everything pickled, but I had never sat and eaten a jar. Like the jars of asparagus that I could get at Charlie's, the big ones.

SPEAKER_01 20:14

Like I had like some three of those that would be good. We should go to Charlie's and get some.

unknown 20:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:20

Shout out to Charlie. Um, and the good prices on pickled asparagus because that gets expensive. Oh, I bet.

SPEAKER_06 20:26

Yeah, but I like that's all I craved. Was pickles, like any kind, like sweet pickles, dill pickles, everything.

SPEAKER_01 20:32

Oh, dill pickled chips.

SPEAKER_06 20:34

Dill pickle chips?

SPEAKER_01 20:35

Dutch kind? Yes, that's the best kind. I was at Dollar General picking up something, and I'm like, Can you get some old Dutch dill pickled chips? And they kind of looked at me and they're like, Well, we have this kind. I'm like, it's not the same. Old Dutch dill pickle is the best.

SPEAKER_02 20:48

Does it remind you of anything?

SPEAKER_01 20:49

Ant Pooh. Yep. We'd go to Bill's bar and I would get a rip beard.

SPEAKER_02 20:53

Little little bag off the hanger.

SPEAKER_01 20:55

Yep, little bag off the hanger. And there was this little in the cigarette smoke-filled bar. You you've probably been there, Mike and um Michelle, Michelle and Steven Michelle's Stephen Michelle's.

SPEAKER_02 21:08

I've been there a time or two.

SPEAKER_01 21:09

So that was Bill's bar in Manoah, and we would go golfing. And at like my aunt Pooh wasn't a drunk. She wasn't, but she would do her sign-in. Yep. And um I would always eat dill pickle chips. And then she would get me to come over even all through high school, and after I had like soyer and treating, Naki, I got you some dill pickle chips, and I'd waddle my fat ass over there and eat them because they're the best. Yes. Okay, so I wonder, I bet you a doctor's listening, which I know they are because they love our medical advice we give people.

SPEAKER_02 21:38

Yeah, they're always telling us good job on how we recited it perfectly.

SPEAKER_01 21:44

Um, I wonder like what the medical reason is that you're craving pickle. There's probably something your body that was neglect, like malnourished up, whatever. Probably.

SPEAKER_06 21:54

Yeah. Well, I had cut all my supplements cold turkey for a month before the surgery. That's right. And went through hell for that month. That was bad.

SPEAKER_01 22:04

All of your supplements, huh?

SPEAKER_06 22:06

Because they I was on some things they really didn't know anything about. But you're like, clearly it worked. Yeah. Because not many people can donate a live liver. Yeah, they said my liver was really healthy. So, but then again, I come from a long line of healthy livers that we pickle our livers in the rosemary family.

SPEAKER_01 22:25

Clearly, you pickle them. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 22:30

My dad, too, should have like the shittest liver imaginable. And it's a good liver?

SPEAKER_01 22:34

Yeah. Completely healthy. He got some medical testing done and he's like gloating about how great his liver is. I'm like, that is a lie. That test is false. Not saying he's an alcoholic, but that guy can down banquet beers nightly. Mine was tequila.

SPEAKER_06 22:51

Oh, and you still were able to donate. My drink of choice when I bartended was Patron Shots.

SPEAKER_01 22:58

And like how many could you do and still function?

SPEAKER_06 23:01

A lot. God, you're just a beast. More than I'd like to admit. So yeah, I'm partly surprised my liver was as good as it was.

SPEAKER_02 23:14

You said it like that you don't drink a lot, like leading up to leading up to but like oh yeah, no.

SPEAKER_01 23:20

Like now you don't drink.

SPEAKER_06 23:23

Are you able to drink yet? They told me six months. Um I it was just six months recently. The end of April was six months, but I had a margarita here and there before that. And I when I drove my parents to Florida, I had a rum runner. While you're driving? No. Okay. Not while I was driving.

SPEAKER_02 23:44

When we were in that trip worth it.

SPEAKER_06 23:48

When we were, oh, I should have drank on that trip. Love my parents to death, but oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_01 23:52

Yeah, traveling with relatives is terrible. And parents too. But your parents I've met, they seem way cooler than mine. Just kidding, mom and dad. But yeah, no.

SPEAKER_06 24:02

That was my first real drink, was when we got to Florida.

SPEAKER_01 24:05

So okay. And so did you feel like you got buzzed quicker?

SPEAKER_06 24:09

Um, off of that, yes. It's not as full, it's not a full liver.

SPEAKER_01 24:14

I think we should now it is.

SPEAKER_06 24:16

It was four weeks later, it was.

SPEAKER_01 24:17

Oh, that is insane. Yeah. Okay, hold on. We'll hold that thought. Go ahead. Patron, yes. We know what our latte is. Patron latte. That will be good.

SPEAKER_02 24:32

Maybe a patron lotus.

SPEAKER_01 24:34

Oh I I don't mind a good tequila, but I don't wanna, I don't want to like probably like you you taste it. I don't really want to taste a lot of it. I don't like the taste of alcohol.

SPEAKER_02 24:44

I don't know if our distributors just or our sales rep, like our booze sales rep is just trying to sell us more stuff.

SPEAKER_01 24:51

But the the tequila's the new thing.

SPEAKER_02 24:52

That's a new thing. It's high-end tequila. It's like you should start carrying some. We should carry some. We should try to get me to buy more stuff. Well, it works through this.

SPEAKER_01 25:01

Um, okay, so back to how fast a liver grows back to uh the listeners and viewers. Yours was full growing at four weeks after they do they take did they take 60% of yours? 73 point something. A whole yeah, and then you're it grew back. So a liver four weeks.

SPEAKER_06 25:22

Four weeks it grows like 90 some percentage back. I forget the exact percentage, and then by a year you're fully grown. I they if I remember correctly, they don't grow back a hundred percent to size, but pretty darn close.

SPEAKER_02 25:37

That's what I remember them saying.

SPEAKER_01 25:38

Like nothing is ever 100% after surgery. I just fagged it. Mine's probably normal now. Yours is probably probably still bigger than normal.

SPEAKER_02 25:46

Probably, probably, probably bigger than hers.

SPEAKER_01 25:49

Mine is a decent size.

SPEAKER_02 25:52

I just wanted to see what she'd say because she gets so competitive about it.

SPEAKER_01 25:56

It's I am complex. My bile ducts are so complex because I'm a complex person.

SPEAKER_03 26:04

That's true.

SPEAKER_01 26:05

That's true, it is true, but like I don't have a baby liver. Okay, when they were looking at it, when they show you the image right away. It's like juvenile size, you know, they're like, that's it's just top. They were like, This is a good liver.

SPEAKER_02 26:17

I'm like, She's legit gonna get mad at me if I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna get mad about it.

SPEAKER_01 26:20

But anyways, this isn't about my liver because mine failed, and you but um I'm really happy that you um okay. Go ahead. I'm happy that you were able to do that, and that when you came to our house after you left the hospital and you were hugging a pillow, and you said one thing, you're like, I didn't realize the rib pain would be this bad. Yep, that was the worst part. The rib pain. Explain why that is because when you explained that to me, it made my everything twitch.

SPEAKER_06 26:53

Okay, so this is what I remember. So when because the doctors were amazing and how they because they showed me what they were gonna Okay, this is ridiculous.

SPEAKER_01 27:03

First MM and now the okay, Kayla. We get it. You're mad. Oh, that's Olivia. Uh what was what were we saying?

SPEAKER_02 27:12

Um the ribs. Oh, the ribs. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 27:15

Um, so they explain the entire procedure and they actually bring up like an image of the inside and they show you how they're gonna cut and where they're gonna cut your liver and everything. But what they do to get to it is they take this like metal hook thing and pick your ribs up and then reach and root around underneath. And they like do some imaging before they actually start the surgery or get like in my case, Andy back, because they want to do another set of like images and testing to make sure that what they saw on all the other tests was accurate now that they're actually inside. So they like wrench it up, do the checking, and then they have to like go in there and actually do the procedure afterwards. So they like wrench on your ribs up. So my rib pain was in the back part of the ribs, so I don't know if they bruised it or whatnot, you know, broke, fractured, maybe. Yeah, yeah. It that part was the most painful part. Like the incision didn't hurt at all. The how big is your scar? Um, it's about it. Well, it starts right at like the bra area and then goes to about here.

