lee091949

Thanks for your post! I received a tissue aortic valve, and therefore I'm not on coumadin. My cardiologist said there was no reason I couldn't resume skydiving (I stopped when my valve stenosis was discovered 5 years ago). People with mechanical valves have to be on coumadin, and one member with a mechanical recounted his experience with the FAA in seeking to regain his private pilots license after the replacement. He had to provide a record of his INR (blood clotting) readings for a year before they accepted that the coumadin wasn't an issue. We've also had firefighters who were unable to resume their jobs due to coumadin. If they have a tissue valve implanted (no coumadin) they can continue in their profession. The decision to go with a mechanical or a tissue valve generally revolves around how much the coumadin restricts your lifestyle. I have always thought that a new skydiving student, on coumadin, would be more prone to bleeding incidents. I broke my ankle on my first jump and had alot of soft tissue swelling. I hate to think how bad it would have been if I'd been on coumadin.

A question keeps reoccuring on a heart valve replacement site that I belong to. Some members have received mechanical heart valves, and they are on coumadin (anticoagulant) to prevent clot formation on their replaced valve. My question is whether most DZ's would let them jump as new students? Does anyone know? Thanks

Can anyone tell me who won the accuracy competition held Tuesday at Rantoul?

When are the dates for Rantoul?

Can anyone tell me if I can view SKYDIVING magazine online? I heard today that the fatality report of a good friend was in this issue, but I don't get it, and don't have anyway to get it. Can it be viewed online?