I have a congenital condition called Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA), and just recently in had to have a 4th open heart surgery, this time to replace

I have a congenital condition called Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA), and just recently in had to have a 4th open heart surgery, this time to replace a valve. I was lucky enough to get a tissue valve rather than a mechanical one, so I don't have to deal with blood thinners the rest of my life, but the downside is that they wear out anywhere between 5-20 years, depending on your lifestyle and other health conditions, which means I could be facing anywhere from 2 (if they last 20 years) to 11 (if they last 5 years) more surgeries, assuming I last another 60 years. The upside is that future valves can be inserted via catheter, assuming no unexpected narrowing of the arteries. That is a one-day, maybe overnight procedure, with a week or less of recovery, rather than the ordeals that a fully open-heart one brings. I honestly think the hardest part is worrying about how much my spouse worries. Hopefully Shaun gets his surgery, and recovers well (took me about 2.5 months to get back to relative norma0lness).