> "wouldn't you pick heart disease? It is the best way to die."

Dick Cheney (former USA Vice President) died a few days ago. Let's recap his publically known health:

- 1978 heart attack, age 37

- 1984 heart attack

- 1988 heart attack

- 1988 quadruple bypass surgery

- 2000 heart attack

- 2000 stent

- 2001 balloon angioplasty

- 2001 implantable defibrillator

- 2005 atery repair vascular surgery, stents behind the knees

- 2006 shortness of breath, hospitalized, blood clot

- 2006 travels everywhere with an ambulance standing by. Accidentally shoots friend. Friend has heart attack.

- 2007 deep vein thrombosis treatment, atrial fibrillation

- 2008 minor heartbeat irregularity

- 2010 January heart attack

- 2010 July Left-Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) surgery for worsening congestive heart failure.

- 2012 heart transplant, cardiologist said "it would not be unreasonable for an otherwise healthy 71-year-old man to expect to live another 10 years".

- 2025 death, age 84, from complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease.

Or President Dwight Eisenhower:

- 1955 heart attack

- ? heart attack

- ? heart attack

- 1968 heart attack, heart attack, heart attack, heart attack

- 1968 cardiac arrest, cardiac arrest, cardiac arrest, cardiac arrest, cardiac arrest, cardiac arrest, cardiac arrest, cardiac arrest, cardiac arrest, cardiac arrest, cardiac arrest, cardiac arrest, cardiac arrest, cardiac arrest

- 1969 death from heart disease

Definitely not the best way to die. Heart disease is palpitations, fibrillation, chest pain, back pain, angina. It's leg swelling, breathlessness, dizziness, fatigue, slow wound healing. It's statins, beta blockers, stents, pacemakers, defibrillators, coronary bypasses, valve replacements, open heart maze scarring, angioplasty. It's not all widowmakers and sudden death. I would pick one of those "fell alseep and didn't wake up" things.