Update: Famous People And Heart Valve Surgery

[Adam 12-21-05]

Hey everyone,

First, Happy Friday!

Second, I need your help. I'm trying to uncover which famous people / celebrities have had either heart valve repairs or heart valve replacements.

I looked back at old threads about celebrities with heart valve surgeries and did some of my own research.

So far, I've come up with the list below. Can you add anyone else to this list? Any thoughts?

Cheers... Adam

Arnold Schwarzenegger Heart Surgery (Actor/Governor/Terminator)
Rodney Dangerfield (Comedian)
Charlie Rose (Journalist)
Jesse Helms (Senator)
June Carter Cash (Singer)
Jeff Smith (the "Frugal Gourmet")
Betty Friedan (Author of The Feminine Mystique)
Robbie Benson (Actor)
Jimmy Barnes (Singer)

 

[PJmomrunner]

Lucille Ball

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE4DE143BF93AA25757C0A96F948260

 

[PJmomrunner]

John Wayne

http://www.emanuellevy.com/article.php?articleID=2561

 

[PJmomrunner]

Donald Pleasence

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000587/bio

 

[PJmomrunner]

Danny Kamekona

http://starbulletin.com/96/05/03/community/obits.html

 

[sue943]

Tommy Horton - professional golfer

http://www.valvereplacement.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16406&highlight=golfer

 

[Tom F.]

Vicki LaMotta, wife of middle weight champ Jake LaMotta.

 

[ken]

http://valvereplacement.com/forums/showthread.php?p=52056

Senator Bob Graham
Garrison Keillor
Lewis Grizzard
Bobby Darrin

 

[hensylee]

Arnold Schwarzzenegger (twice)

 

[MikeHeim]

Rony Turiaf (current LA Laker)

 

[Kathleen]

I can not imagine spending any amount of resource doing this. Who the heck cares which "famous" person or "celebrity" had a valve. I feel the famous persons having a valve replacement are the ones who do it against all odds and with little funds and a small amount of support. Good heavens this does not even require us to waste paper.
Kathleen

 

[Natanni]

I thought Robbie Benson was twice also. I guess I view celebrities having valve surgery the way I view anyone that has valve surgery. It gets my attention, and I am always interested in hearing their story. When I am with a patient and they tell me they have had valve surgery, I always want to hear the details, and they always seem to want to share them. I remember hearing about Arnold's motocycle accident, and remember thinking.....oh oh....?anticoagulated (I have an anticoagulated morocyclist husband) and then thought, no.....he had a Ross. Did he go tissue later or a repeat Ross?

 

[PJmomrunner]

I can not imagine spending any amount of resource doing this. Who the heck cares which "famous" person or "celebrity" had a valve.

By all means, resist the temptation to post to a thread that does not interest you. I can certainly do without your apparent disdain.

I recognize that Adam is the author of a book about valve surgery who is writing another book. To those who are approaching valve surgery, the celebrities who have had surgery may be the only people they know of who have experienced valve surgery. They may be interested to know, and perhaps find it reassuring to know, for instance, who has survived surgery and gone on to make many a film or other contribution to society.

 

[aussie girl]

FOOT NOTE: Jimmy Barnes had his valve replaced 6 weeks ago and this week started a national tour to promote a new cd ....thats inspirational to me and gives me hope when my time comes....mary

 

[sue943]

I have to say that I am with PJmomrunner on this. Locally I do not know of anyone who has had valve surgery which is the reason I visit this site, to talk to people who know where I have been and where I am going. How many of you know other people in the flesh (not through this site) who have had valve surgery?

To read of famous people who have also been there and continue to live their lives is inspiring and gives me encouragement. I think it will be good information to include in a book.

 

[OldManEmu]

Famous VRs

Famous VRs

Aussie girl I viewed on SBS the Insight story on resilience this week that had Jimmy Barnes as one of the people talking about resilience in the face of adversity. I am still trying to work out it he went tissue or mechanical. He talks about a new lifestyle free of alcohol and drugs so I am not certain about his AVR. Arnie to my knowledge went with a Ross then pushed it at the gym blew it out and had a tissue redo.

 

[aussie girl]

I'm not sure what type of valve Barnesy had. He gave up smoking, alcohol and drugs about five years ago and has lived a healthy lifestyle since then.The drugs he was referring to on the show were the illegal type ...mary

 

[Adam 12-21-05]

By all means, resist the temptation to post to a thread that does not interest you. I can certainly do without your apparent disdain.

I recognize that Adam is the author of a book about valve surgery who is writing another book. To those who are approaching valve surgery, the celebrities who have had surgery may be the only people they know of who have experienced valve surgery. They may be interested to know, and perhaps find it reassuring to know, for instance, who has survived surgery and gone on to make many a film or other contribution to society.

PJ,

Thank you. You just took the words right out of my mouth. Maybe I should have posted the reason for this thread in my initial quote.

And, thanks to everyone else for providing additional insight and references on this topic!



Cheers. Adam

 

[catwoman]

I can not imagine spending any amount of resource doing this. Who the heck cares which "famous" person or "celebrity" had a valve. I feel the famous persons having a valve replacement are the ones who do it against all odds and with little funds and a small amount of support. Good heavens this does not even require us to waste paper.
Kathleen

Kathleen:

News stories generate interest based on celebrity, nearness, magnitude, human factor, etc.
Would you read a newspaper or magazine story about John Doe having an aortic valve replacement? Most people here would not, unless there were complications or something unusual about the procedure.
However, people will read a story about the Pope or the U.S. president having the procedure.
Some people may have pooh-poohed stories about Michael J. Fox having Parkinson's disease. Or when Katie Couric's husband having colon cancer. However, their celebrity brought attention to their diseases and helped raise $$ for research or prompted some people to have colonoscopies.

And we must remember that "celebrities" are just like us: They put their jeans on one leg at a time, they suffer disappointments, illnesses, joys just like "ordinary" people.

 

[Mary]

By all means, resist the temptation to post to a thread that does not interest you. I can certainly do without your apparent disdain.

Sorry Pj.
I rather appreciated Kathleen's apparent disdain.
I didn't say it when I first read it, but I will now.
Thanks for bringing it to my attention.