One in a Million

I was born with a bicuspid aortic valve. At the age of 51, I had surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles to replace the valve with an Edwards bovine tissue valve and a dacron graft to replace an ascending aortic root. Twenty years later, I had this valve replaced with another Edwards valve using the TAVR method. During this period, I had a stroke and two stents - the widow-maker and her sister.

At the age of 73, I walk between four to seven miles every day. Life is good in Gold Canyon, AZ. Check your family history for sudden death. I had at least 12 male relatives die, and none of them ever made it to the hospital. Stay healthy and hug the ones who truly love you.

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