So we started out in the morning at 7:30, 8:00 o'clock as the race started. We started out at a very, very fast pace. Mentally, you prepare for a ride like that, knowing what kind of ride it is.
I didn't exactly know what was wrong, but I knew something wasn't right. That was the first time that I could not finish a ride. I was nauseated, just completely exhausted. I had nothing left.
Your heart is only pumping a certain percentage of your blood and in my case, it was like 65% of my blood was being pumped and the other 35 was being regurgitated back towards the lungs.
Joseph A. Dearani, M.D.: The primary focus here is that his valve is a problem that lends itself to repairing as opposed to replacing.
Really, I just I wanted to have the best recovery possible. And so I chose Mayo because they had, at the time, they had done over 500 procedures on the mitral valve robotically.
Joseph A. Dearani, M.D.: When you walk into an operating room where robotic heart surgery is going to be performed, you get to see that technology applied with this incredible flawless line of communication. It's medicine at its peak.
Then I was released to do whatever I want to do and however I want to do it so there's no limitations on what I can do right now.
Joseph A. Dearani, M.D.: He's going to get back to doing what he loves to do and he's going to be able to do better than what he was doing.
That five weeks. I could actually take a complete deep breath without it hurting at all.
I'm riding, you know, 40, 50, 60 miles without any trouble. And I keep telling myself, I’m very, very lucky to have a procedure early and also to have to have Mayo do it for me robotically.