Home again!

Hi Family and Friends!

How is everyone? Well, the last thing I wrote, was that we were heading to Spohn Hospital to the Emergency Room, because the pain inside my ear was too much! I packed a few things, knowing I would be admitted to the hospital! Sure enough! I'm going to spare you the details and the downside of it all, and just say, I'm doing better and hope to keep getting that way more and more each day! I got some IV Antibiotics, 2 units of blood and was sent home w/2 prescriptions for Antibiotics. I got home late last night - right before midnight! My amazing husband and wonderful family helped me through it all and I'm very happy to be home again! I missed my baby Hanz soooo much! Thanks to my dear friends Terry Serna and Alicia Jasso that also came to see me in the hospital - that cheered me up! Be grateful for your health everyone and thank you for your prayers!

Love,

Cyndi

Still not sure when my next procedure will be in Denver. I need to start work again with the Therabite!

Oh No! Not Again!

Hi Everybody! Bet you didn't think you'd be hearing from me again so soon, huh? Well, unfortunately I have something to write about that doesn't make me very happy. All day yesterday and today, I have been wearing a cotton ball in my ear to catch all the "drainage" from my ear during work. I change it out several times a day, and make sure to put vaseline on the cotton ball before I put it in my ear!

Anyway, once we got home, I tried getting some rest, but Hanz wanted to play! Mark went to the grocery store after a bit, and once he got home, I decided to change out the cotton ball in my ear. As soon as I pulled it out, I looked @ it, to see if I was still having drainage and I saw some blood on it. I didn't think too much about it, until all of a sudden my wound dressing is covered in blood! I called out to Mark to come help me out and I was taking the dressing off as quickly as I could! It turned out the blood was not coming from the wound, but from a scab inside the inner part of my ear, on the top! I couldn't see that myself, Mark had to tell me! Of course within seconds the nightgown I was wearing had blood all over it - ugh!

So first thing in the morning, I have an appt. w/one of the doctors in the group my primary care physician belongs to. We'll see what he decides to do with me! Catch you later!

Cyndi

P.S. Guess what? Can't stand the pain anymore, so we're heading to the Emergency room @ Spohn Hospital! Don't think I can get any sleep! Poor Mark and Hanz! I'm ruining their lives!

Bloody Monday

Hello to all!

Thanks for checking in with me, I really appreciate it! So much always going on! Last week Mark had taken time off work, so I had really enjoyed having him home - so many honey-do's for him! It was nice having Mark and Hanz drive me to work and then both of them picking me up in the afternoon!

Our shower is finally finished, so no more walking to the back garage apt. to get cleaned up! So happy about that! We both started our week off a little sad that Mark had to go back to work and that Hanz wouldn't have Mark to play with any more during the day! Marks van has been needing some work, so he's been dropping me off @ work in my car first and then heading on to his job! I have to say that I've really enjoyed that extra time we get to spend together in the morning! It's especially nice for me on Mondays, since that is Jury Duty day @ the Courthouse and parking is horrid!! My co-worker Kathy had been off almost 2 weeks and she was returning back on Monday as well. In the early afternoon I was having a conversation with Kathy, when she goes, "You are bleeding from your wound a lot"! I immediately go to a nearby mirror to look, and sure enough! My wound dressing is completely red with blood that is running down my neck! I grabbed a couple of napkins from my desk drawer, bent down to get my wound care bag, and asked Kathy to call our co-worker Diana! I rush to the bathroom and removed the paper towels I was holding to my face, so I can see where the blood is coming from. I have to remove the dressing and could see where I was bleeding from! By the time I did that, my friend Diana was knocking on the bathroom door. I let her in and locked it behind her. We stood there as I held a wet paper towel to the area I was bleeding from, trying to get it to stop. The area really looked gross - ugh! Mark had put a new dressing on it the night before, so there was a lot of Silvasorb Antimicrobial wound gel on there. I had been feeling pretty rotten all day long - I've been fighting an ear infection for a while and I had been in pain! When I originally started feeling like I had an infection, I had called up to CO to get an antibiotic prescribed. I got some Augmentin and that seemed to be working. When I went to wound care, they took a culture of the goop in my ear and sent the results to Dr. Zane - ENT, and he switched me to Bactrim to get rid of the infection. Well, after a few days on Bactrim, I was feeling pain again, so I wanted to go back to the Augmentin! I called Dr. Zanes office and got him to ok changing me back to taking the Augmentin! Unfortunately, I started feeling pain again that was soooo bad! It felt like someone was jabbing a sharp pencil in my ear - yikes! I had been writing earlier @ work and got one of those pains and just dropped the pen from the severity of the pain I was feeling! Back to Diana and I in the bathroom ... I called Mark and told him what was going on. Told him I wanted him to come and get me and take me home! Mark knows I usually tough out any bleeds I've had @ work, as does my supervisor - so both knew when I said I wanted to go home, I must be feeling pretty darned bad! Went home and got in bed!

