Tom, I was in Europe in 1969-70 and I also drank toooo much beer...My dad had your surgury in 1961 and I have read that this type of lower aoartic anuerism is somewhat heriditary...hpoe this is not the case for you or me, but you never know...my x-wife lives down in your neck of the woods...she married a friend of mine...he flies Apache's for the Reserves....I told he would have been safer in the helicopter than marrying her...poor guy!! Thanks again Jim