Dear davej: I know exactly how you're feeling right now. In 1996 (age 51) I was diagnosed w/ an aneurysm of the ascending aorta with a stretched aortic valve. I was living in Florida but decided to fly to Mayo-Roch. for treatment as I had grown up in S.E. MN. My surgeon gave me a choice: mechanical valve or pig valve -- as it turned out, I was able to avoid both. He performed a "valve sparing" operation. (At the time, Mayo-Roch. was one of a handful of hospitals that was able to perform this new surgical technique.) My surgery occurred within a week of initial diagnosis.  Fast forward 20 years to 2016. My husband had died. I had moved back to the Rochester area, and was shocked to find out that I needed another open heart operation for an aneurysm of the aortic arch. Much more scary because it involved the arteries to the brain. Well, I made it through my 2nd sternotomy! I sympathize with your reluctance to give up your sports. I had lived in Utah and Colorado for 20 years and was a whitewater kayaker, mountain biker and skier. I replaced that with swimming and walking. Believe it or not, I enjoy the simple pleasure of just floating around in a pool. When I close my eyes I can conjure up those wonderful wilderness trips into the red rock canyons of southern Utah and the highest peaks of the Rockies. Be grateful you didn't put off those exciting adventures until it was too late. You'll come through this and still have a wonderful life. For info. on valve replacement, go to Health.Harvard.edu. It's the website of Harvard Health Publishing. Read the article "Valve Replacement: Mechanical or Tissue?" Good luck!