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by Danielle Klenak
Peggy Wasman has dealt with a mild heart murmur her entire life. It has never even been noticeable enough to cause her any problems, until this year. Doctors discovered that one of the valves in her heart is deteriorating. They recommended a standard procedure to remedy Peggy's deteriorating valve but she refused it because one of the possible valve donors could come from a pig. Peggy said there is a 50% chance of receiving a valve from a pig "donor", or a mechanical valve. However, she chose to forego the procedure entirely because doctors did not know which valve they would replace hers with until the time of surgery and could not assure her of receiving a mechanical valve.
Her choice is strictly personal, and one she is reluctant to talk about, for other peoples' sake more than her own. She said that she doesn't want to be handled with fragile care because of her decision, which stems from her vegan lifestyle and especially a bond with the pigs at Pig's Peace Sanctuary in Arlington. She's been a vegan for several years, largely stemming from spiritual and animal rights reasons. The health benefits she discovered later and is hoping those benefits will come through for her now. Doctors were not optimistic about the benefits of any alternative operations, such as one that resembles a balloon-like implement resembling that of an angioplasty, without the standard operation being performed at a later date.
Peggy has opted to keep herself healthy by being extremely careful about her diet, juicing and raw vegetables she says are proving to be an incredible contributor to her feeling better. Mentally, she sustains herself by visiting the pigs at Pig Peace Sanctuary, a place she says is worthy of its name. By visiting the animals she does not want to harm by agreeing to the operation, she is inevitably giving herself some peace of mind. Even though she recognizes the likelihood that she will not be able to heal, or restore her deteriorated heart valve, she does hope and believe that by leading a lower stressed life she will be able to sustain her level of health where it is from this day on.
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