Donald's Journal

I’ve known I needed an aortic valve replacement for at least several years and kept procrastinating getting it fixed. I’ve finally reached the point where I have no choice as my symptoms have worsened. For a period of time last year, my computer business was slow, so I drove for UBER, the ride sharing service to make ends meet. One day, I get a pickup in Edgewater, NJ. The guy comes out dressed in scrubs, gets in and says, “I Noticed Your Sopranos ID in The Windshield, I Used to Know James Gandolfini”. I said, “And How’s That?” He Goes “I Was His Cardiologist”. Needless to say, my brain got an erection. (Yes folks, I was the double for James Gandolfini on The Sopranos and kept my show ID in the front of my car as I didn't have the heart (no pun intended) to remove it. It took about 10 minutes to get to his destination, during this time we had quite a conversation! We then spent a half hour chatting up a storm with his educating me on valves. He set me up with an appointment for an Echo at Columbia Presbyterian the following week. I met with all his associates shortly afterward including 2 more of their cardiologists and one of their best cardiac surgeons. I thought I was going to use them all this time until, that is,...last week when I met Dr. Allen Stewart at Mount Sinai after reading all about him on heartvalvesurgery.com and checking out his reviews. I was impressed with his knowledge, his personality, and his direct answers to my questions. At the end of our meeting, he took out his card, wrote his cell phone # on it, and handed it to me with a “Call Me Anytime With Any Questions”. I was sold.