SPEAKER_01 28:30

So holy buckets, that's big. Yeah, you want to see it? Sure. If you want to show the national television, because it will it's gonna be viral.

SPEAKER_06 28:37

Well, you know, this I my whole goal with this is you can ask me whatever you want. I will be 100% honest because can you pull the mic over by your beautiful mo? Sorry, you can ask me whatever you want. It can crank too. I will be honest because I want people who are on the fence about donating to be able to get their questions answered by somebody who actually did it, not just necessarily a doctor. Yeah, um, because I would do it again in a heartbeat. Knowing what I know, I would do it again in a heartbeat. But um, yeah, so okay.

SPEAKER_01 29:07

That's pretty cool. So, what kind of tattoo are we gonna get made out of there? I don't know. I've been kind of googling something cool with donating. I think Andy needs to get one too. I'd be up for it.

SPEAKER_02 29:19

Because Andy's car is different. His is huge, yep. So it's like a hook.

SPEAKER_06 29:24

This is different than what they told me it was gonna be. I was supposed to get a hockey stick. Yeah, they call it a hockey stick. Okay, and but they said for me they didn't have to do it, so they didn't do it.

SPEAKER_01 29:34

Oh, so I mean I think we gotta get Andy's weak a little healthier before he gets any ink. Yeah, he'll end up being hospitalized or something, he'll get pneumonia.

SPEAKER_02 29:43

He'll probably, yeah, he'll get sick from his tattoo. I think they tell him not to get tattoos ever again? No, for a while.

SPEAKER_01 29:52

I imagine that right away.

SPEAKER_02 29:54

Did they tell you not to get a tattoo for a while? Um I swear I heard that. I don't know if that was with you or with him.

SPEAKER_06 30:01

I don't think it was me. No, no, they told me not to do things too like don't take your supplements and whatever. How long did you have to wait to take supplements? Um, I was gonna go on them right away, but then I'm like, you know what? I'm gonna wait till the six-week mark because then I get a baseline because they redo all your labs. Oh, good idea. And that way I You know what you need.

SPEAKER_01 30:21

Yes, that's a really good idea. Yeah, so I held off. So you're taking nothing right now.

SPEAKER_06 30:26

I did. No, I I already had those tests. That was six week mark.

SPEAKER_01 30:29

Okay.

SPEAKER_06 30:30

So um I'm back on my normal stuff. Um, just things, which is don't look at me funny, but you see a lot of them on TikTok, but I do my own research.

SPEAKER_01 30:42

Yeah, no, I totally girl, no judgment. Yeah, TikTok has some reliable sources. Like what are you gonna trust? News, right? No offense, Savannah would, but I heard you on the news today saying some other coffee shop had great coffee, the best ever. So this is what you get.

SPEAKER_06 30:57

That's sacrilegious.

SPEAKER_01 30:59

I know. So she was like the best coffee ever. A customer told me. I'm like, well, taking her YouTube video down. Just kidding. Um, but no, I I also will do research after I see things on TikTok and stuff, but it's like it's another outlet, right? Right? Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 31:15

I get a lot of my golf tips and tricks and advice from TikTok. There's a girl from Scotland, I thought it was that so then you know it's real, like because I'm the product of that. And I'm trash. He's actually pretty good. He's actually pretty good.

SPEAKER_04 31:35

Like, how you had to pop in with like, I follow a girl from Scotland.

SPEAKER_02 31:41

No, no, it's a it's a Scotland golfer, right?

SPEAKER_00 31:43

Scotland golfer, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:45

Did you know that golf originates from Scotland? I did know that. You did? Yeah. Are you a golfer?

SPEAKER_04 31:51

I used to be. We should golf with you for a long time.

SPEAKER_02 31:54

Do you want to golf June 6th?

SPEAKER_01 31:57

Maybe. I haven't in a long time. Yeah, we can golf. I'm really bad. It'll make you feel really good. Oh, okay, great. But um, I follow a Scotland golfer and she always gives really good tips. I haven't followed, I haven't watched her voice.

SPEAKER_02 32:11

I do like her voice.

SPEAKER_01 32:13

I love I love Ireland and Scotland accents. My favorite accents.

SPEAKER_02 32:18

I feel like I would listen to anybody's advice if they talked like that.

SPEAKER_01 32:21

100%, especially if they're telling you to like drink a beer or how to golf. Right? Or where to stay.

SPEAKER_02 32:28

Did they say that? Do they tell you? Does she tell you to drink a beer?

SPEAKER_01 32:31

No, but I I can imagine better. Oh, someone, yeah. Okay, back to me. Did you golf?

SPEAKER_06 32:36

Uh for the bar leagues I used to. Yeah. That's about it. Where you drank more than you played. Right.

SPEAKER_02 32:43

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_06 32:44

Right.

SPEAKER_02 32:44

Well, that was what I always did. When I say always, I mean like three times in my life, up until I turned 40, and I was like, all right, it's time. I'm too old to play any real sports. I'll golf.

SPEAKER_01 32:57

Never too old. Yeah, he is a he's a golfer now. He used to rip on people that would golf. Like people would be like, Hey, do you want to golf?

SPEAKER_02 33:04

He's a Do I look like I got a fat ass?

SPEAKER_01 33:08

So he would say You should talk to my neighbor. He's a happy Gilmore reference. He loves that one. Anyways.

SPEAKER_02 33:17

Anyway.

SPEAKER_01 33:19

Okay. You've always said, well, you said to me you've always had mental health issues, and you said that how did this impact it?

SPEAKER_06 33:33

You don't have to answer that. No, I will answer. I told you I would answer anything. You might not like the answer, but I'll answer anything. Yeah, it's okay. Um it's going a little dark here. So what they don't warn you enough about is the suicidal thoughts afterwards. What? So if you are predispositioned to suicidal thoughts, um I had in my past a period of my life where it was very dark and my mental health was trashed, and I was actually 30 seconds away from committing suicide. Um, the only reason I didn't is because I had a vision that my oldest son found me instead of my now ex-husband, and I didn't want to do that to my kid. I was came home from um working one night and drove into the garage, shut the garage door, left the car running, and had a bottle of sleeping pills and a bottle of water in my hand. And the entire garage was filled with smoke. And I thought, like, everybody who's been that far down thinks that everybody would be better off without me that this was the only way. And you know, this basically, you know, anybody who's been that far down knows. And I had that vision, so I aired the garage out, went inside, kissed my kids.

SPEAKER_02 35:15

I'm so glad you made that decision.

SPEAKER_06 35:18

It's hard.

SPEAKER_02 35:20

I don't know.

SPEAKER_06 35:21

You know, and and never really talked about it. I didn't tell anybody. I tried therapy, but when you have weird things like I do, you can't really open up to a therapist without getting committed. Um, so it didn't really work because I couldn't be honest with therapist. And it took me many years before I would even open up or talk about it or say the words. And a friend got me into Reiki, which is energy healing, and that pretty much saved my life. Um, once you, at least in my opinion and in experience, once you get that far down into that whole, I call it my hole, um, you always have that demon in the back of your head on the daily. Like some days he just sits in the corner and watches you, some days he's in your ear, depending on what you're going on in life. Um there have been times since that original episode that it's really strong. Um, my daughter at one point mentioned something in passing when she was really upset about, you know, I don't even want to be here anymore. And I told her my story. And that was the first time I had opened up to anybody about it because I didn't want her to feel what I was feeling. And I said, You can't do it, it kill your mother for one. And you know, went through that and she made me promise to never do that. Like she made me pinky swear right then and there that I would never go through with it. Because I told her, I said, once you get that, you can't get that far down because it will always be there. And she made me pinky swear, and sometimes I feel like that's part of why I'm still here because I made her that promise that I won't break. And since the surgery, the demon got a lot louder. I can definitely see where they say if you have thoughts of it, that it would amplify.

