My Aortic Adventure

This question loomed over me for months before surgery.  Here is what I have learned in the years since. A photo of me in Washington Pass about two years after surgery Heart surgery undoubtedly changes a person's life. In 2016, when being rolled into the operating room to replace a faulty Aortic Valve, I did not know the extent of this change.  A few people told me stories of what it was like to live with a mechanical valve.  The main focus of my interest in these stories was to learn what it would be like to live life on "blood thinners" (anticoagulants), since this was one of my biggest concerns about choosing a mechanical heart valve. The issue, though, was that the people I talked to did not live their life similar to the way I want to live mine, so their antidotes were not fully helpful.  Sometime bruises 'appear' after a long day of climbing. They had "normal" lives, where risk is not part of the day-to-day experience.   Sure, some of the people I ...

If I had to classify rock climbing, I would call it both a passion and a lifestyle.  It is hard to say that rock climbing is a sport, since the only person you are competing against is yourself and the only rules are the ones you accept as important.  Sure, it is an intense activity that involves both mental and physical training,  but it is more than that.  When many people are asked the standard "what do you do" question, they answer with the title they hold 40 hours a week or the product they produce in exchange for money.  If I am asked the standard "what do you do" question, my primary response is: "I climb." Me, before surgery,  climbing in Shelf Road, CO. Photo by Michelle Christiance  When climbing is such a major part of your identity, it is hard to have an impending surgical procedure on the horizon that is going to put you out of commission.  I did not realize this until last year.  After an initial check-up, where my cardiolo...

When receiving an open heart surgery, there are certain milestones that are essential to recovery.  For me, the five-week-check-up with my surgeon was the biggest milestone I was looking forward to.  For the first five weeks after surgery, I had many restrictions: I could not drive, swim, bike, or lift more than 10lbs, to name a few.  This appointment was so important to me because I knew that some of these restrictions would finally be lifted. As I sat down with Doctor Miler, I was excited.  I knew that I would finally start working back toward my usual activities.  The first good news was that I had made big steps in the healing process of my sternum. According to my doc, at week five, I was 90% healed and could no longer do much to injure my chest.  This was great to hear.  After surgery, I had been walking around in a very guarded manner, as if my chest could break apart with the slightest impact.  I could finally relax. With this great ne...