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

13 February 2010

START HERE: DONT KNOW WHAT AN LVAD IS? IT WAS AN ALL OUT AMBUSH!

It all started when i thought life was set and my perimeters secured.

2 Grandsons in the last 3 years...
Jaydon & Jordon.
We just completed 4 round trip cross-country drives NYC to Cali and back from October 2008-October 2009
My wife and best friend made my good life possible!
I was sitting pretty, no one could knock me off the Helm.

Then "It" came, from all directions!

T H E H E A R T A T T A C K !

NO CHEST PAIN! NO PAIN OR NUMBNESS IN THE LEFT ARM, MY HEART ATTACK WAS DISGUISED AS "FOOD POISONING".

All i had was a sour and very eruptive stomach.

For one week i sat home with my wife nursing my stomach. FINALLY I had a few doctors see me. They told me i had a MASSSIVE heart attack! They told me i needed a Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) implanted and grafted to my heart ASAP... They told me i was lucky to still be alive :)


THANK YOU GOD, I AM BLESSED with the LVAD in place...

I was discharged 11 days after the LVAD was implanted and grafted (I am told one of the fastest discharges in LVAD's 14 year history at the hospital). With a longer lease on life, things began to change; including my wardrobe that showcased undercover holster-shirts!

These special shirts make my days easier as i need to carry 2 lithium batteries (and instead of guns, the batteries are tucked into the holsters) to power my heart pump... the LVAD.


The LVAD team (Margaret, Rosie, Jennifer, Khristine and Donna) and the rest of LVAD NATION at the hospital trained me and my family to live with and safely maintain the LVAD. They are angels here on earth.

I still have no complaints as i work on myself in preparation for a Heart Transplant :)

The good saga continues...

12 February 2010

2 versions of the same video i just released

Since Summer 09 i have been trying to finish this video. I Finally did!

Its called "Stars Will Shine With Holes Inside" Film footage used is from Enemy At the Gates w/Jude Law. Original Music Written/Composed/Performed by YouTube's Bukofezra and video edit by me AKA Xfire1prod

There are 2 versions as there are 2 versions of the song... The black and white video is version 1. i recvd it in October 2009. The color version video has Track 2 of same song; just buk freshened it up in February 2010 because time has lapsed ... almost 8 months

COLOR:


BLACK&WHITE

Captain Phil Harris From DeadliestCatch/Discovery Channel: May they find Crab farts!



WHAT!!??? THE Man Died! Captain Harris... Feb 9th 2010 ...after Looking better, was discharged by the hospital and had a stroke at home... Whoa. CRIPES!

His F/V Cornelia Marie and crew was one of my favorites along with The Wizard and The Time Bandit and their captains and crews... anyhoot... I think of Josh and Jake as my own Dad died when I was 15 years old.  Me, my mom and sisters tried to revive my Dad but to no avail.  It's a harsh lesson to see your Dad die, but Ive learned to deal with it quickly which made me a STRONGER man at the age of 15.

It is my hope that Captain Phil's legacy will carry Josh and Jake through their hard times and last a lifetime when they think back at and of their dad.

Captain Phil's FIRST heart attack/stroke was televised! Harris was tough as nails.  While at a very rough Bering Sea, Capt Harris was thrown into a wall on the Cornelia Marie, injuring his ribs/back... then later on thought he had the stomach flu... (the same thing with me, I thought I had food poisoning which was a silent heart attack) While back on land... days later, the hospital said it was a stroke! DANG! 


Again, my heart attack was mistaken for food poisoning and a week later,  i saw a doctor — i didnt have any CHEST pains and or ARM numbness or even pain; It was only my extremely sour stomach symptom... disguising a "Silent Heart Attack" that was classified as a Widowmaker... which left me with just weeks to live. 

Then the revolutionary LVAD heart pump option was presented to me! 

Big Love to Phil Harris' kids Josh and Jake... may they find Crab farts on the Bering Sea and in life as easy as their Dad! 

AND THE GOOD SAGA CONTINUES...

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?! :)

A STENT

Dreamed of mud-jello cake on the beach! LOL WTFrig? i woke up to a half-a-mouthfullll of sticky blood :) Its due to the MEDS designed to thin my blood/not to POP a clot (as they say LOL).

Came from the lower front gums...

President Clinton had 2 stents placed, i have 1 stent. Bravo to President Clinton for being discharged today!
AND THE GOOD SAGA CONTINUES...