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After Mild Stroke And Vietnam, Vernon Prepares For Aortic Valve Replacement Procedure

By Adam Pick on August 5, 2008

The patient stories that arrive in my inbox are nothing short of inspirational. Here is the story of Vernon Young from Indiana. He writes:

Adam,

I'm scheduled for surgery next Wednesday – like you, I have to be at St. Vincent's Heart Center of Indiana at 7AM. I have a great surgeon, Dr. Robert J. Robison, who will be performing the surgery.

I'm 63 years old and have known that I had some form of functional heart defect since I was 20. It was discovered by a United States Air Force (USAF) physician during my final physical before being assigned to Vietnam in 1965. At that time, it was not a problem… at least my USAF physicians didn't think so.

Vernon Young - Heart Valve Replacement Patient

About 4 years ago, I was diagnosed with mild aortic stenosis. I had a minor stroke on my right side (now completely recovered) and started having serious blood pressure problems. I have led a physically active life style up to that point. During my hospitalization for the stroke, my cardiologist ran several medical tests that confirmed the stenosis was advanced enough that the aortic valve was only open approximately less than 1 centimeter.

So now I find myself facing valve replacement for my aortic valve. I admit that while I have a great deal of faith in my surgeon (he has performed over 4,000 valve replacement surgeries in his career), I still had some concerns.

I awakened this morning around 3:30AM and decided it was about time to find out what was really involved in this procedure. After reading the informantion about your experiences, I decided to purchase your ebook in PDF format and read it. It was a GREAT read. Thank you! Thank you!! Thank you!!! I feel much more composed than before and have a much better understanding of what is involved. I discussed this book over breakfast with my wife and she is going to read it as well - so she can understand what is involved prior to, during, and after surgery.

Again, my sincerest thanks to you for recording and discussing your experiences in your guide to heart valve surgery. You gave me back my confidence and eliminated my most pressing concerns. I hope to meet you one day.

Sincerely,

Vernon

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Written by Adam Pick - Patient & Website Founder

Adam Pick is a heart valve patient and author of The Patient's Guide To Heart Valve Surgery. In 2006, Adam founded HeartValveSurgery.com to educate and empower patients. This award-winning website has helped over 10 million people fight heart valve disease. Adam has been featured by the American Heart Association and Medical News Today.

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