Um... I don't think you were supposed to use habanero peppers in that recipe...

Seriously, though, Catspaw, I'm glad to hear that things turned out okay, with no damage to that mitral valve. And Lyrical Lady, I'm glad to hear that a colostomy doesn't appear to be necessary (though a resection can't be any fun).

As a person who's had colon problems for the last 25 years or so – since I was 21 (ulcerative colitis plus a couple of pre-cancerous polyps removed a couple of years ago) – I'll reiterate the advice given here: pay attention to your bowel and GET IT CHECKED!!! If you get a problem treated and you know something's still not right, be more aggressive about getting to the bottom of it (if you'll pardon the expression!).

Sharon (sans colostomy bag... so far!!)