Today I was hoping to feel better, but I was in pain most of the day! It wasn't until about 7pm that I started feeling better! Whew! I was in so much pain earlier, it felt like my ear was on fire! Mark said if I wasn't better soon, that we would go to the ER and get me admitted to the hospital! I was ready to take him up on that too! I hate the thought of being in the hospital and needing IV Antibiotics because the worst part of that would be how much I would miss our baby Hanz! Sunday Hanz tried out his playpen that we got him @ Once Upon A Child - a resale shop w/infant wear, toys, etc.! Our family all got together after Mass on Sunday @ Moms, so Hanz tried out the playpen! Mom was pretty excited about it, since Vicente isn't crazy about Hanz running around inside their house! Mom goes, "Look, I think he likes it in there"! I told her, "Of course he doesn't like it, YOU like it, but he sure doesn't"! See photos! Our nephew Davis was visiting from A&M Galveston! It was so great to see him - he's so handsome!

Allrighty then! Just thought I'd fill you in on the latest! Unfortunately, what with having so much pain, it's kept me from doing the Therabite! The last thing I wanted to do was the Therabite when I was hurting so badly!

I've got to hang up some clothes that I have in the washer! I had bled all over a new polo shirt on Monday! We are currently using Resolve to remove blood stains and that seems to be working well! Any other suggestions?

I still need to take a shower and iron my clothes for tomorrow! Mark has to change out my wound dressing as well! He is so amazing as my wound care person @ home! Mark is extremely patient and does an awesome job!

Thanks for checking in on us - I always wanted to keep you posted on the latest fun on having an AVM! Actually I'm pretty much @ the end of my rope! I've told Mark that I'm ready to have the stupid trach, and if I bleed to death then so be it! I say that, because I'm very concerned about the big vein I have in front of my neck! I fell that if I have a trach, that vein will really give us trouble! Dr. Reed (Head of Voice & Swallow in Denver) has always said we could get around it, but I can't help but think that there will be massive bleeding from that area! Plus, then we'd have to deal with cleaning the area and make sure it doesn't get infected ...! I just don't need another thing to worry about, you know? Isn't it enough that I have had the wound dressing almost 2 years?! I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle! I can't help but picture myself trying to climb a mountain, and every time I reach up to climb higher, someone up there kicks me back down from reaching any higher! I'm just tired of feeling rotten and tired of fighting and having one obstacle after another to overcome! I'm not saying I'm giving up, but it sure is hard to keep fighting! Take care y'all and don't take your health for granted! Love to all of you!

Cyndi

P.S. I thought I was doing better as far as the pain in my ear, but nope! I am sooo tired of the piercing pain, that I made a doctors appt. for tomorrow - my primary care physician is on vacation, so I'll see another doctor in his group. No telling whether they'll decide to put me in the hospital for IV Antibiotics - I'm sooo desperate for relief, that I'm willing to go there, as much as I hate the thought of an IV and of being in the hospital! Why? Well, first of all, that would take me away from my baby Hanz for several days! Sniff, sniff!!! Also, that means Mark works all day, then goes home for a quick change and then he comes to spend time w/me in the hospital! I don't want him doing that, because then poor Hanz will be Home Alone! Mom said she would spend time with me in the hospital. I love the idea of just sleeping and reading and feeling better though! I'll try and keep y'all posted!

