Barry Stone  Ruth, If you re visit the Taming of the Shrew...I recommend find it in a live theater such as a local "black box" kind of theater...and see it. One of those cities in Maine must have some live theatre and this is done a lot. Or, just get the Shakespear play. Can't remember the fellow's name that "tames the shrew"..but he asks Ms Kate to place her hand 'neath his foot (she needs to want to do this)...and when she is tamed...the word used is "tamed", but it is more, really more about love, that is displayed....you gotta read Ms Kate's last long, quite long lines to understand the whole thing...it is there. A new thought in my mind is Shakespear's Ms Kate learned "Ghandism" a huge long time b4 Ghandi was ever thought of.

Barry Stone  OK...you asked....started after I took her to the theater....Taming of the Shrew....and will continue "t'il she places her hand 'neath my foot"....cuz she wants to.

Barry Stone  Thanks for your comments and inputs, Anne in Evergreen. You're a wise lady. Yep, got a cardiac rehab lined up with a young fellow named Cornelius managing it who is on top of working with a wannabe master (old(er)) athleter with a few sports event goals for rehab. Rehab is gonna work the mental, emotional parts of this journey, too.

Barry Stone  Thanks, Ruth. On my "droid". Just met Dr. Mihaljevic. My heart is gonna be in the hands of a tall young man. I have complete confidence in him and his staff. The surgery is tomorrow and my anatomy and needs are suitible for the minimally invasive robotic procedure. I am so glad I advocated for myself when the NM surgeon told me his way was best for me. ...barry

Barry Stone  Thanks for the encouraging words, Gene. I'm gonna be with an impressive young fellow named Cornelius at the U of NM Hospital Heart rehab who seems to be right on top of rehabing a wannabe master endurance athlete...and I'll do my best to respond appropriately when he pulls back on the leash. But its true I have SRS which is the cause of every injury I've had.

Barry Stone  Thanks for the good wishes, Ilana...Good luck and the best to you for your time here on the 29th....Barry

Barry Stone  Thanks, Pete. I have a feeling you're a good guy to have in my corner. Be good, be safe, and may your time be soon and super successful. ...Barry. the kind of part ...how do you say it....Quebecker homme ...je me souviens.

Barry Stone  Thanks for all the good words....can't wait to get back to training....gonna need to find patience. With friends like you guys its gonna be great.

Barry Stone  Thanks for the comment/advice. ....OK...I'll just try to keep the objective of getting across the finish line upright and alive. And, not have a relapse of SRS (Stupid Runners Syndrome)

Barry Stone  Wow! What an attitude to joke about getting one of those "springy legs. I was lucky, so to speak, in 'Nam...strictly restricted, because of my work, to Saigon and Tan San Nhut (sp?). I meet the Da Vinci robot at Cleveland Clinic March 11th, and fly home, hopefully, March 18th...Barry

Barry Stone  Thanks for the comments, Terry. Yep, I'm pretty close to your age. I'll be 68 in mid April and when I think about it, not that often, I see 70 "just around the corner", so to speak. ....Barry

Barry Stone  Pete Pete Pete, as Ruth addressed you with love, you have inspired (thanks for the inspiration) me to share a little I’ve learned recently, since I began, last November, my own quest to beat my little “serious mitral valve regurgitation” issue. I say little because I’m so lucky to have had the opportunity to have had my cardio vascular disease process managed by a brilliant young Dr. Brendan Cavanaugh, who takes a personal interest in me as he does all his patients. Life is good. It has taught me to research and it is through researching for resources for rehabilitation for master athletes I have learned how fortunate I am and how there are others with cardiac disease issues that need the help of others, and there are many organizations that have been established by what I call “movers and shakers” to help others, movers and shakers who were motivated by some life stress issue, in this case a cardiac issue involving themselves or someone they love, motivated to help others. Well known Lance Armstrong took on cancer with a vengeance. As a contemporary cardiac issue example, Wes Leonard, a star basketball player for his high school, collapsed on the basketball court on March 4th, his life ended then and their because of sudden cardiac arrest, a life that could have been saved if Wes Leonard had been screened ( http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-wes-leonard-cardiac-arrest-20110304,0,3098562.story). More active young people, I’ve learned, die from sudden cardiac arrest than from anything else. Prescreening, such as is the goal of the Nick of Time Foundation, founded by a fellow that collapsed at the end of a Triathlon with Sudden Cardiac Arrest, is working with schools in the Seattle area to prescreen area school students, discovering children in need of cardiac treatment services who otherwise would not know they have an issue, and saving lives. Here’s a few cardiac support organizations/foundations established by “movers and shakers”, people who made a cause from their disease or the disease of a loved one. For anyone that is interested, here’s the list of the organizations I have come accross:
The Walter Sisulu Pediatric Cardiac Foundation http://wspcf.wordpress.com/

