Jeffp, this is great news and I'm happy for you and your family. My dad had a triple bypass and valve replacement when he was in his late '60s and was playing golf -- albeit only 9 holes for a while -- within six weeks. As 'Spaw says, just shorten your backstroke.

At that time, they replaced the valves with valves from a pig. They explained this procedure carefully to my mom and dad several times, but just before they wheeled my dad in for the surgery, after they'd given him his go-bye-bye shots, he opened one impish eye, looked up at the nurse and asked, "Is the pig under yet?"

The nurse was stammering and stuttering, quickly trying to explain that the pig valve is VERY carefully processed first and ...

She had no idea what a kidder she was dealing with.

Daddy died about fifteen years later and as I was driving back to Oklahoma, I started thinking about him and all the trouble he'd had with his heart. I thought to myself, "Poor ol' Daddy, I guess his old heart just finally gave out..." And I heard his voice as clear as a bell, saying, "Hell, I was fine. It was the damned PIG that gave up the ghost ..."

I completely believe in an Afterlife now! ;->

Love and good wishes, WW