Wound care

Hi Family and Friends!

How is everyone? I want to share another of my wound care sessions with you! It just so happens that Mark had taken this week off of work, so I had him come with me and take several photos!

We arrived @ Spohn Hospital Wound Care Center and had to wait about an hour before we were seen! Dr. Larkin kept asking us if we were willing to see another nurse other than Noel and I kept saying no! I explained to Dr. Larkin that it's rare that Mark come w/me, so I really wanted the two of them to compare notes on wound care! You'll see a photo of Noel measuring the size of the wound, after having removed the Tegaderm (clear tape) from the wound. Mark and I had told Dr. Larkin that it takes a lot of moisture and soaking of the surgicel before that comes off - we put surgicel on any area that might look as if it may cause a "bleed". Mark felt that the surgicel needed more time on being wet before removal, but Dr. Larkin wanted to use the tweezers, instead of Marks suggestion of a saline soaked q-tip and she pulled that surgicel off, causing a bleed! Nothing major as far as a bleeding - what you see on the towel is all I bled. So, in the photos you get to see my ear w/no dressing, Dr. Larkin holding pressure where the bleed is coming from and then of course my favorite pictures of all - our baby Hanz!

I get this question asked a lot - am I in pain? YES! There are times the pain is hard to control! You know from a previous blog entry how hard that can be! After a wound care session like the ones pictured - my face felt like it was "burning". The pain went away after a bit - but there are times I'm @ work and I have to get past the pain in order to start working!

This latest blog entry is just to give you an idea of what some of my days are like w/an avm. At times it seems it will never be over. All of you play such an important part in helping us get through these difficult times! All of your prayer and encouraging words make a difference!

I'm still working with the Therabite System. I'll probably need another month before I even think of calling Dr. Yakes for another appointment! Thanks again everyone!

Love,

Mark & Cyndi

Finally!

Hi Folks!

How is everyone? Did y'all have a great 4th of July weekend? Before I start talking about the weekend, I want to tell you about my most recent wound care session! It was finally here - the day I would get some care for my facial wound and I was really hoping that I would have my favorite nurse, Noel! Mom takes me, for moral support, as sometimes I have a bleed! I so appreciate her taking time from her day to be with me, it means a lot! We arrive @ Spohn Shoreline and get to the Wound care department, where Robert escorted me to a room to take my vitals! It's usually Eric doing that, but he took month off to be with his girlfriend and their newborn baby! We waited an hour before seeing Noel. He took my dressing off and Dr. Larkin came in to check it out! She was sporting a new do, along w/a couple shades darker hair! Actually, someone from Spohn named Jill came in to talk to me - so that we could make sure we were all on the same page. Apparently, since I walked off last time when I couldn't see Noel ... I guess they want to make sure their patients are happy? I explained my delicate situation to her - what w/the avm, I tend to bleed and I think the other nurses are afraid to work on me! Noel is awesome and has no fear! I was afraid of a bleed, as I had a little piece of surgicel on a "troubled spot", but nope! Whew! Toward the end of getting my new facial wound care treatment done, I was being serenaded by Noel! Those are the happy days I remember before we started having some problems. I was a happy camper! Dr. Larkin had mail-ordered some wound care supplies for me, so that will help too! My next wound care session is on Thursday the 9th! I'm excited because Mark is off this week from work, so he'll be able to come with me!

I have an appt. w/Dr. Zane (ENT) to debried my scabby ear on Tuesday, and again, I'm counting on Mark going with me!

