Aortal Dissection at 42 in November. This is my life now

What is AD?

Aortic dissection. And I've checked my statistics, the survival rate has improved to ~ 50% sine I was last in medical training in 2006

That's still not very high, damn. What does it do to the aorta?

Imagine your heart has a little tiny tear in the seam that connects the high pressure chamber and the main artery that sends blood around the body. .. and if you sneeze too hard it'll rip open and flood your chest cavity with what was formerly life-GIVING blood and is now internal organ meat broth.