How very kind of you to take the time to reply.
Congratulation to you for having had such a wonderful surgical team. It's actually very good to know that people can survive a dissection. what kind of surgery did you have and did you know that you had an enlarged aorta ?

I have a friend who passed away from a raptured aorta 2 years ago at 60 years old , he literally died in the hospital while the medical team was trying to figure out what was wrong with him... he had no idea he had a thoracic aneurysm.

You really hit the nail on the head with everything you said about making life choices.
I also would like to add that women have the additional factor of "menopause" and the struggle with hormones which can cause anxiety which in return rises BP.

Right now I am vacationing in the German alps where I grew up and it's very grounding and good for my soul. I had a zoom with a surgeon from UCLA (my home town is Los Angeles) but tbh ..I didn't really like their demeanor and nonchalant attitude. Perhaps it's the difference between a physician and a surgeon? I don't know ...I have never had surgery so I don't know if that's just how they are or talk?
I researched the "best" surgeons for this kind of surgery and it seems that they are all in the east . Either Rochester, Minnesota, or the Cleveland Clinic. I have found 2 Surgeons that specialize in this kind of surgery that I would like to know more about.

I am so very grateful to have found this support group
and especially this thread about the possibility of "cognitive impairment" post surgery.

I hope that I will live through this to help others with their discomfort and worries.