Oh the irony

When the chips are down, some just want out of the game.

Dr. Michael DeBakey says he was reluctant to undergo the very heart operation he pioneered because, at his age, he feared it might leave him mentally or physically crippled, if he survived it.

"I'd rather die," he told The New York Times in a rare interview for its Monday editions.

OK, here's the good part of the story. Don't wanna leave you hanging.

Nearly a year later, DeBakey, 98, is the oldest survivor of the operation he developed to repair a damaged aorta, the main artery from the heart. He is back to working nearly full days and walks increasingly longer distances, but he mainly gets around with a motorized scooter.

"It is a miracle," DeBakey said. "I really should not be here."

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