LVAD... Left Ventricular Assist Device

THIS BLOG POWERED BY THE THORATEC HEARTMATE II LVAD:















PARTIAL HEART PUMP = LEFT VENTRICULAR ASSIST DEVICE = LVAD = THE HEARTMATE II



THE LVAD ALLOWED ME to go HOME and conquer my normal and newest tasks once again.



Thank you Columbia-Presbyterian... Dr Naka and his Surgery Team, LVAD Nation, Dr Bijou & Dr Bonoan, Dr Mascitelli and Dr Shulman-Marcus!!!



AND TO THE SCORES OF PHYSICIANS, NURSES, PROFESSIONALS AND PEOPLE THAT PUSHED ME ALONG THE WAY... FORWARD.



Thank You God For I Am Blessed!







If I Was An LVAD-NASCAR Race CAR

If I Was An LVAD-NASCAR Race CAR
I would look like this :-)

FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY LVAD DAILY NEWS AND INFO FEED

31 October 2010

A True Bridge That Restores Life... LVAD Stamina

I wish that no one had to live with an LVAD; however if your life comes to the point where you are presented with the choice of an LVAD implant… the LVAD may provide you with a better quality of life.

In most cases that I see, stamina that was lost after years of heart failure, or because of a sudden massive heart attack (as in my case)... returns. Some have told me they feel 10-15 years younger because of the increase in stamina that the LVAD offers. A man who is 80 years old, told me that he has not completed 18 holes of golf in over 15 years. A few months ago, with the LVAD, he completed 18 holes!

In my case, I was in decent shape, athletic and health-minded; then I had my silent heart attack. For 6 weeks I could not walk more than 5 feet without feeling too exhausted to continue. I was told that a heart transplant was my only answer to survive. Then I had the LVAD implant as a "Bridge To Transplant" and here I am in the video below:

Here is a video that is my "living proof" :-)



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4A1yTvFOnk

And the Good Saga continues...

5 comments:

  1. So are you still on the transplant waiting list, or are you just going to stay with the LVAD? You look like you are doing great!

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  2. Hi Allie, Thanks...i am doing well, and still on waiting list. My Blood type is O-NEGATIVE so my wait here in NYC is estimated 2-3 years. In 3 weeks I will have completed 1 year with the LVAD!

    How are you???

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  3. Hi, Yes, I have heard that the wait for O-Neg can be some time, but it looks like you are thriving! I am doing well, and in three weeks (Nov 20) I will have 1 year with my transplant!

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  4. My mom just had the Lvad surgery in May, she is having trouble holding down food and fills sick of her stomach. Did you have an issue with this and do you recommend anything to help

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  5. What hospital is she in? Her symptoms can be many things. Have patience and trust in ur LVAD team. You can also find LVAD GROUPS on FACEBOOK. U can email me at LVADone@gmail.com and I can send u a ton of links.

    ReplyDelete