The first rule after any operation is to be kind to your self. I’ve struggled to be kind to myself for much of my life. More than ever, I’m trying to learn self-compassion. I wonder if it is mere coincidence that a guy who struggles with self compassion is having heart problems…. With two aortic valve replacements by age 39, my third lease on life has already begun. It’s Easter Sunday, April 17, as I write this, an appropriate time to ponder the importance of new beginnings.

PostedApril 21, 2022

AuthorDerek Franz

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My prosthetic (bovine) aortic valve that was installed in 2014 is failing. Another surgery to install a new valve is scheduled for March 30. Thanks to the many friends and family who have been reaching out, it’s clear that there are quite a few people who actually care about me and want to know about my health. The plan is to do a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) through an artery in my leg. I’ve been told that I will probably be conscious during the procedure and likely only spend one night in the hospital afterwards, with a projected recovery of about one week. The catch is that this is a short-term fix. I expect it to last only another five to seven years.

PostedMarch 26, 2022

AuthorDerek Franz

CategoriesOpen Heart Series

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Climbing with my buddies in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison in the days before Mandi and I got married on the rim made for a memorable bachelor party. — Climbing with my buddies in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison in the days before Mandi and I got married on the rim made for a memorable bachelor party.

This summer has been a whirlwind. I've been so excited to get my old life back – wait, scratch that. I've been so excited to start a new life, I haven't spent much time looking back since Mandi and I got married on the rim of the Black Canyon in June. ... My life has a renewed sense of vibrance and urgency to pack it all in and pursue some of my atheltic dreams while I still can. The surgery has been a wake-up call to go for the gusto and stop putting things off while another year slips by, so writing has taken a back seat lately. However, I am thrilled to bring you readers up to speed!

PostedAugust 2, 2015

AuthorDerek Franz

CategoriesOpen Heart Series

TagsOpen Heart Series

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I started posting the first segments of what became "The Open Heart Series" in my "Personal Blog" in the weeks before I went to CU-Denver Hospital to have my chest sawed open and have my aortic valve replaced. Writing was a way to process what I was going through, including the massive fear I faced. Somewhere along the way, I realized it would be a good idea to consolidate the stories as much as possible, so that others facing a similar experience might benefit from an outline of what I went through. In an effort to put all the scattered stories into one place, I have the hyperlinked titles listed below in chronological order. More related stories are still on the way, perhaps for a long time to come.

Facing the Future with an Open Heart

Clinging to the Moment with an Open Heart

An Aspiring Hardman

Don't Watch the Movies

Walking the Long, Red Hallway

Going Under in 3, 2, 1...

While I was Out

Waking Up to a Fresh Start

Still Waking Up

Pills, Pills, Pills, Rest, Rest, Rest

Eating What I Am

Back on the Rock

Muscles Are Weak Without the Mind

Continued, Spectacular Recovery

PostedJune 9, 2015

AuthorDerek Franz

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A group of people rig a rope swing and rappels from the top of Corona Arch near Moab, Utah, on Thanksgiving, 2014. The 1.1-mile hike to reach the arch was one of my first outings, one month after open-heart surgery. — A group of people rig a rope swing and rappels from the top of Corona Arch near Moab, Utah, on Thanksgiving, 2014. The 1.1-mile hike to reach the arch was one of my first outings, one month after open-heart surgery.

This chapter of The Open Heart Series details my return to physical fitness and the wild, rugged places that I love, as well as some of my nagging health concerns. Read

PostedMarch 29, 2015

AuthorDerek Franz

CategoriesOpen Heart Series

TagsOpen Heart Series

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I went for my first hike on a Thanksgiving trip to Moab, one month after open-heart surgery. Photo by Mandi Prout

This segment of the Open Heart Series aims to cover my first days back home after five days in the hospital, my first days back at work, and what daily life was like up to my first check-up in late December, two months after surgery. In the next chapter, I'll recount my physical recovery from Thanksgiving 2014 to present, and my return to rock climbing. Read

PostedMarch 16, 2015

AuthorDerek Franz

CategoriesOpen Heart Series

TagsOpen Heart Series

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My first memory of waking up after five and a half hours of open heart surgery is vague except for one powerful feeling: joy. I'd survived. And my family was there in the ICU with me. I wanted to talk to them – I was so excited to be through it – but I had a tube in my throat, and tubes coming out all over my body. Read more

PostedMarch 4, 2015

AuthorDerek Franz

CategoriesOpen Heart Series

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Hearing people talk about what happened while I was in surgery for five and a half hours is like hearing my parents' stories about the day I was born. I was there, but I wasn't. For this segment, I interviewed my fiancée, and my mom and dad to get an idea of what they went through in the waiting room during the operation, and afterward while I was recovering in the hospital for several days. I asked them in particular if they had any advice for people facing a similar waiting-room experience. Obviously it was a very emotional time for all involved. Emotions are tricky things to pin down objectively. That makes it hard to offer concrete advice, but I will try. ... Read more

PostedJanuary 23, 2015

AuthorDerek Franz

CategoriesOpen Heart Series

TagsOpen Heart Series

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Doing my thing in Rifle Mountain Park, 2010. After receiving the doctor's OK, I used climbing as a way to stay positive in the weeks leading up to my surgery. Photo by Steve Denny

The month before I had open heart surgery on Oct. 30 is mostly a blur to me now, as I write this 60 days after the fact. The feeling I recall is that of a procession down a long hallway with crimson rugs and no light at the end. During that time, I made a point not to dwell on a future that couldn't be avoided.

PostedJanuary 4, 2015

AuthorDerek Franz

CategoriesOpen Heart Series

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Six weeks after open heart surgery to replace my aortic valve, I finally got around to Googling videos of the procedure. If you are about to have open heart surgery, I would recommend not doing a Web search before you go in.

Rule #1 after heart surgery: Be Kind to Yourself

Preparing for Heart Surgery #2

Continued, Spectacular Recovery

Chapter Index for The Open Heart Series

Back on the Rock

Pills, Pills, Pills, Rest, Rest, Rest

Waking Up to a Fresh Start

While I was Out

Walking the Long, Red Hallway (preparing for open heart surgery)

Don't Watch the Movies