By Stacy Jenel Smith

Elizabeth Taylor's Twitter announcement that she was soon to undergo laparoscopic heart valve surgery surprised some of those who saw her Sept. 24 at the annual Macy's Passport HIV/AIDS fundraiser gala at Santa Monica Airport's Barker Hangar. "She was very perky," a friend tells us, "very much herself."

The 77-year-old Hollywood legend and philanthropist was also much in evidence, publicity-wise, when it came to her pal Kathy Ireland's "Dancing With the Stars" appearances, for which she supplied a gown by Valentino and some of her own jewels -- as Ireland (who's been eliminated from the competition) aimed to give her earnings from the popular show to Elizabeth's HIV/AIDS Foundation.

Now, the spotlight is on Liz and her newfangled surgery, and, with doctors all over the tube discussing advancements in heart surgery techniques, heart health and treatment of congestive heart failure (she was diagnosed in '04), she's performing a public service just by tipping off fans to what is going on with her personally.

A similar after-effect happened in 1983, when her admission into the Betty Ford Clinic for treatment of alcoholism started an avalanche of rehab and alcohol addiction stories.

Her operation for removal of a benign brain tumor, of course, received huge attention.

Her skin cancer treatment and hip replacement surgeries shined a light on those procedures, too.

Then, there was the revelation of her pain pill addiction, which spawned an outpouring of tales of shared suffering and what-to-do advice.

Such massive, positive impact is certainly a silver lining to the dark clouds of medical maladies -- real and, well, less real -- endured by Taylor, who was known as a raging hypochondriac in her heyday and who's had more than 30 operations. With every event, editors around the world had a fresh reason to stare at, and share photos of, the violet-eyed film goddess.

In 1990, she faced the prospect of death by pneumonia -- for the second time. "I just didn't want any more surgery in my life," she told People magazine soon afterward. "But, then they came in and told me that I was lying there a dying woman, and if I procrastinated any longer, it would no longer be my decision."

The first time she was felled by pneumonia was in 1960. A sea of ink went into coverage of that seige -- oh, the pictures of gorgeous Liz bundled onto a gurney in London -- and, many felt, it won her a sympathy Oscar vote for "Butterfield 8."

She said that she had a near-death experience then, with a person on the other side of the veil guiding her back to life.

Her legions of friends and fans would agree, she was meant to stay here.