On the question of open heart surgery recovery, it can vary from person to person, but of the two people I know who went through it (my Uncle for a valve replacement, and a very good friend for a triple-bypass), it's no easy matter. The very positive thing about it is, they have so much experience doing these things now, the risks are largely removed, and most people have a very positive prognosis long-term. Here's to a speedy recovery, in any case.
I ordered a bunch of V4L cartos, and didn't care for them. That's just my opinion, though, and I received a very kind offer from a regular here to purchase them from me, since I wouldn't be using them. There are people who like Coke (yuck) and people who like Pepsi. I happen to like Diet Pepsi.
That doesn't mean I begrudge anyone their choices.
And I think any rivalry, or '...... match', is largely overblown. Morandir can tell you he has been very well-accepted in this sub-forum, along with keelala (sp) girl.
We all choose KR808D PVs, and most of us used them to successfully quit smoking. That alone should bind us, not tear us apart due to whose product we choose to purchase.
That's how I feel; my time at V4L will always be special to me, but it wasn't the right place for me in the long run. But I don't feel any rivalry towards them, except for as a business competitor of course. Steve and I are still friends; we got together for dinner while he was here, and we had a good time. We have too much history together to not be friends just because we didn't work well together. 
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