Replies

So they tell me though my cardio does not look to scare me. He’s been watching it for 2 and a half years. It’s still well below the threshold and it’s grown 1mm in the previous two years. BP is running 100/70 with the meds so I’m pretty hopeful.
Thanks for your scary last line

The vascular surgeon looked at my saccular aortic aneurysm near the celiac artery. He consulted with the company that makes the necessary "snorkel stent". His honest opinion is the corrective surgery is very difficult, very high risk. I would probably die on the table. He recommended just doing regular surveillance. My boss lost his brother to the same kind of aneurysm. He was found sitting on his couch with a popsicle stick in his hand. He died right there. The popsicle melted leaving only the stick. He had been "gone" for many hours. Not a bad way to go unless you're driving on a busy freeway when it happens.

Keeping BP in check is important. Mine runs 105/53 at rest and 114/70 sitting up. Standing up can be a problem. My pulse pops into the low 100s and BP drops to 105/53 with a brief "dizzy" spell. It's not new. I've had low BP since I was a teen.

I figure that I'm enjoying the eye of the storm now. Make the best of the good times. My classmate with the stage 4 pancreatic cancer is feeling physically Ok even with metastasis to his lungs. He intends to make the very best of life while he has the strength to do so. He is well beyond any treatment that would prolong life. It's a quality of life issue now. Both of us will be 69 this year.