They seem to do these kind of ops almost as routine these days, but even so it's a worrying time for everyone. Keep us posted on how things go, Betsy, and pass on our best wishes to Vin and Pat and family.

Here's a song I wrote about something else, and then I posted it here again last year when a Mudcatter was having heart surgery, because it seemed to fit - and things worked out all right, so I don't think it'll do any harm to stick it in again:

Listen to your heart, hear it beating.
Down there in the dark, never sleeping.
Through lonely times and homely times,
and times that are so fleeting,
do you dare to listen to your heart?
Do you dare to listen to your heart?
Can you bear to listen to your heart?
You listen to yourself
when you listen to your heart.
Do you dare to listen to your heart?

Listen to your heart, can you bear to?
Down there in the dark do you dare to?
Through busy times and dizzy times
and times when yiou are scared to,
O so scared to listen to your heart.
Are you scared to listen to your heart?
Are you scared to listen to your heart?
You listen to yourself
when you listen to your heart.
Do you dare to listen to your heart?

Oh once I wore my heart on my shoulder.
Once I played the part of a soldier -
but now's no time for foolishness,
the time for that is over -
can you hear that whisper in your heart?
Can you hear that whisper in your heart?
Can you hear that whisper in your heart?
You listen to yourself
when you listen to your heart.
Do you dare to listen to your heart?

Listen to your heart, what it's saying,
down there in the dark, day out and day in,
through olden days, and golden days,
and days you feel like praying,
can you bear to listen to your heart?
Can you bear to listen to your heart?
Can you bear to listen to your heart?
You listen to yourself
when you listen to your heart.
Do you dare to listen to your heart?