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I posted link to wrong article (see below for another link). The following is copied from article - Because half of those with a bicuspid valve have aortic dilatation, cardiologists should routinely image the ascending aorta in all bicuspid aortic valve patients. In many cases, this can be...

My husband is not home right now or I'm sure he could provide some add'l info. And I apologize if my facts are a little off. I know that when he had his valve replaced, there was discussion between his cardiologist (fix the aneurysm now even though it doesn't appear urgent) vs the surgeon...

I had my surgery in December of 2004 and I really started to run about 5 to 6 weeks after surgery. I have communicated several times with a few different cardiologists as well as an arrhythmia specialist and none seemed very surprised or concerned that my heart rate went into the 160 to mid-170...

I had VR surgery at Mass General 2 years ago and was very impressed with surgeon, facility, nursing staff, etc. Would expect that B & W is great choice as well. Would be happy to tell you more if you're interested.

Chris, I was running ( 11-12 MM) at about 5 weeks on a treadmill and really waited until the 12 week mark to attempt anything outside. Definitely had my good and bad days, but got through them. A little over a year from surgery I ran a mini tri and did a 5K this past T-giving. I could not...

My husband has been seeing cardio at Mass General for 10 + years. Had surgery there almost exactly two years ago. Nothing but very positive things to say. He's out of town for a couple of days but would be happy to talk with you if you are interested.

I have been on Lipitor for at least 12 years now as I recall. My total cholesterol went from 293 to where it stands now at 155. The only thing I really noticed about the drug was I had some short term memory issues at first. I would be mid-sentance and forget what I was talking about. My...

I had several roomates in their mid 80s when I was in for my surgerey. They not only survived thier operations, they provided me with the inspiration to get out of bed and get it going. I still remember the conversation I had with my 87 year old roommate, Frank, the night before both of our...

Steph, I got to the point before surgery that I could only do about 4.5 MPH while running/walking on a treadmill before feeling faint. I could, however still do the bike and the eliptical machine at a farily good clip. I considered myself in decent shape at the time, but the running just...

I was on a small dose (25Mg) about 10 years before my surgery and I seemed to tolerate it fine. I did start to take 50mg about 3 years before surgery. After surgery it was a whole different experience. I was in decent shape before surgery with heart rate around 60. As I continued to...

If you do decide to do any exercise it can be a good idea to have one. Especially if you would like to keep your heartrate under a certain BPM. Polar makes some reasonably priced monitors and you can find them at any sporting goods store or on-line. Insurance will sometimes cover them given...

Hey Jeff, I had my surgeon telling me mechanical ( for all the reasons discussed), my primary cardiologist telling me tissue( for all the reasons discussed) and my secondary cardiologist telling me your choice. I drove myself crazy trying to make a decision and I didn't even find VR.com until...

No Tee here either. I had an MRI ( with contrast....in the tube for 2 hours) and echos. TEE was done on the table. Dan

I was diagnosed at 18 months of age and had my surgery at 43 so I did live it my entire life. Actually, my parents knew , but I was not actually told until I was seven/eight. I thought every kid got MRI's and echos etc..... I had no clue. Quite frankly, I got used to the fact that I would...

So very sorry to hear of your loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with you as you try to cope with things. Dan

I think Scripps, Cedars or UCLA would be the best places to go in So Cal. I have heard good things about all of them. Interestingly, I had some nurses at Mass General who also worked at Scripps and they had very good things to say. You can get much more objective data, obviously, but word on the...

Great pictures. I am jealous. What a beautiful day and you all looked like you were having a lot of fun. Maybe the folks on the west coast can get a relay going for the Camp Pendleton Mud Run. Dan

Sounds a little like a-fib. If you are not on blood thinners, I would go to the ER. If you wait much past 24 hours they will probably put you on a thinner before they try to convert you. Your chance of throwing a clot go up the longer you wait. Any type of arrhythimia should be looked at. Dan

Not much beats a good run on a nice spring day in Burlington. Good luck!

I haven't been as active posting lately, but I still check in a few times a week to see how all are doing. I had lived my life wondering what it would be like to push myself on the endurance front. Unfortunately, it was too difficult for me. Even throughout my 20s and 30s I stayed active, but...