Hi everyone,
I am a retired science/health teacher, age 69, female, 5'11, 225#.

I was diagnosed with a 4.6cm ascending aortic aneurysm in 2016 and have been monitoring it yearly since then. (It is interesting how the measurement can vary by facility/equipment/radiologist. I have been measured as low as 4.3 and as high as 5.3.) I went to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester in October and met with a cardiologist in their Aortic Clinic. After all the tests, the latest measurement is 5.3 at the root and 4.2 ascending. My aortic valve has moderate regurgitation, most likely from the dilated aortic root pulling on it. This alone is probably not enough for surgery. But, I also have 8 points on the Ghent scale for Marfan Syndrome, even though I don't have a known genetic mutation for Marfan. There is a familial link as my brother had a similar aortic graft, then TAVR in TAVR, and pacemaker. All these things together make me a candidate for surgery at this time.

My surgery is scheduled for April at the Mayo Clinic. The plan is to replace the aortic valve with a tissue valve and a Dacron graft from the root up to the arch. I am comfortable with the idea of surgery, especially when the alternative might be a possible dissection. I know it is better to do this at age 69 rather than 5 or 10 years from now. I am somewhat concerned about the recovery: cardiopulmonary bypass dementia, sternotomy pain, movement in daily life with a sternotomy, recovery time, etc. (I'm one of those people who needs to be prepared for anything, and if it doesn't happen, great.)

My local cardiologists added Amlodipine and increased my Metoprolol prior to the upcoming surgery.
So, for the next 75 days, I will be learning as much as I can, losing weight, walking, and managing stress. The stress part is hard as I am also helping to care for my Mom (91) and Dad (96) who have health issues.

Five generations of my family have been Mayo patients. I know the expertise and care there are world-class.

Any information and advice are welcome. Thank you.