I had open heart surgery. It was a pretty major thing. Over the last six months I noticed a sharp drop in lung function and finally visited the family doc. She probably saved my life. What she heard sent me off to an emergency CT scan at VGH and I haven’t left yet two and a half weeks later. It was a massive aneurysm on the aorta distending the valve and making my heart work much harder than it should, and dumping fluid into my lungs. If we hadn’t found it, like, right then, I’m honestly not sure how much time I had left. Kind of a near thing. Twice they used the phrase “ticking time bomb”.

I’ve never smoked so this is hereditary. But since as far as we know I’m the first there’s only so much to be done with that info.

So listen to your body. Go the doctor. Ask questions. If it’s a waste of time, cool, you lose an hour of your day. I promise the doctor doesn’t mind. The alternative is worse.

Everyone at VGH is wonderful. My family has been wonderful. Marjorie has visited everyday and that’s a huge order as busy as she is. This would have been a very lonely thing to go through by myself and I appreciate so much that I haven’t had to.

I also appreciate so much that this happened to me in Canada. No bills, no negotiations, no broken life savings. Just compassionate expert help. If you think the American system is better you’re either wrong or rich (and wrong). All I had to do was get better, and that’s how it should be.

I’m on track to get out of the hospital in a couple days. I imagine there will be some lifestyle changes. We haven’t got that far in the conversation yet (except for no lifting more than 10lbs for a couple months). Then supposedly I’ve got a long and happy life ahead of me. That’s good. I’m definitely not done yet.

Meanwhile, I’ve got the Boss Scar.

Happy Valentine’s Day, from the heart.