SPEAKER_02 37:47

Um what do you think that is? What like from based on your experience? Why do you think?

SPEAKER_06 37:52

I honestly have no idea. I don't know if it's coincidence because we got some other family stuff going on right now. Um, you know, losing my job didn't help, obviously. But I I it just it's always like for me, it's always there. It's always that thing creeping in the back, you know. But it just kind of it's a lot easier for him to talk now and get in your head and get in your ear than it was it before. So, you know, not that it's not manageable, like I'm not gonna do it. So like if I get into some other weird topics, I'm not, you know, and I end up missing someday. It's not because I did it, because I promised my daughter, you know, all the like the scientists disappear now.

SPEAKER_01 38:41

And yeah, look, that's a different episode.

SPEAKER_06 38:43

Yeah, so like I would never do it because I promised my daughter. Um, but like when Cliff was talking, when we went down for the liver ceremony and kidney ceremony or whatever, and it made Cliff wanna donate his kidney. Well, with his PTSD from the war and stuff, like it made me not want him to do it because I know what I can handle, but I don't know what he can handle, and I don't know what somebody else can handle. Like, and the mental health thing is a very scary thing nowadays, and people can slip so far down, like back in our day, it was rub some dirt on it, and you don't have mental health issues, and ADHD didn't exist, and you know, nothing existed back then, but now you know, ever all these kids you see are slipping into anxiety and depression and whatnot. And it I don't think it should deter somebody from wanting to donate, but I think you need to be prepared and have a good support system and have uh, you know, somebody to talk to and be able to talk about it and not hold it in because holding it in sucks. As somebody who's done it, it it I would not recommend it at all.

SPEAKER_01 39:55

You need that support system. When did that um the dark feeling start after the surgery?

SPEAKER_06 40:02

Um don't hate me, Andy, but when he went back in the hospital for the first time afterwards and he was kind of touch and go.

SPEAKER_01 40:11

So maybe I felt responsible. That is what they warn you about. And they ask like questions. So that's why they ask that questions. They ask over and over are you gonna have a hard time if it doesn't work? Or yeah, you're supposed to say yes, I'm gonna go. No, and I I agree, I agree. Like you have to lie to get there, right? Yes, and you also don't know how you're gonna feel, right? Right?

SPEAKER_02 40:32

Like you might be like, well, I it's hard to put yourself in that perspective.

SPEAKER_01 40:35

That makes sense that you with the type of person you are, you would totally um blame yourself for that.

SPEAKER_02 40:43

Have you had some feeling of relief that's since then? Has it gotten better?

SPEAKER_06 40:49

Um the thoughts are both.

SPEAKER_02 40:51

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 40:52

Like you're not at the moment, if I'm being 100% honest. Right now I'm struggling. Um, but I'm stubborn.

SPEAKER_02 41:02

Do you think maybe talking about it to the whole world worldwide web will help? Maybe.

SPEAKER_06 41:08

I was not expecting this topic to come up.

unknown 41:10

Okay.

SPEAKER_06 41:12

Surprise! But I did go into it saying I would answer any question about it.

SPEAKER_01 41:18

I um in if in if you're in if you're not comfortable. Um can you tighten that up for me? I know you'd like to play with that thing.

SPEAKER_02 41:27

I almost never can fix it.

SPEAKER_01 41:29

Um I I totally lost my train of thought. What did I last say? Something.

SPEAKER_06 41:37

If you're not comfortable.

SPEAKER_03 41:43

This is what I do now.

SPEAKER_01 41:45

Um, okay.

SPEAKER_02 41:49

The car ran real good.

SPEAKER_01 41:52

Can you this is a serious topic. No, talk to you. It's about a demon and you're playing with this rod. If you're ever not comfortable with things being in the podcast, we can always um I'll just hold it. Just let me hold it for this until he gets us fixed. Um, I can always, I don't do it, but I have a gal that knows how to take stuff up. I'm fine. But I feel like the good, the bad, and I know you're transparent like that, but um, because that is a question they ask over and over. How are you gonna feel? How are you gonna feel? And like you're like, yeah, fine, I understand there's there could be complications. Good job. Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 42:30

Um basically I'm a production manager now, basically, but having a history of mental health, I feel like you're always prone to be in a really dark spot, like all like you said, it's always there, right?

SPEAKER_01 42:47

I've had mental health issues my whole life too, and I know like I know how to I know when it's approaching and when it's happening, and I know what you're talking about, how it's like it's always there, but most of the time you can control it. Yep.

SPEAKER_02 43:05

Do you remember what Pastor Sorley said about feeding the good dog?

SPEAKER_01 43:09

Feeding the good wolf. I wish he used dog instead of wolf, because aren't wolves the bad dogs? Yeah, feed the good dog. No, not wolves. Don't have to be the eat sheep and sheep Jesus liked.

SPEAKER_02 43:20

So they protect the sheep.

SPEAKER_01 43:22

Wolves do?

SPEAKER_02 43:23

Sometimes. Maybe maybe they'll eat one of the you know, ones they need to call.

SPEAKER_00 43:30

Wolves love sheep to eat.

SPEAKER_02 43:34

Um, yeah, why didn't he say dog?

SPEAKER_01 43:38

I feel like wolf, I don't know. Like I when I think of a wolf, I think of it uh negatively.

SPEAKER_02 43:44

Maybe he was maybe we did we miss here? No. Maybe he said a wolf and a dog.

SPEAKER_04 43:50

Wasn't it like a Native American dog? Yeah, okay. Sorry, Native Americans.

SPEAKER_01 43:54

Yeah, you're right. They're like spiritual and stuff. So maybe, maybe you're right.

SPEAKER_02 43:58

I don't know. We can say Dog.

SPEAKER_01 44:00

Feed the feed the good dog.

SPEAKER_02 44:01

What kind of dog would your dog be?

SPEAKER_01 44:03

What to be honest? What I thought of. It wasn't what you would think. It was a German Shepherd. A strong dog.

SPEAKER_02 44:09

What would your dog be?

SPEAKER_01 44:11

Doberman. Oh sh. I grew up with Doberman's. Okay. What would your dog be? Probably a lab.

SPEAKER_02 44:18

Oh, it would be what kind of what color lab?

SPEAKER_01 44:21

I like black labs. Chop chop. What would yours be?

SPEAKER_02 44:25

Pete.

SPEAKER_01 44:25

So that's not Pete's the best. He's not a dog to feed.

SPEAKER_02 44:30

Like he's Yes, he is. He is what everybody should be.

SPEAKER_01 44:35

He's a good dog.

SPEAKER_02 44:36

He's like, he's the best.

SPEAKER_01 44:38

Um, okay. So you're letting people know that if you do have mental health, yes, it's serious and it can affect you, especially if you are in contact with the person you donated to.

SPEAKER_06 44:52

I think it would be worse if I didn't know. You think so? Yes. Because I would be sitting there wondering, like, oh my god, did he make it? You know, I'd be Facebook stalking.

SPEAKER_01 45:02

Oh god, that would be so hard. Um, the lady that got um a liver here in town, Shannon, she said two other patients didn't make it during their donation. I don't know if that's accurate. I don't know what hospital said. I'm not gonna quote anything because I don't need anyone coming at me.

SPEAKER_02 45:20

But we didn't fact-check any of it.

SPEAKER_01 45:22

Fact-checked it, but she said it during like around the same time. The two, it was like deceased donors. Um, hers was a deceased donor too, and the other people, the livers they got, it didn't work. Can you imagine that? That's what a roller coaster that must have been. But um, I'm really happy you're here. And I'm happy like like I don't know what the end result's gonna be. I already feel like if your chap if your world stopped now, you would have a really good ending. Not saying you shouldn't end it. I'm saying I feel like your story, I feel like your story's still the best.