Adult Congenital Heart Association. http://www.achaheart.org/

Mended Hearts http://mendedhearts.org/

The Childrens Heart Foundation http://www.childrensheartfoundation.org/

Cardiac Athletes http://www.cardiacathletes.org/

Iron Heart Racing Team http://ironheartracing.com/

Barry Stone  Hey, Pete. Appreciate your comment. Yep, its amazing how some kinda make a career out of some disease, like the guy that started the Team in Training (TNT...from Train Endure Achieve Matter) arm of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society after his kid had, maybe died from Leukemia..can't remember the story details). When I attended their Century bike tour of Lake Tahoe last June, at the pre-ride pasta dinner, one of the speakes announced all the fund raising riders attending from all over Canada and the US had raised some 6 or 8 million dollars for Leukemia and Lymphoma research and victim support. TNT is approaching the $1 billion mark for fund raising. Then there's the Live Strong Cancer foundation founded by L. Armstrong..then there's Adam Pick with the book and this Jounal Site..then there's Ironheart Racing, founded by David Watkins (one of us heart valve issue club members) supporting several cardiac related organizations. Yep..guess all these folks used talents they had in relation to a health issue they had to try to make things better for others....I'm just sayin'...be safe/be good/enjoy life. Barry

Barry Stone  ThanksY, Ruth. I guess I can believe being jealous..maybe envious...of heart surgery. As much as I deplore/dispise/dislike the idea of the surgery, I, too, just can't wait to have it done, even when think about waking up with my entire body shaved, an IV in my neck tubes coming outta my mouth/throat and "other" places, wires attached in a bunch of places, and generally coming out of being kept alive by a machine,I still just want to have it done. Peace, as my bro, Doug, keeps saying to me, to you

Barry Stone  Thanks for the comments, Ruth. Dr. Tomislav Mihaljevic (sp?) is the surgeon taking care of moi at Cleveland Clinic. I understand having a flail anterior mitral valve leaflet is the best to have if one is gonna have a flail leaflet. I do live a charmed life. My entire time away will be a total of 10 days if all goes well, and I expect it will go well. My boy will drop us (me and Ms Kate) at the airport on the 8th (Mar), I have blood work, an echocardiogram, and CT scan on the 10th, a little something and meet the surgeon of the 10th, and the valve job on the 11th (fri). expect to be out of ICU the 12th, two or three days in the hospital with a release probably Wed, stick around 'til Friday and fly home late Friday the 18th. I have very capable medical support, really super medical support people here. Young Dr Brendan Cavanaugh...I'm so lucky to have found him when I fired (well, just decided one day when the previous guy ignored my questions about endurance sport activity, HCTZ, and dehydration..thy guy just ignored my question which I repeated 4 times..obviously the old guy didn't know..so that was it with him)..when I fired that guy and looked for a cardiologist who is an athlete..and Doc Cavanaugh had recently came to ABQ. He and the others that take care of me are super. Most of my experience with Maine, from the late 70s was visiting Northern Maine about once a month when I worked at Bagotville, Quebec and lived near Chicoutimi. I'm guessing you may be somewhat near Bay of Fundy where the tides are so "big". The only time I was there the fog was so thick we couldn't even see the ocean from the route we took going south from having been at Prince Edward Island.

Glad you're staying with HVJ. You and Pete the Atheist make it interesting for moi. ....Barry (the nontheist guy from a mtn in New Mexico)

Barry Stone  Ruth, I just wrote a lengthy response to you, first thanking you for your comment, and then, most of it, about anxiety. It seems that since it took me a long time, with interruptions, to get it done, the system lost it...and I don't have time now to do it over...guess I'll do my stuff in word from now on, and then insert the writing on the journal page when it is done. Hope you don't leave, but if you do, its OK..you're an inspiration and probably don't know it. I'll try to get some more words on anxiety to you..not that they'll fix yours, but share with you mine....I got it...but manage it ..Barry Stone

Barry Stone  Also, Ruth, kind of a fascinating group I found as a result of life making me a member of this heart valve repair club is the Ironheart Racing Team, an example of new beginning for some, for me a new respect for running, road biking, swimming, and triathlon. Check out, if you are interested, www.ironheartracing.com, to see what amazing things some members of our "club" are doing after they get their valve jobs and/or bypass surgeries. Amazing!

Barry Stone  Thanks for the comment, Anne. The surgeon for me is Dr. Mihaljevic. I am confident my surgery is going to be done by the best can be found. I can't wait to be back in my running shoes, on my bike, and in the pool. It may be premature, but I did register for the Tri of the Rim at Ft Lewis College in Durango on April 17th. I don't know for sure, but I have a hunch I will be able to finish the event. I'll be checking your journal. BTW, my wife is from down the road from you at Bailey. I've been to Evergreen lots of times. My daughter called me and she's flying out from Loveland to be at CC for my surgery. Thanks again for your encouraging comments. ...Barry Stone