There's good news tonight...

...and it's better than finding a $20 bill in your clean laundry...

My oldest daughter, the mother of my grandchildren, was born with an aortic stenosis. It was surgically repaired with something called a 'Ross Procedure' when she was 23. This procedure, we were told at the time has a 7 to 10 year life expectancy before it will have to be re-done. In her case they did not use mechanical valves for the initial valve replacement so that she would not have to take blood thinners which would have kept her from having children.

Last year she began to notice some fatigue and her annual heart check up indicated that the time was near that the procedure would have to be repeated. Since she had given birth to my youngest two granddaughters, this time they were going to use a mechanical valve.

Well, she went for her pre-op cardiac cath procedure today. As it turns out, they are only going to have to repair the aortic valve root and not the valve itself. It's a less serious operation amd she will not have to be on blood thinners.

I was really scared about this but now the sun is shining again on a very relieved dad.

They say that fathers are the daughter's dragon slayers...well bring those scaly fire breathing bastards on...I will happily kick their green dragon asses.

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it...