SPEAKER_02 46:08

Let's see where this goes.

SPEAKER_01 46:09

I no, I I'm I feel like the best is yet to come yet with you. And I feel like at the end, when you're an old grandma, you're gonna be explaining all this and being like, Can you imagine if I would have followed through in the garage? Look at Andy wouldn't be here. I mean, most likely he thought he had years that no, he didn't. No, he did not. He was gonna let him leave Christmas, right? He was bad. I mean, could there have been other, but there wasn't. And it was you. So I mean, I think you're still gonna find more things along the way that you're like, this is why I'm here.

SPEAKER_06 46:40

See, I was worried I was gonna die on the table because I this is gonna sound really weird again, but I had like I told you, I had always thought there was a purpose, like I was waiting for something. Like for me in life, I never fit in with anybody, you know, I was always the outcast, but I always felt like I was waiting for something and I didn't know what it was. And when I read the post and I knew it, it was like, okay, well, maybe this is what I'm waiting for, you know? And then um, I forgot, oh, I was talking with one of my good friends, Amy. She does like energy work and stuff, and um, I went and had a session done before the surgery to like clear out all the bad stuff from me and to get the liver into good energy and whatever if you believe in all that stuff. And um, I was talking with her. I'm like, you know, what if this is what I've been waiting for? What if this was my purpose? Like, am I just gonna like is it is it done?

SPEAKER_01 47:42

Like I don't think so. Not with you. I think there's there's more to come. But I mean, what I meant is even like not even saying like pre-andy, you've are amazing, human. So it you know what?

SPEAKER_06 47:57

You're not I don't no no, I made some really I was a really person for a lot of years.

SPEAKER_02 48:03

Did you learn from it?

SPEAKER_06 48:05

I like to think so.

SPEAKER_02 48:06

Okay, yeah, but well then does that define you? Do those mis like depends who you ask define you? No, they don't. You learn from them, you grow, you get better. Doesn't mean you're a person, means you may made some bad decisions, like we all have.

SPEAKER_01 48:23

It's just the people don't learn from them, or they don't even recognize that they are or that they were bad decisions, right? They justify them. So I think um I think there's a lot more to you than you realize it. Like you've impacted, just I want you to think about even your story alone, your and Andy's story alone, how much it brought positivity in people's lives and hope. The guy with the kidney that came in and said that story gave him so much hope. Like it's just a ripple effect of goodness, and and just think of the stories we don't even hear about. That's the the silent reader, Facebook readers that it's impacted, or maybe they donated that we don't know, you know what I mean. We we don't hear things, um, everything and then there's hippos, so it's always in the way. Yeah, hippa's always in the way.

SPEAKER_06 49:15

Yeah, I can honestly say I if it wasn't for you guys, I probably wouldn't have posted anything about it. Yeah, I just feel like it's Andy's story, and I feel like Andy will not post anything unless it's a unless it's a car he's looking to buy.

SPEAKER_01 49:31

Even then, he won't no, he's he's very private, and which I respect, but not enough to let him die. Right, you know what I mean? Yeah, like I'm gonna I'm gonna step in here. Um, but in your private too, but like unless you ask questions, unless you ask questions, yes, and I think it's good for you to share because people want to hear from Mandy, and I love that you said all Andy needed was an M in his life. That is clever. I was gonna make a t-shirt, it is so clever, but I didn't get it done in time. That's such a clever, such a clever thing.

SPEAKER_06 50:06

Um, my Halloween costume was gonna be spare parts at the hospital because we were in the hospital for Halloween. And Halloween was your big thing. I meant that was the first Halloween I missed. Oh I think ever. Oh man, but good reason. But the cutest little kids came to visit from the children's part of this hospital, they were all dressed up when they came to visit. There was one little pirate kid who was just adorable. I had a bowl of candy for all the kids and the nurses and stuff. Really?

SPEAKER_01 50:37

Cliff, you saw Cliff trick-or-treating, living his best life.

SPEAKER_02 50:42

He's like, I'm made. I just came from there, I'm heading back down there. Like, a lot of stuff going on, but yeah, having a good time, trick-or-treating.

SPEAKER_01 50:52

He really wasn't, he was worried about her. Yeah, that's why I said living his best life.

SPEAKER_06 50:56

I forced him to come back because it was our Halloween with the kids, and I wasn't gonna, and like the boys have a good friend group here now, so I didn't want them to miss out on your boys, are so well behaved sometimes.

SPEAKER_01 51:10

I mean, at least like in public or around people like that aren't you, right? That's what matters. But it's been over 23 minutes. We're good.

SPEAKER_03 51:21

Oh well, it's not writing, so I was just gonna ask, what do you get if you win the bet?

SPEAKER_06 51:28

I don't well, I didn't bet because I knew I was toast. If you brought up the right subject and with like with Andy, it was gonna be a like I'm I'm getting better. My dad used to call me PP Eyes because I would cry at everything, and like even like the wrestling banquet that we just went to, Chrissy Bogotts that does the video with all the pictures. I cry sobbing every year at that. Really? I feel pictures, like I can feel the emotion of the person in the picture. I have goosebumps from that, and I it TV, magazines, regular pictures, like you said that at the wrestling tournament I was at with you.

SPEAKER_01 52:09

You said it's hard for me at these tournaments because I feel so much emotion of everybody.

SPEAKER_06 52:13

Yes, that's part of being like I was a Reiki attuned, so um I and I was an empath before that, so it kind of amplified it, but I feel like a transmuter some days where I take people's energy and kind of like transmute it so they don't have to deal with it. There's whole really backstory about that, but um yeah, so like being at a wrestling thing, all the parents and the the kids who screaming at their kids and their kids are crying because they want it so bad, and you know, like my own kids, you know, they get so hard on themselves when they lose, and just the emotion and being packed in a room full of emotion.

SPEAKER_01 52:50

Okay, that was crazy. I did not know what I was walking into, and you were hiding in a great spot, yep, way up in the corner, on top, not even a place where people are supposed to sit. I feel like you created your own spot. Yep, now that I'm saying that out loud, but I walked in and like one of my friends who knows me more than we went because Nox's friend was wrestling, and Nox wanted to see him wrestle, and we were taking him home because he was spending the night hanging out with Nox, and Nox's friend's mom did not know, like, I hate crowds and lots of people. And I walked in, I was like, and then Michelle um rink starts laughing. She's like, Why are you here? And I'm like, I don't know how long does this go? It's all day. And it's people are stacked on top of people, and it's just yelling and crying everywhere and like screaming. So I imagine with you being an empath, totally like that would be draining. I would sleep for a week after that.

SPEAKER_06 53:50

Yeah, I but I wouldn't miss it for the kids, right?

SPEAKER_01 53:53

I mean, it wasn't my kids, so I kind of felt like what is in it for me? I'm just kidding. It's for Nox.

SPEAKER_06 53:59

It's actually better than what it used to be. Remember a few years ago where they had that woman that got in that fight? We were at that one. Oh, the Shyoctan lady. Yeah, we were at that one. You were, yes. Like there, and back when my brother wrestled too, I was not in the took her high heel off. Oh, I don't wear high. You'd be surprised how many women wear high heels.

SPEAKER_01 54:18

Oh, I believe it.

SPEAKER_06 54:19

And dress to the nine. I'm like, I'm dressing comfortable to be surprised. I believe it.

SPEAKER_02 54:24

That makes sense.

SPEAKER_06 54:25

But there used to be a lot more fights back in the day. Really? Yes.

SPEAKER_02 54:29

Look at look at us just as humans evolving for kids' youth sports. Getting better every day.

SPEAKER_01 54:35

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 54:36

Better every day.

