Looking back,
It almost seems like a birthday,
that day we had aortic surgery.
Perhaps it was for our valve,
an aneurysm in our chest,
or both.
Some of us have several of these days.
It is a day we always remember!
There was a very special message for the Bicuspid Aortic Foundation recently. I share part of it below:
"...2008.... New York Presbyterian Hospital....at this hour, I was under the knife for my third (1st being in 1967, 2nd being in 1975) open heart surgery...this time to replace my ascending aorta and aortic valve due to a large aneurysm...and I guess the surgery was successful since I'm still here and kicking!
Thank you to the Bicuspid Aortic Foundation (www.bicuspidfoundation.com) for without your website, I would never have suspected that I had an aneurysm."
This man had been under cardiac care for many years, since he was quite young, but no one had ever told him that someone born with BAV was at risk for developing an aneurysm. After reading information on the Foundation website, he asked his cardiologist about it. A CAT scan was done, and there was the aneurysm! He feels that the aneurysm was so large, he would not have survived to see the new year of 2009!
How much we all would have lost if this very active, vibrant man's life had been needlessly cut short.
Please, tell everyone you meet about BAV and aneurysms. BAV is very common! You can save lives!
In telling others to get checked,
We may unmask a silent threat,
Creating a climate of hope.
Best wishes to all,
Arlys Velebir
President & Chairman
Bicuspid Aortic Foundation
On January 19th 2016, I'll be celebrating the third anniversary of the end of the 17-hour surgery to replace my ascending aorta and bicuspid (and calcified) aortic valve. I had never been under any kind of cardiac care; I even rode a bike fifty kilometres after work (weather permitting) for a few years when I was younger. I gradually gave up riding due to decreased performance, but never had a clue that my aorta was a ticking time bomb, and that I could have died instantly at any moment. I'm very lucky to be alive, but unfortunately, due to the circumstances, I didn't discover this site until after my operation. I'll just say that I'm happy for others that it exists.
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