Wayne to be an overachiever! I also dissected up into my left carotid. I assume you are on anti coagulates and metoprolol. These will help with the risk of blood clots, and rate and pumping strength of your heart.

Of course they come with other issues but....

As for the worrying part. I am anxiety ridden and on high alert for every skip of my heart and little pain. My "first" surgery was 16 years ago. 16 years of angst over something I have zero control over. "they" keep telling me to enjoy my life and keep up with checkups etc I am now in the same place as everybody else who's alive. I wish it was that easy.

Obviously everyone handles things differently. My hope for you is that you can manage to balance "happy to be alive" with "the sword of Damocles". 16 years and I'm still trying and now dealing with older people problems lol. (I was 48 when this adventure started). I look around at the general population and the pleathera of walkers/oxygen tanks/limps/shortness of breath etc etc etc. The difference between us and them is the wakeup call we got of our mortality,

Wow! I didn't expect to get all Socrates on you! Sorry 'bout that! Best of luck, always here to help (?)