@azguy1

I remember feeling the same confusion when I first heard the words “aortic dissection.” Mine was already tearing by the time anyone realized what was happening, and in 2015 I ended up on an operating table for emergency open-heart surgery and a Dacron graft. Because of that, I pay very close attention now to what the numbers actually mean and what the body is trying to tell us.

A dilation of 4.0 cm is something to respect, but it’s not something that should steal the joy from your life. The fact that your doctor has cleared you without restrictions is reassuring. What I learned after my own dissection is that it isn’t the activity itself that’s the danger — it’s how we do it. The aorta hates sudden spikes in pressure. It hates breath-holding. It hates that heavy Valsalva strain we slip into without thinking. You can climb mountains, hike hard, and let your heart rate rise, but the key is keeping every movement smooth and every breath open. When the breathing stays loose, the pressure stays steady, and the aorta stays happier.

I still exercise every day, but I do it with attention instead of fear. If you feel good, if you’re breathing easily, and if your doctor has given you the green light, you’re doing the right things. Knowing your measurement and paying attention to the mechanics of how you move is what keeps you safe. That knowledge is power — and it’s power I wish I’d had before my dissection.

You’re not alone in this. Keep moving, keep breathing, and keep respecting that aorta without letting it run your life. Peace.