SPEAKER_01 54:38

What did I say to you? We were at Hubby's baseball game yesterday in Averino, and I'm like, shy Octane. Weren't they um weren't those they cocky last game we played here? And Keith's like my mom just said the same thing to me. One it was one of the kids. And then I never got so aggressive or yell as loud when they threw him out at second. I'm like, yeah, take that. And like everyone's looking over at me. I'm like, because he was so cocky he was such a cocky kid. Come to the mill. Come to the mill. We're so positive. Except for if you're a cocky little athlete. Bondwall gets cocky too. Everyone gets cocky. Not that kid, though. He I if he could have tripped and broke an angle, and I probably would have been really sad about that. Really sad. He was that bad.

SPEAKER_06 55:30

That's okay. I had one of those with my older son Ethan, who wrestled. Really? He gave him a concussion right before the state qualifiers and regionals and all that stuff. And and it was a really bad move. And apparently this kid's known for doing that. And his dirty. Oh, everything I had not to go out on that mat. Let me doubt.

SPEAKER_02 55:50

That would probably be worse than the concussion, though, if you did go out on the mat.

SPEAKER_06 55:54

And protect him.

SPEAKER_02 55:55

Be like that mom.

SPEAKER_06 55:56

He no, he would be, he would know. He still gives me hugs in public in front of his and says he loves her. Don't take her kid away from her.

SPEAKER_01 56:03

What is wrong with you? I'm outnumbered.

SPEAKER_02 56:06

I'm outnumbered.

SPEAKER_01 56:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 56:07

But women.

SPEAKER_01 56:10

Don't yell at her. She's our guest.

SPEAKER_02 56:13

Not yelling. Who's yelling?

unknown 56:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 56:18

I have a question. Yeah, go ahead. And just because I ask a question doesn't mean you have to answer, so you don't have to answer this one. But did you like have like a pretty hard upbringing?

SPEAKER_06 56:29

No. I wouldn't say so. Interesting. Like, so my parents took over my grandparents' family farm. My dad grew up in the house that I grew up. What grew up growed up, grew up in. And um, my grandparents were also living with us for 18 years of my life. So I had two sets of parents that's cool growing up. Um it is, um, but when you live with your in-laws, it's not always so cool. Um, so there were definite fights, there were definite moments where like uh my mom was like, it's either them or me, you know, you know, but you're gonna have that when you shove six people in a in a house in a working environment and yep, adults, yep, and you know the after work cocktail happens and you know, people talk with their mouths and you know that kind of thing. But um no, I really, you know, that my parents were pretty strict. Um, I had a earlier curfew than 90% of my friends. Like, I don't think like nobody beat me. Didn't my dad have to give me a look, and you know, because I was the age of you got spanked, but I didn't never had a belt. You know, I don't so my brother was the golden child. Is he still? Oh yeah, you didn't bump up after donating an organ. Oh, my mom, she was probably she was terrified. She was like, Why are you doing this? And dad's like, What are you getting out of this? And I'm like, Sometimes you just gotta do good for the sake of doing good. I'm not getting anything out of this. And dad's like, Well, why are you doing it? And I'm like, 'cause I have to, because I feel compelled to, because it's just what you do. I don't I didn't really have an answer at the time, you know. And no, yeah, it's just my they're supportive once they realize that I was stubborn, you know. But you know, I got their genes, so they should have expected it.

SPEAKER_01 58:28

Right. Well, it it I think that's common to care about your kid, right? You're worried.

SPEAKER_06 58:34

Well, I'd be worried if it was my kid, but you know, I'd understand it eventually, but that's more now than you know, it would have been them versus me, you know, whatever. But I don't know, it's just nothing unusually sticks out other than you know do you have any weird questions for her?

SPEAKER_02 58:55

Did you ever go to the Home of the Hamburger festival?

SPEAKER_06 58:59

I was in the first parade.

SPEAKER_02 59:00

Oh the very first parade.

SPEAKER_06 59:03

The very first one.

SPEAKER_02 59:04

How old is it?

SPEAKER_01 59:05

I don't know. How old were you anyway? I feel like the home of the hamburger parade should be much older than that. I feel like it should be as old as the hamburger.

SPEAKER_02 59:14

It should be, but they didn't start like really getting proud of it until later. They should.

SPEAKER_01 59:19

I would be so proud of that. Yeah, that I said there should be hamburgers all over Seymour.

SPEAKER_06 59:25

I wouldn't eat the big one though, personally.

SPEAKER_02 59:27

I did.

SPEAKER_06 59:28

You did you? It just the whole thing with the bugs and people flying over it and to season it and stuff. Yeah, when they were flying over, like they hook you up to like this crane thing and then they were seasoning. Stop it.

SPEAKER_01 59:42

Should we go this year?

SPEAKER_06 59:43

Yeah, you can do the ketchup slide.

SPEAKER_01 59:46

I can't stand when someone leaves ketchup on a plate.

SPEAKER_02 59:49

It's later now, right?

SPEAKER_01 59:50

Yeah, they change the date now.

SPEAKER_02 59:52

Okay, yeah, we could go.

SPEAKER_01 59:54

What is the big hamburger?

SPEAKER_02 59:57

Uh they say it proud.

SPEAKER_01 59:59

Don't act like it's like, oh, uh, they, it's you.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:02

I don't. I never did it. They grill the largest hamburger, like the world record size hamburger, and then they cut them up into little serving sizes and give them to everybody.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:12

Because that's where the hamburger was.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:13

I don't I don't know if it's the biggest one yet, but I remember I was there for the biggest one at a time. So and then there's another town that claims that they were home of the hamburger, and then they try to grill the biggest one, and then it's like every other year they is the other town in Wisconsin or is it somewhere else? I think it's Pennsylvania or something.

SPEAKER_06 1:00:34

And yeah, somewhere east. I don't know. Um, well we'll fight them. Yeah, that sounds about right. I feel like it's a great going against Wisconsin, they're not gonna win. Right, they're not gonna win.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:45

But I feel like it's a pretty cool We're gonna be all drunk and lathered up. Ketchup and mustard. No, it was it's it's a cool thing. Um, they have like a they have a museum there. Um it's cool.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:00

I've taken people's senior pictures down there, not with the hamburger stuff, but it's like a cool setting.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:06

They're that proud of it. Oh senior pictures with the hamburger museum.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:11

No, the museum itself is cool.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:14

It is, it is.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:15

They did a good job with it, but a lady reached out, she's like the secretary of the hamburger board, and she's asked for some help. It's such a Wisconsin thing, isn't it? The hamburger board? What is it called? It should be burger board. Burger board? It should be home of the hamburger board board or burger days. What do they call the festival day? She just commented on Soiger's post.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:42

I think it's Home of the Hamburger Days or something.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:45

Like Burger Fest, yeah. Burger Fest. Yeah, Burger Fest board. I was actually in the waiting room. There's a subcommittee called the Cheeseburger Board. There is, it's legit. It's not cheese, it's just regular burger. Don't get all fancy with the cheese.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:59

So the so legend has it was that a fella had a stand-up at the fair.

SPEAKER_06 1:02:07

I think so.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:08

I think at the fair, and he was serving meatballs, and he decided to squish a meatball and put it on a bun or bread or whatever. Uh was the first hammer.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:22

Wow. But like, how do you know?

SPEAKER_02 1:02:25

I don't want to just it's well documented.

SPEAKER_06 1:02:28

Honestly, I'm surprised it didn't have cheese with it being Wisconsin.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:31

Right. When people just get a normal burger, which now I've learned that dairy cancels out iron. So if you're an iron deficiency, you should not eat dairy with iron.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:42

I didn't know that. Wow.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:44

Yeah, my doctor told me that. She goes, so if you eat a burger.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:47

I was gonna ask if you learn that from TikTok or no, no, Dr.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:50

Feng. Dr. Feng told me that. She said, if you're eating a burger, don't put cheese on it if you're looking to boost your iron, like by like burger meat. What because then it totally don't drink your milk, leave it separate. No offense to dairy farmers, but it does not help your iron.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:06

That's not gonna help sales of dairy.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:09

No, we have a lot of milk here. We support the farmers for sure.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:16

We do plenty, we do our part. Um, okay, so that's so you were in the parade. Yeah, what what did you do in the parade? Ride afloat to walk, hand out, go afloat.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:30

What would you do if you were had afloat for the mill? What should we have as our float?

