Poison Bites

I know what my title implies - it totally bites being pumped with poison.  (Yep.  It does)  But did you know that there are 10,000 Emergency Room visits every year in the U.S. due to venomous snake bites?  I read that from part of Kevin’s “Envenomations” lecture that he is presenting tomorrow at the Ogden Medical Conference. You probably didn’t know that Kevin is a self proclaimed snake bite expert.  Kevin received excellent training at Loma Linda Medical Center under the tutelage of Dr. Sean Bush, aka. the Venom ER doc. He endured months of earsplitting squealing from pigs being injected with rattlesnake venom. But enduring the research torture (referring to Kevin, not the pigs) will finally pay off tomorrow at the medical conference. Kevin committed one year ago to be a speaker, and when life recently got in the way, he was still determined to accomplish it.  Not surprising. I personally am grateful that his lecture is over.  I have never seen so many gross pictures of snake bite victims.  I mean these poor people make Kevin’s situation look good. (ha ha)  

Kevin will be home from Utah on Thursday. (We miss him!!) He is feeling pretty good.  Last week (we call it chemo week around here) he really toughed it out & enjoyed some great dad moments. He spent four hours one day watching Josh take first place doubles in tennis league finals.  (Wasn’t that cool that it didn’t sound like boasting - just stating the facts.  If I’d wanted to boast I would have said that it was his finale to an undefeated season.  oops.)  Kevin also toughed it out by roughing it on the beach at the annual fathers and sons campout.  He provided some awesome memories for Josh, Ben, Sam, and my dad, and his sea water corn was apparently a hit.  The fathers and sons campout was also Kevin’s greatest gift to Sophie last week.  By taking the boys camping it left the house “boy free” to celebrate her 14th (wow!) birthday.  And this snake bite extraordinaire even pulled off a special Mother’s Day.  I woke up to a beautiful, big lemon tree with the attached note: “when life hands you lemons, make lemonade.” (definitely another Hegewald motto)  There will be some fresh squeezed lemonade at the Hegewalds this summer!

Since Kevin is in Utah right now, I thought I would post some pictures of our family’s awesome Spring Break to Salt Lake City. (Told you I would find them)  Great times . . .

General Conference at the Conference Center

Josh's big catch on the Green River

Ben's bigger catch on the Green River

Baptisms at the Timpanogos Temple with cousin, Tal

Snowy ski day at Solitude

Josh and Ben with Granddad

Sam and Mom

Cousins warming themselves by the fire

Kevin's favorite position by the fire

Carin Davis' miracle to help us look like this . .

...when we usually look like this!