My Fathers Passing

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Warrick

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 26, 2015
Messages
776
Location
New Zealand
My father lost his battle with cancer last week and we had his funeral today, and although he was not a member here he was a valve replacement veteran as some here may recall me posting in the past.

Dad had his aortic valve replaced in 1985 at age 44 due to rheumatic fever as a child.
He was implanted with a St Jude mechanical back when St Jude and the bileaflet pyrolictic carbon valve had been around for less than 10 years.

They gave Dad 10 years to live at the time and indicated the valve would last 20 years and now here we are 36 years later celebrating his life.
Dads valve lasted his lifetime and never let him down.
So please take heart in the 36 year precedent my father has and the pedigree of the carbon valves born out of the 70s.
 
My father lost his battle with cancer last week and we had his funeral today, and although he was not a member here he was a valve replacement veteran as some here may recall me posting in the past.

Dad had his aortic valve replaced in 1985 at age 44 due to rheumatic fever as a child.
He was implanted with a St Jude mechanical back when St Jude and the bileaflet pyrolictic carbon valve had been around for less than 10 years.

They gave Dad 10 years to live at the time and indicated the valve would last 20 years and now here we are 36 years later celebrating his life.
Dads valve lasted his lifetime and never let him down.
So please take heart in the 36 year precedent my father has and the pedigree of the carbon valves born out of the 70s.

Sorry you've lost your Dad. Thanks for sharing his legacy & encouraging an open mind.
 
My father lost his battle with cancer last week and we had his funeral today, and although he was not a member here he was a valve replacement veteran as some here may recall me posting in the past.

Dad had his aortic valve replaced in 1985 at age 44 due to rheumatic fever as a child.
He was implanted with a St Jude mechanical back when St Jude and the bileaflet pyrolictic carbon valve had been around for less than 10 years.

They gave Dad 10 years to live at the time and indicated the valve would last 20 years and now here we are 36 years later celebrating his life.
Dads valve lasted his lifetime and never let him down.
So please take heart in the 36 year precedent my father has and the pedigree of the carbon valves born out of the 70s.
Sorry to hear about your father's passing. But, so glad that he outlived those that predicted he would only survive 10 years after valve surgery. May he rest in peace.

"So please take heart in the 36 year precedent my father has and the pedigree of the carbon valves born out of the 70s."
Good point. In the recent discussions of tissue vs mechanical, I will point out that if his was a tissue valve, this would be a world record. But, in that his valve was mechanical, as those of us here are aware, it is very common to see mechanical valves that last 30+ years. In fact the studies suggest that this should be the expectation for the vast majority.
 
One of my favorite epitaphs and it works for Dad's too:


Epitaph on my own Friend
Robert Burns


An honest man here lies at rest,
As e’er God with His image blest:
The friend of man, the friend of truth;
The friend of age, and guide of youth:
Few hearts like his, with virtue warm’d,
Few heads with knowledge so inform’d:
If there’s another world, he lives in bliss;
If there is none, he made the best of this.
 

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