After surviving a heart attack, I figured the worst was behind me. Then a doctor walks in and tells me I have a leaky heart valve—from birth. Congenital, he says. Casual, like he’s pointing out a flat tire. Suddenly I’ve leveled up from cardiologist to cardiothoracic surgeon.

This episode walks through the post-op fog, the morphine haze, the surreal hallway “exercise,” and the moment you realize your body isn’t just hurting—it’s permanently changed. Also featuring: Tamil in a hospital hallway, a dignified hospital discharge (in a wheelchair), and a return home that felt anything but normal.

Oh, and somewhere in there—I remembered to ask if we canceled the Airbnb.