Thanks for all the helpful information in this blog.

Regarding banking one’s own blood. I asked my surgeon about this prior to my surgery and this is his reply: When a person donates blood, their body gets anemic until the blood is replaced by the body. He said that he wouldn’t let me do that. Maybe some other patients could withstand that strain but my surgeon was very cautious and told me “no”.

I am just 15 days post-surgery ( aortic valve replacement and asending aortic graft to replace an aneurism) and getting stronger every day. I would not have believed that I could feel this good just prior to or immediately after surgery. I am feeling blessed and was well cared for at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH.

All best,

Ron