SPEAKER_02 1:03:34

Let's get any ideas?

SPEAKER_01 1:03:36

Nothing too crazy because we don't have a ton of time or we don't have a shed for it.

SPEAKER_06 1:03:41

Um that's a good question. I don't know like mill specific, but I've always wanted to do the candy wagon and have like just get a bunch of businesses to donate, and then you put all the signs around it or whatever, and then you know, because like the kids are just candy a holics, so then just take it by the bucketful, like the and then just dump buckets. I almost dropped my drink there. That's okay, um, like buckets in the street, and just have the kids like just because nobody's ever done that, and you know, just have the kids go insane, like you're right, not that I was just like a few of candy, but but I mean that's the best part of a parade.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:21

Oh, yeah, our kids love it. Um you could do coffee shots, espresso shots, yeah. We could, but that would mean I would have to be out walking and talking to people for a long time.

SPEAKER_06 1:04:35

You know how many people would volunteer for that for you?

SPEAKER_01 1:04:37

I bet. I bet I could get people.

SPEAKER_04 1:04:40

Could do the just drive the red truck in too.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:42

He's going to. He's gonna pull it out.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:44

I would pull the trailer perfectly.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:45

He's pulling it. So I'm gonna pull his coffee truck trailer. I want to have Maybelle in it, but I mean I don't know if she's gonna fit in. It might just look like on a like what's the point of this?

SPEAKER_02 1:04:54

You could have a Christmas tree on top.

SPEAKER_04 1:04:56

Okay, and then you should just blast out the podcast the whole time.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:01

I could have Kamie out the on the mic.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:04

Not on the mic, but you could play the podcast.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:07

We could if people be like, no. That's not a bad idea, but we could put um a Christmas tree on the I just hate to cut a tree down for a waste. So sad. Maybe we'll leave the ruts.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:23

Yeah. Sure.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:26

Well, we are we have oh yeah, okay. So spoiler alert. Oh, we shouldn't tell anyone yet. Uh when will this air?

SPEAKER_04 1:05:35

Like five weeks from now.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:37

We can we can do it. Oh, what's five weeks from now? You know what? June this is just gonna be a perk for anyone that's listening. We are getting a ginormous Christmas tree for Fourth of July. It's gonna be a fourth of July military tree.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:54

Oh, that's cool.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:55

Like twenty two feet tall, but like red, white, and blue.

SPEAKER_06 1:06:00

Awesome. That's cool.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:01

So if you're listening, you have in, I think with the 21st, whatever Sunday it is, the end of end of June. Not the end end, but like almost end. Yeah, middle end of June. We're gonna put her up. And it's gonna be a surprise. That's cool. So like when people come in, they're like, what?

SPEAKER_02 1:06:20

And the idea.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:21

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:23

Do you want to tell them the veteran idea?

SPEAKER_01 1:06:25

No, you can.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:26

I don't know exactly all the details anymore.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:28

I don't remember. So like a veteran can bring a picture in and like make its own ornament and hang it up as a tree.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:36

Like a little bio of them would be cool. That's cool. With it.

SPEAKER_06 1:06:41

Love that.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:41

I don't want it to be a military tree. I know that sounds like crappy. I want military pictures on it, but I want it decorated in my way. Like I don't want it army and marine. I mean, that that clashes. You know, it doesn't look pretty.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:56

You want a tree.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:00

Yeah, I would just like their pictures with like our vintage flag stuff that we're gonna have around it. But that's what we're doing for the 250. So that would be kind of cool to have a Christmas tree.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:10

You could decorate it all.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:11

Fourth of July on the float. That is our float. It is a tree.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:18

You know what? We said you know what we could do. We could have Maybell on the trailer with the tree on top, pulled by the red truck.

SPEAKER_04 1:07:29

I like that.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:31

And then decorate a Maybelline and the trailer. Yeah. How do you like them apples? Not the best you want to drive or no. You want to smoke everybody out.

SPEAKER_04 1:07:44

Nicole will just be sitting in Maybell smoking the whole thing.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:47

No, like the exhaust is a little.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:49

I don't smoke, but I I'm liking this. Just thinking about it. Yeah. Cruella de Ville type smoking. The who well, we were just watching a television show and the lady lit up a cigarette. I'm like, doesn't that look good? You're like, yeah. I don't want to do it. Um, but okay, so thanks. Now we trailed off about it we figured out what our float is. I don't know if Maybell belongs up there though. I feel like a tree upright decorated would be better than on top of Maybell. Maybe not. What do you guys think? What do you think, Maybelline?

SPEAKER_02 1:08:24

I think if you're gonna do one, you're gonna have like three trees.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:27

I'm not gonna cut down three trees. I mean, I wouldn't physically do it, but if we used fake ones, the smaller ones you could get the potted ones. Yeah, I don't want to kill three trees, so I would like that idea. I I like there's I'm kind of a hippie.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:41

Could you if you how big is this trailer?

SPEAKER_02 1:08:45

Good size.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:46

Like, could you fit some of this furniture on there and like have the tree on there and kind of make a mill setting?

SPEAKER_02 1:08:52

A living room? Like okay.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:55

See? We have a huge trailer if you need one. We might we got one. Oh, we do?

SPEAKER_03 1:08:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:00

Okay. That we look at this. We came up with our float, so don't build something stupid. We're gonna go to Christmas tree. We don't have time. He doesn't have time.

SPEAKER_04 1:09:09

You could put Mandy and Andy on there.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:11

We could put me on the liver, a liver hanging, yeah, like cut in half.

SPEAKER_04 1:09:16

It's an ornament. Now we're gonna hang the D3% a little bit over here.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:22

He got more. He should be doing a lot better than you. He should be. It's he's doing fine. I didn't mean to say that because I now know how a hard what a hard time you're having. I want to hear it. No, he's it's not you, it's him, it's his bile ducts.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:37

Then he's like very positive. Like he is so he's he's like, I feel better than I've felt in I don't know, remember. Well, that was hard, yeah. So he's like, I don't even I don't care.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:48

He's like the doctors like feel bad like when they see him and they're like, Are you sick of this yet? He the one surgeon that said the F word, are you Fing sick and tired of being here? And Andy goes, I'm happy I'm here. So that was sweet. And when Andy said that I was like, he was I I'm just happy to be here. Like, and he but his health is always gonna be compromised because of the medications he's on. He's always gonna be able like to get sick all the time. He went to a brewer game, he got sick. So it's not you, it's not anything to do with his liver, it's just the medications he's on. I know, it's just it's part of it. I mean, let's just say, yeah, but I mean like because he would have to be on um, what is that? So it doesn't attack it. What is that called?

SPEAKER_06 1:10:34

The anti, I don't know what it's called, but the anti-rejection mess.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:37

Yeah, that he said that is what makes him sick. Not makes him sick, but it his immune system's just like kaput because of it.

SPEAKER_06 1:10:44

I told him to start you maybe asking the doctor about all the stuff that I was on, right? Because my liver's used to that, you know.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:51

That's what my liver knew. Yeah, maybe, maybe your liver, maybe his. It's not his, let's be honest, it's yours. Maybe your liver in his body is like, I don't where's the margaritas?

SPEAKER_06 1:11:02

Where's the queso? Yeah, I'm waiting for him to be like, I want queso and margaritas.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:10

Yeah, that'd be funny. Who's ain't or uh uh what what is our kid's name? The glasses one.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:18

Which one? Nox.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:19

Nox.

SPEAKER_06 1:11:20

I'm glad I'm not the only one that does that.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:23

Nox said, Well, Andy had to get a new liver because you drink it, drink too much. I'm like, that's not true. Where did you hear that? He goes, Isn't that why you had to get a new liver? I'm like, he did not drink too much. He's like, Oh, I thought that's why people need livers.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:35

I'm like, some you must have overheard some other conversation.

