. >> i actually felt my aorta rip, from the top of high heart all the way down to my right ankle. >> reporter: he had one thought for his wife of 20 years, lynnette. >> to get out of the house because i didn't want to die in my house in my bedroom next to my wife. so, i pick myself up, i went outside on the sidewalk. >> reporter: from the sidewalk , to crozer-chester hospital, for eight hours of surgery, to repair his torn aorta. >> they relayed the a sending aorta as well as part of his aortic arch. >> reporter: charles geller, a cardiothoracic surgeon say survival depend on quick surgery. >> we place patients in essentially a state of suspended an haitian. there is a cooled down to a very low temperature and all of the bloodies train from their body. during that time the patient is receiving direct blood flow to the brain to keep it well nourished. >> reporter: donald survived to be reunited with lynn and her four children. >> i'm trying in the the to cry here. i'm trying in the the to cry. >> reporter: lynn the wheel donald who has been driving for two years is all business. >> ar

. >> the aorta supplies blood to every single organ. during an aortic dissection, three layers tear. >> the tear the wall of the aorta, the blood progressively di lly die sects disects. >> the doctor operated on care in for 12 hours. >> a catastrophic, some times, fatal, often fatal disease process in which the arteries, that supply blood flow to the organs can be occluded or disrupted. >> since at any point that can lead to a rupture of the aorta surgery is race against time. karen had an aneurysm which can occur with dissection or can lead to it. >> i was in disbelief for sure. here i was younger. i thought i was fit. thought i was healthy. thought i had spent years doing all the right things for my body. and i haveis neshlly thought i was in a car accident. took me a while to wrap myself around that i had open heart surgery. >> shocking s symptoms. they told her the cause was jen it e -- genetic. she discovered her grandfather died at age 52 from what she had. >> we were able to see there is a family thing going on. and really, i had

. >> they replaced a sending aorta as well as part of his aorta arch. >> reporter: charles geller a cardiothoracic surgeon said survivor depend on quick surgery. >> we place the patient in essentially a state of suspended animation. there is a cool down to a very low temperature and all of the bloodies then drained there their body, during that time, the patient is receiving direct blood flow to the brain , to keep it well nourished. >> reporter: donald survived to be reunited with his wife and four children. >> i'm trying not to cry here. i'm trying not to cruise. >> reporter: but behind the wheel, donald who has been driving for isn't a for two years, is all business. are you glad to be back in the seat. >> yes, it has certainly enhanced my appreciation for being alive. >> reporter: so impressed with donald's story crozer put his picture in his ads with thinks simple but powerful message. thank you forgiving me another chance. the technical name for what don had was aorta dissection, it is rare and tend to strike men over the age of 40. it often happens with no warning signs, and can be deadly i

. >> oewd is oak on aortas a driver for san francisco. >> we've got to 23ri7b9 market and sun setting piano and it was on the street we've seen companies we say used to have to accompanying come out and recruit now they're coming to us. >> today, we learned about the office of economic workforce development and it's effort to foster community and make the buyer market street corridor something that be proud of thanks to much for watching and tune in next time f you. >> good morning. today's is wednesday, february 15, 2017, this is the regularly of the building inspection commission i'd like to remind everyone to please turn off electronic devices are the first item is roll call commissioner president mccarthy commission vice-president walker commissioner gilman commissioner konstin commissioner lee commissioner clinch commissioner warshell we have quorum and the next item is item 2 prourpts. >> good morning, everybody. and welcome everybody to the wednesday, february 15, 2017, big monthly meeting and madam secretary in my presents announcements a warm congratulations to inspector bern

a few hours from now, surgeons will replace his aorta valve. he had a replacement valve put in 15 years ago, and has chosen to replace it. >> we will miss him in the mornings. >>> we are encouraging folks to get free screenings. today the focus was northern virginia, and there a great turnout with people taking advantage of the free test thacked save -- that >> my cholesterol is elevated. i need to have it checked again. i am checking more frequently to lower it. >> we don't take advantage of all given to us. it's very important we check our vital signs all the time. >> nt week will be free careenings in prince -- screenings in prince george's county and the district. >>> it's a tale of two cities, well, sort of, more like a tale of two outfit as our warm wednesday gave away to qa cool night. >> reporter: earlier today people wearing shorts filled dupont circle, and everyone out here is now wearing a jacket like me. most of the people play chess every week. >> it's a way to relax energy, and it's a proud thing to be someone else. >> reporter:

you are having your hand on somebody‘s aorta is what you do.o go on the ward and you have another patient to do and you don't know if you are a bed, that stresses you. inmanagers later... he has come into hospital and his blood pressure has gone down. he is on his way to the emergency department. ronald is 84 and has clpsed —— collapsed. another elderly patient with an acute complex condition. another family desperate. how important is is this place to you? lifeline. a lifeline, because her mother, ronald's wife has been admitted on the same day. upstairs, waiting for an operation. betty has type two diabetes. she has been told she could lose her foot and with it her independence. so you are waiting for your operation and you are worried about your husband? yes, because he is blind and deaf, we can't do anything for himself. you have to concentrate on your operation? i can't concentrate on that until i know he is all right. i don't want my foot gone and my leg because i won't be able to stay at home. i won't be able to walk. they will have to p