Ok! Back to the plans we had for the 4th of July! My sister Celia and her husband Greg had invited us out, we had planned the menu, and had asked Jim and Shelley to join us as well! We were all excited - planning a great evening full of great food, company and games! The day before, I was giving in to the drowsiness my meds give me, so I had taken a nap and missed taking my main pain med, an Oxycontin @ 4:30pm. By the time I woke up from my nap and realized my missed dose, it was 9:30pm. So I wrote down the hour and the medicine I took on my little spiral notebook I keep in my med bag. Well, about 11 pm, I'm starting to feel withdrawl symptoms. I'm antsy and restless, hot then cold then hot right away! I figured it would go away and that it was happening because I took my Oxy too late! Mark suggested I take a Xanex to relax. I rarely take one, but in this case, I could tell I needed it! I kept getting in and out of bed, trying to eat something and trying to decide whether I was hot or cold! By 2am, I took another Xanex because I was hoping to pass out and not feel so anxious anymore! Finally, by 4am, it was safe to take another oxy, and I did! I must have passed out after that, because I don't remember anything afterwards! All this while, my baby Hanz was such a good boy, putting up with mommies tossing and turning! Mark was awesome too - he could have made a beeline for the couch, but instead he asked if there was anything he could do and stayed close where he knew I needed him! In the morning, the fitted sheet near my head had come loose, as had one of the two pillows that I sleep w/under my knees for support - one of them had fallen out of the pillowcase on to the floor! This is the good one - guess what I found on the coffee table near where I sit to watch TV? That oxycontin that I thought I took @ 9:30 p.m.! NO WONDER I was having withdrawl symptoms! Yikes! It was a miserable night for me! I just wanted to jump out of my skin and flail my arms around! So, of course I was exhausted in the morning! I have to say that I was relieved when Celia called saying she wasn't up for having company, as she is still getting over that crud she can't seem to shake! I was already wondering how I was going to get Mark to not want to stay out @ the Fossums so late when Greg called, saying there was a change of plans! As you can imagine, I've been trying to catch up on some much needed sleep after that night from hell! Hanz and I took a nap earlier this afternoon! I had looked forward to spending time with our family though - it isn't often Jim and Shelley get to party w/us @ the Fossums! It was going to be a really great afternoon - oh well, another time I guess.

You know what Mark and I ended up doing? Mark changed out my dressing. Got some sushi, popped a movie in the dvr and ate in bed! That was neat - we don't take the time to do things like that! That was a nice holiday treat for me!

Oh! Have I mentioned the latest series of books I'm reading? I wasn't too sure about them @ first, but I've come to enjoy them. These books are from a series called House of Night and the author(s) are a mother/daughter team - P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast! Here is the cover of the one I'm reading now! I best go and get something ironed for work tomorrow! Still have to do a couple of Therabite sessions and Hanz is wanting some attention as well! Take care all! We love all of you!

Mark & Cyndi

Support Group Team!

Hi Everyone!

How are you? My brother-in-law Jim was just saying that he thought I was doing pretty well, since I hadn't written anything on my blog! Unfortunately I've just been dragging and apparently too drowsy to sit and write! I've been having some problems controlling my pain these days and all the meds I take make me very sleepy! The area near the hole in my ear is really looking bad - very scabby! I haven't been able to get in to see Dr. Zane (ENT) because he is on vacation! He would be debriding the scabbing. I've had lots of drainage from my ear too - goopy stuff, ugh! Gross! Yes folks, this is my life right now! I also haven't been able to see my favorite nurse, Noel @ woundcare because of some changes in the office he works in! Went in a couple weeks ago to find that Noel could not see me, because he only worked for the other doctor in that wound care group! Needless to say I was extremely upset! I was able to switch to the other doctor - but when I arrived for my appt. the following week - I was told Noel was on vacation, so I left! Well now the new doctor I was going to see was upset because I left and now she refuses to see me! The former doctor I was seeing agreed to see me, but now I'm being told that I cannot be guaranteed Noel and I may have to wait until he sees all his other patients, before he can see me! Not sure how that's going to work out, but we'll see on the 2nd of next month!

