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My wife, Lauren, and I were humbled by the presence of our friends and family at the Valventine's Party. Thank you for attending. I also want to thank the folks that opted to stay home, protecting me from catching their cold or flu - that was thoughtful.

After completing most of the preparations the night before, February 14, 2009, the day of the party, began in a rather chaotic way: OUR KITCHEN SINK WAS CLOGGED! Considering we were expecting around 70 hungry, professionally-trained party people to walk through our front door in just a few hours, I called in the BIG GUNS, Roto-Rooter. They are amazing! The time between my initial phone call and the arrival of the service person did not exceeded 45 minutes. Unfortunately, ten minutes before the Roto-Rooter guy showed up, there was a power outage in our entire block and FPL did not expect a resolution until 1:00 PM.

 

Of course, the Roto-Rooter equipment requires electric power to work. Fortunately, we have, as part of our hurricane preparedness plan, a generator, which I promptly fired up. Our drain issue was resolved within the hour. FPL restored the power an hour later.

Surprisingly, Lauren and I seemed rather calm about the predicament we faced. I guess that faced with the realization that my heart will be purposely stopped in a few days, having a candle-lit party with a clogged kitchen drain was a miniscule inconvenience.

The Valventine's Party was a big success! The term "Valvenetine's Party" was coined by my brother, Glen, who is a witty fellow. Glen came all the way from California to attend the party and to spend some time with me. His gesture was of enormous significance and it further solidified the great love I have for him and my other Esteban siblings. I was disappointed, though, by his lack of compassion for me, his poor brother with the ailing heart, during our pool tournaments; he kicked my ass. Que mied'da!

Our house was filled with family and friends - the final count was 63. They brought gifts, food, laughter, candy, tears, music, shattering bottles of red wine, dance, remembrances from my elementary school days, and, most importantly, lots of love. In attendance were folks as young as conceived only a few months ago, to folks well into their eighties.


 
 

The menu was filled with culinary delicacies from around the world: Morocco, Cuba, Greece, and Guiana, just to name a few. The centerpiece displayed on the buffet table was a model of the heart and a replica of the replacement valve I will receive. Dr. Joseph Lamelas, the surgeon, was kind enough to let me borrow them from his office.

 

Having the props at the party, permitted me to easily show and tell folks about the procedure Dr. Lamelas will perform. Many folks, including some of the younger ones, were very interested in understanding exactly what the procedure entails. My hope and purpose for having the props was to minimize the fear and apprehension some people had about the procedure. I think I accomplished my goal. Folks, particularly family members, left the party with a clearer understanding of what Dr. Lamelas will do. I also noticed that holding the replica of the valve in their own hands turned their apprehensions into amazement and their fear into acceptance. Everyone is now convinced that the call that Dr. Leo Lopez, my trusted cardiologist of 30 years, made on December 18, 2008, and his selection of Dr. Lamelas as the surgeon is precisely the right course for me.



Lauren and I are profoundly thankful to those that worked so hard to make the Valventine's Party a success. My mom, Beybo; my mother-in-law, Jean; my sister, Magaly; my niece, Barbara; my aunt, Mercedes; my brother, Glen; Maria, Pedro, etc. Paul and Fritz for their music. Kim, Mitzi, Patty, Victoria and all others for their singing. I want to specially thank Lauren and Jean for their infinite patience and how accepting they are ever time I want to have 70 or more friends over for dinner.

To view more party photos, go to my photo site.