SPEAKER_04 1:11:38

Yeah, isn't it hard to get a liver donated if it's cirrhosis?

SPEAKER_02 1:11:42

Okay, they have a priority list, right? So, like, um it's like a they it's like a grading scale, and that's one of the grades.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:53

And but UW Health is a stricter grading scale, Andy said. Okay, like as far as like freighter from what Andy told me. It would be easier if yours was from drinking versus UW Health is stricter with that. Like you can still at UW Health, but it's the the I you know what I don't know anything.

SPEAKER_04 1:12:20

You gotta get them back in those Milwaukee bars, yeah. It's way freightered.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:24

Right, freightered so but Andy said that it's like the points, whatever, is are stricter with UW Health. I could see that quality of life.

SPEAKER_06 1:12:32

I loved UW Health. I hate doctors, but those guys are they are they have an amazing team. Yes, they do. That like I don't trust doctors at all, and I would go to them before I would go to anybody else. Like, I always joked with my vet, I'm like, I would see you before I would see a human doctor. And like these guys were good.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:52

It's hard to find a doctor. I think they're getting better, maybe, but I feel like it's hard to find a doctor that's pro-holistic, or let's let your body try to figure it out. And that's why I love Dr. Fang. Shout out to Dr. Fang, is I brought Nash there intentionally um for his eczema. And she wasn't like, she did, she said don't give him a um a steroid cream for it. She's like, unless it's absolutely you have to. She's like, it breaks down the skin barrier, it makes it weaker. She's like, gut health. That makes sense. I can see that. She's like, it's dairy and or gluten and sugar.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:35

Did I say it right? Did I say eczema? Is it eczema or eggs, like eggs in a basket?

SPEAKER_01 1:13:43

I would say eczema. Eczema? I I think people say eczema. Just say it fast, like a Wisconsin.

SPEAKER_04 1:13:51

You shouldn't have to use your mouth too much to say it.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:54

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:54

Eczema.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:55

Because it's spelled eczema.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:57

Well, you can say it things how it's spelled. That'll be interesting. Let's start doing that. Especially with the English language.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:05

I don't know. I just felt like I was saying it wrong.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:08

No, you were saying it right, but I love that's what I like about Dr. Fing. She told me a long time ago when I was there, when I was on, I think I was on like Zoloft. She was you need to get off this. And I'm like, what? She's like, you need to have an end plan. This isn't a forever plan. She's like, I'm not saying nobody should be in an antidepressant, but you need to have a get out plan. You need to like figure out how to manage how you feel and stuff. And and it's not great to be on things forever like that. And so I really that's when I and at first I didn't like that side of her because I was like, you don't know me, but now like that I am that way, and I do feel like you have to. This isn't for everybody, obviously, right? Because some people are at a different place, but it's important to know how to feel and what you feel. Because for the longest time I tell him that, like I actually get emotional now because I'm like, I never did, because I never like I would know things were sad, right? But I was like, I couldn't get a reaction because I was always on an antidepressant, so it was like muted, but then everything's muted, happiness is muted, you know what I mean? Like the the middle stuff's muted. Um I'm I know you might not be able to tell it, but I'm off meds and I'm great being funny, but um, and I told her that because like I had a follow-up or whatever, and I'm like, hey, I'm a long time ago you told me that, like, whatever. And I said, now I like understand how to feel and how to handle my feelings, and but saying all that, I'm also in a lot better place than I was 15 years ago. You know what I mean? Like, I had to function as a single mom uh with no money and and not an enjoyable ex and a lot of situational uh so that like I don't think it's fair to be like everyone should be off them because it's like no, you know, you gotta do what you gotta do to get by. But now my yeah, right. Now my life, I have a good support system, and and I say, like I said that UW Health, they're like, You're not on anything, and I'm like, no, they're like, I'm like, I have a very supportive husband and a husband that's not afraid to be like, girl, get on something. You know what I mean? Like, you would have no shame being like Trixie. I think you need to get something looked at, like respectfully, right? Like we joke about it, but like I know I have enough eyes on me and that like would be able to see that, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 1:16:28

And the support, and you know, I totally agree too. I was on Zolof too, and it's all like you said, it's numbing, it is numbing, and uh, it's definitely not a long-term solution, but for certain times of people's lives, it is definitely you know a tool.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:45

It is, yeah, a tool. I like that you use the the word a tool, and again, we're not a doctor. Um, and I don't want to claim to be a doctor, but I think it's important to talk about that. Like, what's the end game? What's the end plan? Like, what are you doing? And like it's proven, and I'm a fatty saying this, like I'm not in great shape, like I could be a lot better shape when you work out or you're even go for a walk, or like I tell our kids go walk a dog. The mix of a dog and fresh air and going outside and being outside and like listening, even if you don't even want to listen to nature, put headphones on, you feel better. You can't help it, but you feel better to see how happy dogs are walking and and getting fresh air. It the dopamine rush is amazing when you like do something active. I always feel better after I work out in the morning. You do too. Like it's I know they're like, Oh, you feel better, but it's so hard to actually get yourself to do that. I'm like, once I get my shoes on and I'm pouting, and then I'm like doing it, I'm like, I feel so much better.

SPEAKER_06 1:17:46

Right? It's just that initial start, and that's where people, you know, need that little push.

SPEAKER_01 1:17:52

They do. Do you do anything active? Um, I know you're an active gal, but like, do you do anything like workout or walk or anything to help with mental health?

SPEAKER_06 1:18:03

Uh well, I'm always on my feet when I'm not we're actually working um the job part, but like everything is chaos at our house. Like we just got two little lambs. And you know what I heard?

SPEAKER_01 1:18:16

Wolves love lambs. Yes, you should get a wolf too.

SPEAKER_06 1:18:20

Well, we have a big German shepherd that kind of looks wolfish.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:23

Yeah, you should get a Pete.

SPEAKER_06 1:18:25

A pig?

SPEAKER_02 1:18:26

Pete Pete's Pete would love to dog.

SPEAKER_06 1:18:29

Yeah, oh yeah, he can come herd anytime he wants.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:31

Great herding dog, he'd be a great protector too, at least for a little while.

SPEAKER_06 1:18:36

Like he'd come help keep them the coyotes away that we did, yeah, keep them away.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:41

But if they showed up inside, he'd probably run.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:44

Okay, anyways.

SPEAKER_06 1:18:45

Fair. So you're busy, yeah. Like there's always, you know, chores to be done, or like when we brought the sheep home, they got out, and then I was in the pasture with all the horses trying to death stomp the sheep, and like they were trying to death stomp the sheep? Yeah, yeah. So we brought the little lambs home. They're like itty bitty. So they do that to try to kill them. Yeah, because they didn't know what it was, and they freaked out. So, like some of them were curious, but like one of them was just like, Nope, this thing needs to die. And it's like going like pawn and trying to kill this sheep. So dumbass Mandy runs in the middle of the chaos and trying to grab the sheep, and the sheep doesn't want to come by me because it doesn't know me yet, and it's like in between the horse's legs, and I ended up getting kicked by a horse, and I like threw myself up and body checked with another horse trying to get it away from the sheep, and so like so you're a little active. Yeah, I don't like exercise per se, but you do, but I get the exercise in other ways, right? Or you know, outside playing baseball with the kids or right wiffle ball.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:52

What is your outlet to help? Like, what do you do for you? What is your time to like unwind and to like help your mental health?

SPEAKER_06 1:20:00

Cry in the shower, really sad. That's me time. It's a me time. It's like a 40-minute shower where I cry, and then they're like, Mom, why are your eyes so red? It's a darn soap again. Really? No, um, that that helps a lot, but oh um, I have an unhealthy um book obsession and use books as escapism. No, that's a great one. So right, what type of books do you like? Um, it depends on the mood. Like a lot of times I um I like psychology books, like like reading faces or um people's personalities.

SPEAKER_01 1:20:42

That stuff. Yes. I don't read about it, but I watch a lot of TikToks on facial like representation. Basically the same.

