Holy Hippo!

Some of you may remember me telling you that during my first colonoscopy nine years ago I thought I saw a hippopotamus in my colon. I was semi-sedated (happy drugs) and I was watching the screen that the docs watch while moving the camera through the bowel. Of course the hippo was a figment of my drugged imagination.

Well, we had my follow-up with my GI doc last week and he told me that Sigmund was neither tumor nor polyp. He was much stranger than even that imaginary hippo. He was... drum roll please.... an AVM! That's Aterio Venous Malformation (weird tangle of blood vessels) just like the one that was in my brain! Can you believe that? I'm absolutely fascinated by weird stuff like this. The doc said I MAY have a disease that causes more AVMs to grow in the body. More about that later after I see another specialist to make sure it's still okay for me to have my back surgery on the 21st.

I'm in Utah now after spending a wonderful weekend in Ridgecrest, CA with Layle, my dad, Rosalie, my Grandpa, Uncles John and Dana, and my cousin, Jamie.

To quote my dad: "Lots of good food & reminiscing. Of course, the main purpose for all was to [finally] get Mom's ashes where she wanted to be - among the desert wildflowers. Well, it took us over a year, searching for a good spot, close by. We drove (4 X 4) up Indian Wells Canyon, about 20 miles west of Ridgecrest, close to the [western] base of Owens Peak, at the southern tip of the Sierra Nevada's. We all agreed that the location was the perfect place. We all had fun, relished in the beauty of the high, western Mojave Desert, did just what we needed to do with Mom, and celebrated afterwards!"

My grandpa is settled in his new place now and it's very close to my dad's. It's a very place and perfect for him and the dogs :-)

It was a special time for our family and I felt Grandma was there, also. Layle and John took some fantastic photos which I'll put here as soon as I get them. My dad and Rosalie made mine and Layle's FAVORITE meal and Rosalie, the cookie master, sent us home with large bags of cookies.

Speaking of baked goods...I'm off to make a cake for Cindy's birthday tonight. I feel physically great (other than my back) and haven't made a cake in a long time so WOO HOO!