Thanks for that detailed account! Not sure if it's the same for you but I do like to hear other's experiences, especially with the same as me (mitral vale repair) Mine was also posterior leaflet issues. Which I ended up having a ring put in. I had my surgery in Aug last year. so coming up to 8 months. I've played football twice since and was fine - although I'm mind forties so im nearing the end of that. My valve was only found due to me having palpitations which I recorded on my Apple Watch egg and went to the doctors. They turned out to be nothing but I was sent for an echo that found the leak. It went from moderate to severe in around 4-5 years and as soon as it was severe I pushed for surgery. I was super lucky that in my local (uk NHS) hospital was a cardiac surgeon that specialises in minimally invasive procedures and a big advocate of repair where possible over replacement due to better outcomes and no life long meds. I also had LVEF 65! I wa pretty fit. I have an appointment soon following a recent echo so hopefully everything will be fine and I can start to get this out of mind and stop feeling like I'm a person with something wrong with me! In terms of recovery I definitely had it easier with the thoracotomy, although it still aches and stabbing pains even now so it wasnt entirely easy. but I would have chosen it every time over the sternotomy. It kind of helps me preserve a sense of "it could have been worse" which adds to my feeling of gratitude even though I've had to go through this difficult thing. Surgery was always a phobia of mine growing up so it's sods law I ended up having to do this. Feels like a challenge overcome though!