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Today I’m celebrating the 8th anniversary of open heart surgery replacing my calcified and bicuspid aortic valve with a bovine valve. I was 55 when I had the surgery. I was blessed to have a successful surgery and strong recovery. I was running and exercising on a modified basis 34 days after surgery. I will always be thankful to Dr. Robert Lancey and his medical team for fixing my heart and my cardiologist June Chung for taking care of my heart since that first stent in 2014. I now have four stents in my Circumflex Artery and two stents in my Right Coronary Artery. This summer I was thrown a curve ball getting sepsis but I was fortunate the blood injection did not reach my bio prosthetic aortic valve. I also had a pacemaker for one week due to complete heart block which is now first and second degree heart block not requiring a pacemaker. The pacemaker was removed due to the blood infection. I’m back to exercising regularly including posting at early morning F3 workouts three to five times a week. However, I’m not able to run longer distances as I get out of breath after a few minutes. I am able to run shorter distances at F3 workouts. I have added biking and swimming to my weekly workouts. I consider every day to be a blessing. At some point my aortic valve will need to be replaced. Hopefully that will be later than sooner and the TAVR procedure can be used which avoids opening up my chest. I’m a proud Heart Warrior. ❤️💪

I want to share my recent battle with a blood infection in the event anyone reading this not aware how dangerous a blood infection can be if you have bio-prosthetic aortic valve (as well if you don’t have a bio-prosthetic valve). In 2018 at the age of 55 I had open heart surgery to replace my calcified and bicuspid aortic valve with a bovine valve. I had a successful surgery and a strong recovery. Over seven years later I continue to exercise/run almost daily. I also have four stents in my Circumflex Artery and two stents in my Right Coronary Artery. Last month I spent 16 of 21 days in the hospital with 12 consecutive days in the hospital. I went to the ER with breathing issues and chest pain and was diagnosed with complete heart block. My heart rate was in the high 30s/low 40s, so a pacemaker was implanted and I went home the next day with a normal heart rate and 100% pacing in the lower chamber. I didn’t feel good the following week. Eight days after getting the pacemaker I had a 103 fever and went to the ER again. The bloodwork showed I had a blood injection. The doctors were unsure of the source—possibly the pacemaker, a recent dental visit, a tick bite in late April, a cut, or something else. They immediately put me on antibiotics. I was transferred to Sentara Heart Hospital. I didn’t know this at the time but there was the possibility I could need emergency open-heart surgery if the infection had spread to my valve. A TEE later showed no bacterial vegetation around the valve but it wasn’t able see the entire area. Two days later the pacemaker was removed due to the infection. The good news is my heart rate returned to normal and I didn’t need another pacemaker at this time. I see the electrophysiologist in two weeks to follow-up on the peacemaker. I’ve been on two IV antibiotics—Gentamicin and Ceftriaxone. A PICC line was placed in my arm for long-term IV access. I’m on daily infusions of the aforementioned antibiotics for five weeks. Each day my wife gives me the two antibiotic infusions through the PICC line. My cardiologist since 2014 was on vacation out of the country while I was in the hospital for the blood infection. I met with him last week. He told me that a blood infection with a bio-prosthetic aortic valve can become life-threatening very quickly and said I was fortunate I came to the ER when I did. He said the most important doctor on my team is the infectious disease doctor, who I see next week. He said if additional antibiotics are needed, don’t question it—we have to make sure the infection is completely gone because of the valve. One of the tests/procedures showed that my bovine valve is getting calcified. October will be the 8th anniversary of the valve replacement. I’m incredibly thankful for the doctors, PAs, nurses, my wife, and everyone who have helped me during my current health situation.