you are having your hand on somebody‘s aorta, is what you do. do that and have phone calls from someone else and someone else on the ward, and you have another patient to do and you don't know if you have a bed, that stresses you. minutes later... he has come into hospital with pain in his abdomen and his blood pressure has gone down. he is on his way to the emergency department. ronald is 84 and has collapsed. another elderly patient with an acute complex condition. another family desperate. how important is is this place to you? lifeline. a lifeline, because her mother, ronald's wife, has been admitted on the same day. upstairs, waiting for an operation. betty has type two diabetes. she has been told she could lose her foot and with it her independence. so you are waiting for your operation and you are worried about your husband 7 well, that's it, yeah, because he is blind and deaf, he can't do anything for himself. you have to concentrate on your operation, haven't you? i can't concentrate on that until i know he is all right. i don't particu

he says surgeons replaced his aorta valve with a replacement 15 years ago and now he's elected to have another replacement. he plans to return to cbs this morning in march. >> we wish him well. >>> today people across our area are getting free heart screenings. it's part of our heart love campaign. >> -- live at the inova urgent care. people are getting serious about their heart health. you can too. >> what's great is charlie rose is taking care of his heart business. people here at the inova urgent care are doing just the same. a i want to ask both of them. what did your numbers tell you? >> my blood pressure was high. i've had a bad cold. i think that's why it was. my cholesterol was higher than i'm accustomed to. >> now that you're feeling better, what do you go back to as your routine? >> my diet of nonjunk food. fruits and vegetables. lean protein. >> like you're supposed to have. >> my body fat numbers were higher than i had anticipated. i'll have to change my indict more. i exercise and try to eat healthy. i'll have to make diet changes. >> this was still good information. >> ve

caller: i just recently got out hospital, but i've had, i or seven , six surgerys from aorta to my knees, had aneurysm fixed recently. from one of the results from prior surgery was severe leg, theyy in my right cut a nerve or something. make a long story short, this hospital, i the came in the o.r., the recovery they gave me morphine for the pain and it worked. icu, they quituma giving me morphine and put me on milligrams of oxycodone, that is what i was taking at home. i was in excruciating pain, just excruciating pain. of my history, i had a ackground of what is pain and what's not. make a long story short, i my sister and said, this is not working, i want to get a of here and get in hospital that will treat me. she called some people at the someone and they had from the administration come down to talk to me because it like the nurses were just reading from a playbook and everybody has to and nothing, but this. and so i told her about the i told her what they were doing prior to her visit with me and she said, i said, why don't they prescribe morphine and like out of the a lot of she

. >> in a net to viewers rosies under going heart surgery tomorrow to replace his aorta valve.is choice, unlike in 2005 when he had to undergo emergency surgery to replace the same valve, while on a overseas reporting trip. he lance to return to work in march. >> blessings. >> yes. >>> still ahead on "eyewitness news" meet the sixth man. >> what do you got my man. >> these are tools of my trade >> that is right. >> this man drives around philadelphia with a trunk full of basketballs, what he saw that inspired him to change the game, that is coming up next in brotherly i'm on it.ar does weathertech go to protect your vehicle? ♪ ♪ ♪ weathertech. made right, in america tomorrow night a special addition of taste with tori we are bringing back, all of the italian gravy. >> or sauce, depending on how ask. not only do pat and tori battle over what to call it but their moms battle it out over whose recipe is best. >> this is serious. >> this is real. >> yes, it is here with a review. >> it is real, battle's on, it is a gravy battle. last time it was a pie off where my mom and i, came o

you are having your hand on somebody‘s aorta is what you do.on to hospital with pain in his abdomen and his blood pressure is down. ronald is 84 and has clpsed —— collapsed. another elderly patient with an acute complex condition. another family desperate. how important is is this place to you? lifeline. a lifeline, because her mother, ronald's wife has been admitted on the same day. upstairs, waiting for an operation. betty has type two diabetes. she has been told she could lose her foot and with it her independence. so you are waiting for your operation and you are worried about your husband? yes, because he is blind and deaf, we can't do anything for himself. you have to concentrate on your operation? i can't concentrate on that until i know he is all right. i don't want my foot gone and my leg because i won't be able to stay at home. i won't be able to walk. they will have to put me in a nursing home. iam not going in a nursing home without my husband, that is not going to happen. they will put us in two different places. but this is the re

. >> almost 16 years ago skilled surgeons replaced my aorta valve.t has served me well, enabling me to live the vigorous, full, complete life that you were all so familiar with. no one loves life more than i do. to continue to live this amazing life so full of challenges and friends including so many of you in the audience, i have chosen to replace the valve with a new one. the timing is my choice. so tomorrow, i will undergo surgery which will keep me at the hospital for a few days and then resting for a couple of weeks. i look forward to seeing you in march. >> in the meantime, you're in great hands with my remarkable colleagues norah and gayle, backed by the best morning team anywhere. i can't wait to be back completely rested with my heart recharged, my passion for the work ahead purposeful and my joy at life's measures high. until then, stay close. >> we can do that. >> we're going to miss our wingman. >> yes, we will. >> i talked to him last night, he is optimistic and excited about this tune-up. >> great attitude, great mood. >> he's got the b