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When You Find a Member of the CHD Club

by Daniel Spandau on Monday, Feb 09, 2015

I was dropping off my dry cleaning the other day. As I was helping the lady sort out the shirts, I noticed that thin, telltale scar on her chest. “Oh,” I thought to myself, “she is a CHD club member.” I’m the kind of person who doesn’t feel uncomfortable sometimes stepping over the line and saying something too personal to a stranger.

“Open heart surgery?” She looked up with a smile and “yes.” The woman looked to be in her 50s and she very proudly told me that she had the surgery in Cali, Columbia, 45 years ago. She said she was the first person ever to have surgery in the city, continuing with “….and I don’t take any medication.”

Becoming Part of a Crucial Mission

by Daniel Spandau on Tuesday, Oct 07, 2014

I am glad to say that I am one of the more senior members of the CHD clan—born in 1954, Blalok-Thomas-Taussig Shunt in 1956 and “full repair” of tetralogy of Fallot in 1960. I had some follow-up care for the next 10 years and then nothing for 30 years. As I was turning 50, I applied for some life insurance and needed a cardiac review. As you may have guessed, I did not get approved for additional life insurance, but was put on a path to meet some of the most incredible people.

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The contents of this blog are presented for informational purposes only, and should not be substituted for professional advice. Always consult your physicians with your questions and concerns.

Posts by Daniel Spandau

When You Find a Member of the CHD Club

Becoming Part of a Crucial Mission

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