Rob's Posts

Hello Fellow Heart Warriors! It's been awhile. All good here. The 5 year anniversary milestone has come and gone without issue. I'm fervently working on going "pencils down" on the career as (an early) retirement is fast approaching. I'll be in better touch with more time on my hands but I wish you all well! ❤️💪. (Adam, it seems we can update our email address in our profile but it doesn't seem to feed your newsletter distribution list. Can you ping me directly in email to get those synched up? My old email has to go…. Thx, Rob. Go Blue!)

HW's, I have been away for far too long! The implicit truth is that things are going well if I am not thinking about my heart valve, right? And that is the truth. (But it can always change.) On September 26th, 2021 marked my 3rd valvaversary! Still tickin'. Covid — and Michigan winters — have conspired to make it harder to get footsteps and exercise. But everything else has been pretty normal! Work is a pretty heavy burden, too, so I have to remind myself to manage that. (Tips and tricks welcome.) We lost the originator of KOKOPOR on August 15th. My father passed away. Cancer is brutal, but he fought. And he tied, he didn't lose. Because when cancer loses a host, it too loses the fight. So Dad was 1-0-1 against cancer, having defeated prostate cancer and playing to a draw against lung cancer. His persistent optimism was his secret weapon. I bought his pulmonologist and oncologists monogrammed surgical hats. You guessed it : "KOKOPOR". Keep On Keepin' On Press On Regardless What did I learn that is helpful for us? Heart valve issues are challenges. But there are worse things. Truly. Be happy, folks. The recovery side is there for you, so hire the best "black ops" team you can hire to get you there. Experience matters! A person (or team!) will *literally* have your heart in their hands. Make sure you invest as much into your care as they do and do high fives with them every chance you can! Including the trip down to the OR. Your attitude will infect them and it may just empower them to perform the best surgery they've ever done. Do everything in your power to carry your portion of the load and bring your best game! Face recovery with determination. As soon as possible after your surgery get MOVING. Positivity and faith. Secret weapons for us all. Take Care! Keep grinding. Moshi Moshi. Oh, and Go Blue!

Hey HW's, I hope all are well and have climbed the wall of worry and lept over it or are getting a boost on the backside to get over it now! This heart valve thing is scary and it makes everything stop. Until it all starts again! And you can do amazing things after you make it from the waiting room to the recovery side. I am 2.5 years into my journey and got 4 miles of walking in yesterday and 45 mins on the bike today. According to my FitBit, my second one since OHS, I'm on day 16+ of a walking 10,000 steps or more. This valve thing ain't fair but, you know, there are people who have it much worse than us. KOKOPOR And moshi moshi to everybody who knows what that means (as it relates to valves, that is). For those among us who celebrate it, have a blessed and happy Easter!