SPEAKER_06 1:20:49

Yeah, but basically the same. Yeah, there's a lady on there, I forget her name. I have her book. That's a pretty good book. Really?

SPEAKER_01 1:20:54

Yes. I would love that.

SPEAKER_06 1:20:55

Um, do you want to do that? They even talk about like muscles, like if someone has a strong and the left eye is like what you show the world, and the right eye is your mother's influence, and really yeah, all that stuff. And I like that kind of stuff. Um, I'm starting to I bought a book for and I had just got it today, actually. Um, the dark fantasy books that everybody's talking about on TikTok, and I'm like what what is it called? The one I bought is Toxic.

SPEAKER_01 1:21:22

Oh, okay. I don't know.

SPEAKER_06 1:21:24

The some I don't know, it's they're all the rage. I am on book talk now. So and everybody's talking about all these dark fantasy, like werewolves and vampire romances and that kind of thing. And like I loved Twilight until they made movies. The the books were amazing, movies ruined it for me, and like the Mortal Instruments series, the Fallen series, those are like what about the um I can see I have the book and I couldn't get into it.

SPEAKER_01 1:21:50

I have a hard time with fantasy. I know I love ghosts and stuff, but like when it like beasts and stuff, like it's hard for me to get into I maybe could. Um The Court, something about Court. Oh, the Court of Thorns?

SPEAKER_06 1:22:04

Yes, didn't they just ban that book?

SPEAKER_01 1:22:06

They did.

SPEAKER_06 1:22:06

I swear that was I just swear that was like a banned book list on the banned book list. I just were banning books, yeah. There's a whole list of them that just I just saw that. Why they're trying to come on with it. I don't know, I've never read that one.

SPEAKER_01 1:22:19

I read the first one. You might like it, because I actually kind of got into it. Okay, and I'm not into like fantasy stuff, but I met a girl in Savannah, Georgia, and she was like, Oh, you'll like this type of book if you like murder books, and it has nothing to do with murder. No, so I was kind of robbed there, but I read it. Um and I'll give it to you to try to read.

SPEAKER_06 1:22:42

I'll bring you the psychology one. We'll try it. I will love that, yeah. But yeah, the fantasy is the only because I am a hopeless romantic, and that's what I use to escape life. So, you know, hopeless because when you're married to an army, that it's kind of hopeless for the romance.

SPEAKER_01 1:22:59

But you know, I'm sure he's romantic.

SPEAKER_02 1:23:02

Uh I don't see that.

SPEAKER_06 1:23:06

When he asked when he asked me to marry him, he didn't even ask.

SPEAKER_01 1:23:10

What do you how did that happen?

SPEAKER_06 1:23:12

We were all sitting down or on the table for a family dinner and on a Sunday, and um, we had just started finishing up, and he was sitting at the head of the table, and I was to his right, and I was talking to the kid next to me, and he just set it down in front of my plate, and I and all the kids went and I turned around and there it was, and I'm like, what the hell? And he didn't even say anything. That was that was it. Literally, that was it. I give him hell for that, and he hates it. I still I'm like, oh, I'm sure I'll appreciate on TV, like yeah, even that they wrote a better character ending for that one for a proposal, you know. Like I get it.

SPEAKER_02 1:23:53

Well, at least he involved the the family. That's cool.

SPEAKER_01 1:23:57

Are you trying to give him a win?

SPEAKER_02 1:23:59

I mean, I don't I don't see why Cammy and me are like again. I am outnumbered. I'll do my best. I'm outnumbered here.

SPEAKER_01 1:24:09

What's in the bag?

SPEAKER_00 1:24:11

A gallbladder? Oh you did, I did. She said, What? Oh my golly. That's all the size it is.

SPEAKER_01 1:24:29

So that's Mandy's gallbladder. When did you have that taken out? Um during the surgery.

SPEAKER_06 1:24:34

They take your gallbladder, which they didn't they do, which I didn't know until I read it in a Facebook group that I joined for liver bladder.

SPEAKER_01 1:24:44

They didn't tell you that.

SPEAKER_06 1:24:45

No. And then I'm like, well, can I at least keep it?

SPEAKER_01 1:24:48

And they're like, here's some paperwork.

SPEAKER_06 1:24:50

Yeah, that was it. It was super easy. They had to test it first, so I couldn't take it home the day of, but and you opened it up, I see the seals broke.

SPEAKER_01 1:24:58

Did you play with it?

SPEAKER_06 1:24:59

That is the well, it wasn't formaldehyde for a while. And then when I picked it up, they put it in, they're like, Hold on, we gotta put it in like alcohol for like rubbing alcohol.

SPEAKER_01 1:25:09

Oh, okay. So you never opened it.

SPEAKER_06 1:25:12

No, I did not open it. I might change it to a different jar, but I mean the peacock is kind of funny.

SPEAKER_01 1:25:17

It is really funny, but you kind of want to poke it too, don't you?

SPEAKER_06 1:25:20

Kind of. I do too.

SPEAKER_01 1:25:22

Okay, just making sure it wasn't the only one that and it's not even my gallbladder, and I can't be poking your gallbladder.

SPEAKER_06 1:25:28

My kids are terrified of it. I'm like, well, whoever puts you in the home. Yep. Whoever puts me in the home is gonna get that will to them in my will. It's funny. GB is gonna get you.

SPEAKER_01 1:25:44

Thank you so much for everything you've done, like saving our friends' life. I say that all the time, and I was really emotional about it for a while, and I still can get emotional about it because it's like, how do you thank someone that saves someone's life? It's a really hard thing to do, like to thank someone enough for it.

SPEAKER_06 1:26:03

But I don't, you know, I don't see it that like they gave you a like a key, the hospital gives you a little goodie basket afterwards or whatever, and there's like a keychain that says hero on it. And I'm like, no, I you are though, but it doesn't know, like there's people out there that are heroes every day.

SPEAKER_01 1:26:23

Like it's not every day someone splits their liver and give them more than half. I would have said give him the smaller half, but that's you. This is me. Um, but I think it's I think that's what makes you more likable is that you're so humble and that's how you react to it. You're not like a boastful person, right? But you are uh a gift from God, and I'm really happy that you're here, like really happy, like hearing your story and your dark side. Um, if you don't know what your purpose is yet, you have so many purposes, and Andy is just one of probably so many. So thank you for everything.

SPEAKER_06 1:27:04

Absolutely. I mean, if anybody has questions, I'd be more than willing to this is such a like the more I learn about it, the more, you know, I wish more people knew about it. Because I, you know, I knew of it, but not, you know, the details and no hearing from it, you should be an advocate for them. I told them, I said if anybody ever wants to they have advocates, they do, yeah, but they said they have so many of them they're not taking any more right now. Oh I know it's weird, right? You but yeah, okay, okay.

SPEAKER_02 1:27:36

Take help, but they they're eliminating, they're hoarding organs.

SPEAKER_01 1:27:40

Okay, UW Health. Just kidding, they're gonna come at us. They're not telling you about your warranty, they're not telling you about your warranty, and now they're not taking advocates. Um, but thank you.

SPEAKER_06 1:27:52

No, thank you guys for having me. Yeah, we'll have you again soon.

SPEAKER_02 1:27:55

Was this okay? Oh, yeah. Do you feel a little better?

SPEAKER_06 1:27:59

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:28:00

Having experienced it in the beginning.

SPEAKER_06 1:28:03

I can honestly say I will probably overthink this until it comes out, and I will go back every word, every facial expression. Oh. And read your own facial expressions.

SPEAKER_01 1:28:14

You're gonna be like, oh, I didn't like what that said there.

SPEAKER_02 1:28:18

Turns out Keith's kind of stupid.

SPEAKER_01 1:28:21

Why is that your that's your Pete voice? That's his voice for Pete. Oh jeez. Turns out Pete's caught. Oh, okay. All right, have a good day. We'll see you next Tuesday, guys.