I also wanted to tell everyone that I'm having much success with the TheraBite! At first I just wasn't sure it would work, and it was too soon to tell any difference - until this weekend! I can actually see the difference when I open my mouth and I've noticed it's easier to brush my teeth too! Mark has been instrumental in helping me with making sure I'm keeping up with it and takes measurements every so often! My sister Celia and brother-in-law Greg got me that Therabite, so I really have to thank them for their generosity!

We're also very happy that my brother-in-law Jim and his wife Shelley are so supportive and proud of us for maintaining our high spirits, despite the difficulty of our situation! We need all their love and support - along with everyone else's to defeat this darned avm! Mark and I went out to their place Saturday and joined them for dinner, along with their friends Linda and Buddy! Hanz came with us of course and had so much fun with Jim and Shelley's pets! At one point, Shelley picked Hanz up and was hugging him and her Boston Terrier Emmie came over and looked @ her as if to say, "EXCUSE ME"?! Oops!

Hanz seems to have the most fun with their dog Bessie! See photos! Ok, I'm signing off, but just wanted to give y'all an update on what's going on! I'm going to keep working w/that TheraBite before even thinking of making an appt. with Dr. Yakes! I called Dr. Yakes P.A., Kelly to possibly call me in some steroids to help w/the pain I've been feeling?! I don't know what to try anymore, but I'm always on so many meds, it's a wonder I don't fall asleep @ work! Take Care everyone and we'll keep in touch! Thank you for all your love, prayers and support!

Mark & Cyndi

I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!

Hi Family and Friends!

How is everyone? There is so much to write, I don't know where to begin! I'm going to start with the night before we left for Denver! So, Tuesday after work, we got Hanz's tote bag full of his things (food, bowl, snacks, brush, etc.) and headed to Rockport, where Marks brother Jim and his wife Shelley would be taking care of our furry kid! Jim and Shelley treated us to dinner @ HuDat - it was delicious! - then we headed back to their house for a bit. By the time we left (I did good - I didn't cry this time when we left Hanz!) and got home, it was late. Mark lay down for a bit and fell asleep. I stayed up late reading and doing a few things, like changing Sabas clothes. In any case, we should have changed my wound dressing that evening, but I didn't want to wake Mark up and figured we would take care of it in the morning. Well, I got up @ 3:30 am, and started trying to get some packing done. Mark got up and worked on my wound dressing and that really set us back on time! Our flight was to leave @ 6am and we got to the airport @ 5:40am. On the way to the airport, we were remembering things we didn't pack, so when the guy @ the American Airline counter said we had to take the next flight, I figured we could go back home and pack a little better! Back home we went, picked up a few things and back to the airport since this flight left @ 8:30 a.m.! Made that flight that took us to Dallas and then on to Denver! I slept most of the way for several reasons! I love to read, so that makes me drowsy - not to mention not getting but a few hours sleep and then all the meds I take ...! Somewhere down the line, I dropped by book, hitting my soda and knocking it over - oops! We arrive in Denver @ 12:30 p.m. and head to the car rental place. After picking that up, we start heading toward Dr. Reeds Office, as I have an appt. w/him @ 4 p.m. - we figured we would find a place to have lunch in that area of town. Park Meadows Mall is also near Dr. Reeds office, so I knew I would enjoy looking around that area! For those of you that might have forgotten - Dr. Reed is the head of Voice and Swallow in the Denver area, and he checks my airways to make sure there is no new avm growth or any blockage, so that Dr. Yakes can then do surgery the following day. Dr. Reed gave me the "all clear", but we also had talked about the possibility of a tracheotomy. I have a large vein in my neck area that concerns me if I were to need a trache. Dr. Reed feels that as long as it is planned and not done on an emergency basis, then a trache shouldn't be too big a problem. I really do NOT want to go there if @ all possible, so we'll see.

