54 years..........but who's counting!

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dick0236

Eat the elephant one bite at a time
Supporting Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2007
Messages
3,623
Location
louisville, KY USA
My surgeon told me my valve was tested to last 50 years........I thought it would last 20 years. We were both wrong!

August 16, 1967 - August 16, 2021

Here are a few myths that, in my case, are untrue:
1. Hair loss from warfarin.......not true, still have a full head of brown hair.....but the grey is taking over.
2. Loss of manhood...........not true, but "old age" took care of that.
3. Bleed to death from a shaver scratch......I used a safety razor for many years and survived a million tiny cuts.
4. Artificial valve causes "old age syndrome".....only if you let it.
5. Can't eat or drink my favorites........bull :poop:
6. Probably a lot more myths.....but memory escapes me,... after all, I am 85:p
 
May I ask, back in 1967, what type of valve did they implant in you?

It is a "ball-in-cage" design that was patterned after a patented19th-century "wine bottle cork". It is made of a metal "cage" in which a silicone-rubber "ball" floats up and down with each heartbeat. It was the first commercially available valve (1960) and was in production by the Edwards Lifesciences Co. until 2007 although I don't think it was often used by then. I doubt it would be approved by the FDA today. My understanding is there are still a lot of 40+ years old Starr-Edwards valves like mine that are still "clickin" away. The design is so simple it would be difficult for this valve to wear out........but it did have a reputation for throwing blood clots......altho the only clot causing "stroke" I ever had was due to my own mismanagement of warfarin:mad:.
 
Wauw! Congratulations and thanks for being an inspiration! I don’t know how it was for you back then at 31 but I took it pretty hard at 35. Badly In need for some perspective and surgeons and doctors can simply not give that the way you do by sharing this with us. Good stuff, thanks!
 
Wow Dick, 54 years of valve service, absolutely fabulous durability, lucky you eh!

Your date of August 16, 1967 is very memorable here as well, as i had a summer job at Expo 67.
Thinking back, the Supremes may have been performing that night.
It was a very long time ago.
 

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