Metallic or porcine - the dilemma...

You're looking at a daily (expensive - but better) pill or inevitably another surgery down the road that you are, technically, less likely to survive. That sounded harsh, it's probably not that dire. Probably meaning depends on how your health is, how soon it fails, and whatever new health anonomly pops up.

Prayers out!

Exactually! Whoever thought that it would suck to be healthy at 74? My mother is 97 and only recently started using a walker. And she's taking care of my younger sister and her husband who is only a couple of years older than me. You're right, I've been gored by a wild dilemma!

PSM, you're on my prayer list; your good health doesn't hurt (we're similar age, enjoy it) .
Look at cbtengr; he's probably restoring headstones sayin' "not yet, buster!" lol :D

PSM wishing you all the best

Thanks all! I was waiting for our son to return from deployment to do anything (something that was in the news a few months he was greatly involved in, and I didn't want to interfere with that). He got back this weekend, so I get the ball rolling tomorrow.

Had the angiogram this morning and amazingly, after nearly 75 year of eating butter and lard, my pipes are clean. And the pressure in the heart showed low, not my arm pressure, though. One flap of the valve is totally calcified, though. I was awake for the whole thing, but I only got about a 15 second view, which was disappointing. They went through my right wrist, which was great, but now I can't use my right hand for a couple of day, which I'm finding very difficult.

Prep was about 45 minutes and surgery (?) was also about 45 minutes. Recovery was 2 hours to ensure the bleeding had stopped. My wife ran out and got me a Popeye's chicken sandwich during it. NOT SPICY like I ordered! That was the worst part. ;)

I'm very very happy for you. Sounds generally excellent all-around (except maybe the sandwich). This should increase confidence level in procedure to come I'd imagine for ALCON. Thanks for the report.
:lifter

Glad that went well! Pretty amazing what they can do these days with minimal cutting and discomfort. Hang in there!

All in all pretty good news. The technique to replacing an aortic valve is much better now than even 10 years ago. Good luck when you have that done.

Thanks, Doc!

So do you need us to send you very small discreet bottles of hoysauce to hide on your person for these occasions? :cool:

Well, that's now in the rearview! Not at all what I expected. The only pain after surgery was in my back, below my right shoulder, which kept me awake most nights in the hospital.

The nurses were outstanding! Every single one of them was a type A+ personality. They had me up and walking almost as soon as I woke up. During our walks over the next week, I questioned them about their after-work life, and they were all extremely adventurous or industrious, from thru hiking the AZ Trail to woodworking, and they were all female. I got the impression that most of their patients never asked about them, only complained about themselves. Sad.

While the hospital food looked very good, and the breakfasts were great, my wife, stuck in a nearby hotel that often housed Resident doctors, catered my lunch and dinner from local restaurants.

The night before my release, a doctor noticed a spike on my heart monitor. The next morning, the day of release, they installed a pacemaker. :mad: Nothing on the week-long printout showed any other anomaly.

So, back home and the recovery was way less of a problem than my hernia surgery recoveries. I had the same lifting restrictions, but at least I could stand up straight the first day. And getting out of bed was much easier since I could use my core muscles, which I couldn't after the hernia surgeries. But I still couldn't sleep more than an hour at a time due to the back pain.

The only problem left, now, is that the ring and little finger on my right hand are still numb, which makes it hard to fill out all the damn medical forms!

OUT-standing! :lifter Great you're home and things went so well.

Prayers for your continued healing and recovery.

DOL

Great news. Delightful report. Time to focus on the windshield and hit the gas!