My sister-in-law Shelley had asked me what all we did while we were in Denver, and I told her how we like going to a couple of the grocery stores up there and find items that are no longer available in our stores here! Shelley and her friend Linda laughed when I told them that I was so excited to find Niagara Spray Starch in a pump bottle! I LOVE that stuff and for whatever reason, our HEB Grocery store does not carry it anymore! I loved that it was in a pump, so lately what I had been doing, is pouring some liquid starch and mixing it w/water and putting it in an old pump bottle I still had of the Niagara Spray Starch! So we bought a couple bottles of that, and we had also been looking for boysenberry syrup that was not available here and found that! Mark likes a particular "flavor" of Lipton Onion Soup Mix that is no longer available here, so he picked up some of that - funny, huh ... that we end up grocery shopping up there?! After all that, we finally checked in to the hotel and settled in for the evening! I still had most of my lunch left that I had in a "to go" container, so I had that and Mark wasn't hungry, so we watched TV and both fell asleep a bit later.

I was due to be @ Swedish Medical Center @ 8am, so I got up w/enough time to shower and get my overnight bag ready! After Mark got showered and ready, we headed out - seems every time we go, we pay $100 deductible or something - but we were assured if we overpaid we would be reimbursed. Ok, so we head up to the 3rd floor, where I need to go to get started - get my hospital gown put on, non-skid socks and then nurse Jennifer comes over to get my IV started! See photo. She is so good - gets that IV in on the first try!

Then Eric, Dr. Yakes P.A. comes by, and he has Kelly, Dr. Yakes newest P.A. with him! Kelly and I got along well right away - we were both into the Twilight books, so we enjoyed talking about that! After Eric had me sign forms that were necessary for procedure, he showed me photos of his new baby, Lindsey!

After that, we waited around for the Anesthesiologist to come talk to me, and I wondered if my not being able to open my mouth very wide was going to be a problem. I had a book to read, so I just hung out w/Mark, my book and Saba while we waited. Finally, the anesthesiologist (I believe her name is Quinn) showed up and we started talking about how far I could open my mouth. Quinn wasn't sure she would be able to get that tube in my mouth and she worried that one of my lower front teeth was just a little loose. We decided that she would try her best to get that tube in my mouth, but if she just couldn't, then I wouldn't have a procedure done. So I'm taken to the surgical room, I get moved over to another bed and I hear that I am being given something to put me to sleep through my IV.

Next thing I know, I am awake and I remember being told that an embolization was not done, due to them not being able to get the tube in my mouth as they wanted! Ok. So I'm very groggy and not feeling well, considering I didn't even have a procedure! Nurse Jennifer asked me where Mark was, and I told her I didn't know - so she called Mark on his cell. I was told that I bled from the wounds on my face as they were cleaned. I hear I lost 5 ccs of blood and that must have ended up in my hair - ugh!

Meanwhile, I didn't know until later when Mark told me - but he had gone into Dr. Yakes office to talk to the patient coordinator, Sadie, to give her some information she needed from me. There was a couple from Canada in there w/their daughter Brooke and she was to have her first embolization w/Dr. Yakes the next day! Brooke also has a facial avm like mine - but fortunately hers is not as severe! Brookes mom had been keeping up w/my blog as well as Shalons, so she had recognized Mark from the pictures I post! Mark took time to tell them how great Dr. Yakes is and about my procedures!

So the nurses finally get a hold of Mark, but meantime, while I was sleeping in ambulatory care - I felt someone touch my foot. I woke up to see my favorite recovery room nurse Rick! He was not working (from what I understood) and was in his street clothes. He asked how I was doing and where Mark was. Talked to him a bit - it was nice having him come by!

