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I was 43 when I had the AVR in 1991. Of course I did very little running the years prior and following OHS, but I was a runner for decades. So, I compared running times that I had 2 years before and 2 years after the surgery. Before the surgery I could run a mile in about 6 minutes and a 5K...

Later this week, July 26, 1991, St Jude's aortic valve replacement. I had rheumatic fever twice as a child, ages 5 & 10 that damaged the valve. I was declared 4F for the military draft during the VietNam war. I had a minor stroke at age 39 from a random blood clot blamed on the leaky valve...

28 years ago today. I was 43 when I got this old St Jude's valve and it's still ticking up a storm.

This article in Guinness records says the oldest surviving artificial valve is 44 yrs. Have they never heard of Dick0236 in Louisville??

Last Sunday was a major milestone in my running history. I ran race #500 for my logs. I had run 140 prior to valve replacement in 1991 and 360 since. That's a bit more than one a month on average over 27+ years. There have been years I did only 3 or 4 and some I did over 30, but never one where...

Today was my 3rd Tri ever, and a repeat of one year ago. I improved my time in all 3 events. 2 seconds in the swim, 7 minutes in the bike, and 6 minutes in the 5K, a total of 2:02:52. Not that I was fast or anything, coming in 2nd to last, but last year I was last place by a wide margin. Age 70 now.

I did an indoor triathlon today, a short, short one. 10 minute swim, 30 minute bike, 15 minute run. At 70, I was the oldest by far. I'm a lifelong runner, unable to run any more due to arthritis. And I've never been much of a biker with 7 month long winters in my area. That leaves one event...

After all the weeping and wailing I did in 2016, I turned it around and did fairly well in 2017. I had 3 MDs and 2 PTs tell me I'd never run again due to spinal arthritis, so I walk instead, and bike and swim (and maybe sneak in the occasional short run). In one 5K I ran mi 1, walked mi 2, and...

Doing very well. What I'll do today is babysit one of the grandsons, maybe go to the park, maybe the pool, take a nap, you know, important stuff. But first some pushups, some squats, and walk a few miles. I'm unable to run any longer due to arthritis in the spine, and even biking beyond 10 miles...

As I mentioned last year, I was forced by arthritis to discontinue running after 40 years, but that didn't stop me, only slowed me down a bit. I walk now, 3-4 miles every other day. Not a leisurely stroll either, 16-17 minutes per mile. Walked a 5K last week at 15:50 avg pace. I've continued...

http://dailynews.openwaterswimming.com/2016/08/jack-berkery-pioneering-his-way-to-open.html

Check out the surgical anniversaries forum for my latest update.

My aortic valve replacement anniversary is 25 years on Tuesday, July 26th. I don't often celebrate the occasion any longer and this time I'm just going out to lunch with my wife and daughters. Later in the day, I have a date with 100 triathletes for a swim training session. I joined a Tri Club...

Valve Anniversary #24. St Jude's aortic valve replacement July 26, 1991 at age 43. I have lived and loved a great deal since then. We had been married 22 years, now It's coming up on 46. My 4 kids were between 6 & 16, now 30-40. We've seen them all finish college, 3 of them to doctorates and...

Spread the word. It's that time of year again. You don't have to have a Medtronic device to qualify. Read the details and apply here: http://www.medtronic.com/globalheroes/

July 26, 1991. St Jude's Mechanical aortic valve at Albany Medical Ctr. That's about 1/3 of my life now. We celebrated with wild black raspberry pie and ice cream. Didn't get out to run today because the grandson is staying over for the weekend, but I ran 8 miles yesterday and have been swimming...

I ran a mile on the track Tues. night, 10:02. I slowed down a bit this year. I'm 66 now and a few lbs heavier. My mile was 10:11 last month, so it's getting better. What I liked about this one was the way I paced 4 laps very evenly, 2:29/2:32/2:30/2:31. I'm like a metronome when I get in shape...

I haven't seen where anyone else has posted this yet, so here's a link to "Cardiac Athletes", a book that has been almost 4 years in the making. It has 17 chapters each of which was written by one of us about his/her own personal experience with heart surgery and return to fitness thereafter...

I first ran the Schenectady, NY Stockade-athon 15K in 1978. This year was my 30th finish. 10 times before AVR, 20 after. This photo is of the runners who have finished it 30 or more times. 196 finishes total. Don't ask to total our ages. I'm 3rd from left. 2nd from left is Ed Salvo, who had AVR...

In Syracuse, NY this morning heading out to run with a couple dozen other HEART team members. Some are doing the half marathon, some the 4-person relay. We have no one in the full marathon this year as in the past. This is the 8th annual gathering of cardiac runners in the Northeast.