I had a complete aortic dissection on a business trip to San Diego in 2015. It was a complete nightmare and I was in a cardiac ICU for three weeks spending two of those weeks in a coma. If I had known then what I know now, I would've immediately addressed my hypertension and would not have been 1600 miles from my house. You sound like you're an active guy and you travel a great deal. Before you get on another plane, like I had just had before I dissected, you may want to consider whether or not your medical insurance covers you in out of state locales. I can assure you it probably does not. You likely have medical insurance that will cover out of network and fight you like crazy if you have the kinds of medical bills emergency open-heart surgery cost. The way you're describing yourself. Sounds a lot like me in 2015. My bill from UCSD La Jolla was $1.4 million. I spent four months fighting with my insurance company to get my bills paid because they took the position that I had decided to go to California to have a sudden complete emergent aortic dissection which nearly killed me. The other thing you should consider before you get on a plane is whether or not you can get medical help if you suddenly dissect. Trust me. I suddenly dissected in my hotel room after dinner while watching CNN. My chest was cracked open 42 minutes later and I was undergoing a massive and life-threatening crisis. That's how fast it happens my friend.

In terms of activity level, what you're describing sounds a bit aggressive. I do not think that it makes good sense to do anything which involves lifting more than 10-15 pounds, raising your blood pressure, planking, or any other strenuous activity, which causes you to engage in the Valsalva type maneuvers. You sound honestly a lot like I did: tough as nails and bulletproof. I think it's really important for you to ask yourself whether or not you're engaged in any form of confirmation bias, namely, that you're completely healthy and you're going to be fine. Maybe. But the people that will be able to give you that answer are thoracic surgeons and radiologists trained in reading CT scans with contrast. I would caution you against being overconfident. I am overconfident by nature and it nearly cost me of my life.

It was extremely traumatic to have a sudden dissection for my wife and my children. It was really a life-changing experience for me. Think September 11. Knowing what I know now, I wouldn't be lifting any weight more than five or 10 pounds. You have to keep your blood pressure low and you can't allow it to spike. You'll never know that it's spiking because it's sudden and you're not constantly monitoring your blood pressure when your exercising. I want you to think of it this way: you walk outside and you see a giant bulge in the sidewall of your driver side front tire on your car. You are asking whether or not you should take that 1,000 mile road trip at 75 miles an hour. The answer is no, you need to get that tire fixed and drive very cautiously until you know it's safe.