Mark finds someone to let him in to the area where I'm at and I tell him what is going on. Dr. Yakes comes by to talk to us - Mark had the snacks we had picked up the night before (that I was going to have in the room w/me that night) and offered some to Dr. Yakes! While Dr. Yakes was eating pretzel rods and oatmeal raisin walnut cookies, I asked the nurse for water and maybe some pudding. I had been given morphine, but that was just not cutting it and I was due for some oxychodone and was told I could take it. Dr. Yakes was telling us that he really feels that I should have a tracheotomy. I told him I really didn't want to have that done - I'm just tired of dealing with bleeds, a puffy eye, the wound and dressing on my face - and I didn't want to have to deal w/a trache on top of all that! Luckily I haven't had a bleed (actually, I did have one last Friday & it took an hour to stop it) but I asked Dr. Yakes to hurry up and finish me because I was having to leave my furry kid when I come have a procedure! He understands, because he has 2 standard poodles and a small one too! Dr. Yakes did say, that if I am trached - that I have to be in the hospital for five days! Yikes! They have to make sure once it's done, that all is well and there won't be any problems.

Eric comes by to give me my discharge papers, and tells me that unless I can put the width of two fingers (one on top of the other) in my mouth, then I will need a trache. We had already looked into ordering a Therabite - Eric had suggested that during my last embolization. Sadie had faxed the information needed for us to get that Therabite, but it was going to take a while to get it and run it through the insurance. Later while in the hotel, we had told Celia about that and she took over and ordered the Therabite on line and had it overnighted to me! So, here I am - doing "mouth therapy" w/the Therabite! From past procedures, my jaw area has swollen and I cannot open it as wide as I had before. If I don't do something about this now - later it would continue to get worse and I may not be able to open my mouth @ all! I'm already having a hard time getting food in there and I sure don't want to drink things through a straw!

We have been so blessed to have such amazing families and very supportive friends! This avm business really is hell @ times and there is no way I could do this on my own! I always pray for strength to endure whatever our Lord has in store for me. I give thanks for my husband, that is a lot of the strength that helps me get through the rough times! My brother-in-law Jim and his wife Shelley have really stepped up to help us in so many ways! They are very generous and have made it possible for our trips to be made easier in a couple of ways. It is especially wonderful knowing our baby Hanz is being cared for so well in their home! As I've mentioned before, Jim and Shelley live out in the country, along with their friends Linda and Buddy nearby. Well, Jim and Shelley have 2 indoor dogs and 2 outdoor dogs, and Linda and Buddy have a Yorkie named Hockey and a chocolate lab named Coco! So Hanz was like @ a doggie camp or Chuck E Cheese for dogs! I hear Hanz ran outside with cows and they have horses and pigs nearby! Hanz had a chance to visit with Hockey and Coco and had a great time running all over! Shelley tells us that Hanz missed us - he would go over and stay by the door and sigh. It just breaks my heart leaving our baby behind! I appreciate it so much that Shelley tells me she picked Hanz up, and rocked him and loved him! All the while, she said her dog Emmie was giving her the evil eye!

We were so happy to get home to Corpus - because our flight from Dallas to Corpus had a LOT of turbulence! It was pretty scary - the plane would drop way down where our stomach would do a flip-flop! Mark started praying a rosary and I put down the book I was reading and started praying as well! I remember thinking, "I can't die before finishing my AVM procedures"! We were so relieved when it was over! This was caused by the bad weather in Dallas!

So now ... I will faithfully use the Therabite System (http://www.atosmedical.com/Home/Products/Mouth_Jaw/The_TheraBite_System/) and depending on my progress ... will then determine when I will return to see Dr. Yakes! I'm hoping I don't have any problems w/my avm ... remember we need to always keep ahead of it and not let it get ahead of us! With my not having a procedure this time, it is putting me behind schedule somewhat, so here's hoping this avm doesn't rear it's ugly head and give me any problems!

Thank you all so much for all your love, prayers and support! Ran into a friend and former choir member @ the grocery store today and got a big hug from her. She keeps up w/me through my blog - Hi little Ronnie! It's always great knowing all of you are out there for me - we'll get through this one day at a time! Thank you!

Love,

Cyndi

P.S. Oh! How could I forget? I must post a picture of "Mommies Angel"! My baby Hanz! He is such a wonderful distraction from this horrible avm! I think about him all day long and can't wait to get home to my furry baby Hanz! He is soooo spoiled and we love him so much!