Excellent article. The fact you stay in good health obviously helped your recovery. My husband had aortic valve replacement 13 years ago. He was in excellent health at 57 and was home in 4 days after the open heart. It is almost time for another although his is still going strong. This time they won't cut through his chest but go through the groin artery accessing the heart with a catheter doing the job! So glad your doing so well.