Newbies: if you ever start feeling "why me" ...

[pellicle]

remember, all we have is a plumbing issue. Meanwhile far more people have the C word

When I was about their age I just had an OHS ... they'll probably never make it to my age now.

I've lost more than a few friends to Cancer ... none to valvular heart disease.

Sure, finding out you have a valve problem can be a shock ... imagine how you'd feel about discovering the more common truly horrible sentence.

I suppose it is a shock if you have never been sick in your life, but then instead maybe it is a good view to say "well, wow, I made it this far without any hassles" than "woe is me"

Just a thought for the evening

 

[Lucker]

And still we are a vast minority in the population. And valvular disease can be much worse than in your case, pellicle. And it does not protect against other diseases. But let's stay positive. Truly we live in the age of great progress in heart surgery.

 

[pellicle]

Hi

I hope that you are not suffering from Cancer yourself, if you are then I hope it goes as well as it can. The entire point of my post was to remind people to not dip into "woe is me" ... no matter what. Sure, it can and will happen that you feel that way, but you should re-focus and keep on.

And valvular disease can be much worse than in your case, pellicle.

I'm not entirely sure what you know about my case but your post seems to smack of "you're an ***** who doesn't know how bad it can be and got off easy".

Well if you think that then that's great. However as to me being ignorant let me say that I personally know a heart valve patient (who's the father of my friend) who got a Golden Staph infection in his sternum, had his chest rupture at the dinner table, his family got to see his organs and he spent months in surgeries and debridements culminating in the complete removal of his sternum and placed instead some other tissue there. He kept a good attitude, continued in his work (as a professional driver) and lived until about 80 (he was in his late 30's when it all started). I personally have looked at the same possibility for me.

What does "it does not protect against other diseases" even mean? Like what does? Does getting malaria protect against getting AIDS?

One of my good life long friends is now in the terminal stages of what started as prostate cancer, was treated, came back, got treated again and then came back in metastisized form in his pelvis and lower spine. He's had a pretty tough last 8 years.

The stats
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/statistics
.... speak for themselves as nothing like 30% of the population has even one OHS for valvular heart disease.

The very point of my post was to (as you say) Stay Positive.

Best Wishes