It's never easy talking to parents about their children with heart murmurs.

The list of political figures having heart valve surgery continues to grow. In addition to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and former Senator Jessie Helms, I just learned that Iraqi President, Jalal Talabani, was discharged Thursday from the Mayo Clinic after undergoing successful surgery on a heart valve.

I stunk at golf before heart surgery. Really, in thinking about it, that might be an understatement. Now, it is several years after my open heart surgery.

There are some things about my aortic valve replacement surgery that I will never, ever, never, ever, nehhhhh-verrrrr forget. (To learn more, click here.)

I just received this wildly coincidental email from Carol. It's amazing to read about Carol's perspective on heart valve surgery, considering she was formerly an intensive care unit (ICU) nurse. Here is what she wrote:

Dan, from California, wrote me an interesting email that I could relate to whole-heartedly. Here is Dan's email and my response:

It doesn't matter what sex you are, what race you are, what country you are from or what religion you are... Heart valve disease has and will continue to impact most segments of the population.

I'm incredibly lucky to receive touching and memorable letters from heart valve surgery patients and caregivers all over the world. In particular, I consider it a special honor when one of my book readers includes me on his or her email list during their heart surgery recovery.

You just don't know how good you have it until life offers you a great, big piece of Humble Pie, right?

After two heart surgeries in six days (yes, you read that right), David Barnes has quite the tale to tell. That said, I thought you might like to hear more about this inspirational and educational patient success story.

Every so often I receive a fantastic question that is impossible for me to answer.

The vice chairman of the state Senate minority caucus, Republican Dan Swecker of Rochester, is in the hospital with a heart problem. Swecker's staff say he was taken to Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia, Washington by ambulance after what seemed to be a heart attack Saturday night.

I first met Ali, from Northern California, a few months ago. Her mother had been diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis and needed heart valve replacement. To learn more about narrowed heart valves, click here.

One set of recurring questions I receive from patients and caregivers relate to the costs of heart valve surgery and bypass operations. The questions typically go something like, "How much does a heart surgery cost?" or "How much does open heart surgery cost in the USA versus India?" or "How much will my insurance cover - including all the hospital costs, surgeon fees and anesthesia fees?"

First, she had cancer as a child. After chemotherapy and radiation, she won that battle.

This is a tough moment.

Again, I find myself touched by another heart surgery success story. Last week it was eighty-three year old John DeFalco that inspired me after his aortic valve replacement operation. This week, it is all about Taylor, a two-year old with that needed cardiac bypass surgery.

A little over a month ago, I visited Edwards Lifesciences to tour its heart valve manufacturing museum and learn more about Edwards' heart valve replacement devices (pig valve transplants, cow valves, minimally invasive technologies).

Given my recent blog about heart valve surgery in patients over eighty, I thought you might like to read about John DeFalco from Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

This is the courageous, patient story of John Turan. As you will read, John had a triple-whammy heart surgery - a Ross Operation (aortic and pulmonary valve replacements) AND his ascending aorta was replaced due to an aneurysm.