LVAD Man? IRON MAN? PEOPLE ASK WHY...

Iron Man?
LVAD Man!
Many people ask why!

For reasons that are not obvious and reasons that are... such as his artificial heart, demeanor and driven strength... Iron Man became a symbol for me and my family.

The Iron Man character is fierce but appropriate. I never saw the movie before ...UNTIL I was in the hospital bed, with the LVAD situation fresh in my mind and the HOSPITAL providing all CCU patients & LVAD recipients with FREE Premium TV and Movies.

The Movie playing at the time was Iron Man... very fierce looking at first, the character in the movie was an ironic comparison and adrenaline raiser for me. The PHOTO below is the 1st Iron Man (Wont tell you too much, not to ruin the movie lol) as the result of being built purely in a dark dingy cave in the middle of nowhere.

I photoshop-ed an American Flag on Iron Man's right arm and the caption.

PHOTO BELOW IS THE KNOWN VERSION OF IRON MAN, tactfully and SURGICALLY CREATED IN THE PROPER ENVIRONS OF A LAB:

And as for me, the hospital was NOT MY dingy cave, MY dingy CAVE was being "under" the weird edgy soreness and stupor of the MEDS and open-heart surgery. MY cave "escape" was post-op when I was allowed to go HOME and conquer my normal and newest tasks once again. Thank you Columbia-Presbyterian Surgery Team, LVAD Nation and Dr Bijou!!!

***IRON MAN 2 PREMIERS MAY 2010***

HERE IS TRAILER FROM 1ST IRON MAN 2009:



and the good saga continues...

ELEPHANTS TRUNK to TRUNK... another LVAD powered blog i found.

I went for an LVAD check up and met a 60-year-old (give or take) LVAD recip ...nice guy. He told me of his LVAD and the heavy old model batteries he uses. His batteries hold a charge of 4 hours whereas the new model lithium batteries hold a charge 12-14+ hours. A full charge on my Thoratec lithium batteries has lasted 18+ hours.

Anywhich, he continued to tell me that he enjoyed coming back to the hospital because he "comes back home" to other LVAD recipients... like elephants separated at birth and are reunited after a lifetime apart coming from a zoo or a circus, etc. I understood what he meant, there is an automatic "family" closeness, a brotherhood/sisterhood bond that materializes...

For a better understanding visit The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, founded in 1995, is the nation's largest natural habitat refuge developed specifically for endangered African and Asian elephants. It operates on 2,700 acres in Hohenwald, Tennessee — 85 miles southwestof Nashville.

http://www.tappedintoelephants.com/asp/index.php

Now this brings me to Mac & Sue's blog. They seem to be one of only a few blogs devoted to LVAD life and advocacy pioneering cyberspace. Mac has the HeartmateII and, in an effort to make life easier for those with the older batteries and LVAS, Mac DESIGNED and BUILT his own lithium batteries... making them much lighter and or smaller with a longer charge life.

Also on their blog are observations of LVAD life and advice.

Finding their blog, I felt like that elephant, coming home to others :-) that the 60-year-old LVAD recipient was describing to me. Check out Sue & Mac's LVAD accessory inventions... I will let them explain it to you here...

http://heartmateii.blogspot.com/

And the good saga continues...

HeartMate® II 75 page PDF DOWNLOAD:

LVAD/Thoratec info/Revision O December 14, 2006:

HeartMate® II LVAS:

Patient Management Guidelines

75 page PDF DOWNLOAD here:

http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/DOCKETS/ac/07/briefing/2007-4333b2-20-%209_4%20HM%20II%20Patient%20Management%20Guidelines.pdf

And the good saga continues...

"Why were you so quiet? It woke me from my sleep!?"

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Perhaps this is a story that words can not do it justice, however i will try because this is Khristine's (from the FAMED "LVAD TEAM" of NYP) favorite story :-)
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It's 3am, my wife sleeps peacefully in bed. It has been months since my surgery; having an LVAD implanted and grafted to my heart. One way or another my wife is always by my side watching my back and watching over our household. Its amazing how she also manages her full-time job in her full schedule. And there she rests, after a full day, she is quietly sleeping.

When we sleep, THORATEC sugggests the LVAD's power source should be plugged into the Power Base Unit (PBU) ...while the PBU is plugged into the wall's electrical outlet. In this mode I can walk up to 20-25 feet with the PBU's power cord before i run out of leash.

Should i need to walk further, I must change my power source over to battery. Now 3:05am wanting to walk further into the livingroom, I need to change the power source and will try not to wake her up.

Now its 3:10am and when switching over to battery, the PBU and the System Controller (that is worn around my waist) will launch high pitched alarms to alert me that there is a brief disconnection and a connection is needed quickly.

However, if you can transfer from PBU to battery in less than 5 seconds, no alarms will sound; all remains quiet.

So in an effort not to disturb my wife's sleep, I slowly remove myself from the bed and exchange power sources in under 5 seconds. No blaring and high pitched alarms. She did not wake up :-)

It wasn't until i was walking outside the bedroom, my wife woke up lunging, startled from the "emptiness" of the bed. She Looked at me and quickly said "Why were you so quiet? It woke me from my sleep!?" And here i was trying to avoid the LOUD alarms not to wake her up but found being quiet... she wakes up too.

My wife, My best Friend, the caregiver always has my back!

and the good saga continues...

The LVAD is a sensible and remarkable option for people with heart falure.

Due to my heart failure my Cardiologist told me i would need a temporary LVAD (left ventricular assist device) to extend my life and lead as normal of a life as possible until my heart transplant. I was classified as a "Bridge to Transplant" patient. Other folks who can not receive a heart transplant may recieve a permanent LVAD under the classification "Destination Therapy".

The LVAD is a titanium pump that does the job of the heart's left ventricle; pumping oxygen enriched blood.

It is implanted behind the ribcage and grafted to the heart.

The pump is a mini jet/turbine motor turning 8,600 +/- revolutions per minute (RPM). Its job is to pump 4 to 7 liters of blood per minute from the left ventricle up to the aorta. The LVAD is powered through a special wire called a driveline that is connected to the pump portion of the LVAD and tracks through the body to an exit point in the lower left or right abdomen.

The driveline wire exits the abdomen and is connected to a system controller/computer that monitors and powers the LVAD. The main functions of the system controller maintain the pump motor's RPM, the amount of blood flow while alerting the LVAD recipient with alarms should something be abnormal or fail. It also stores in depth daily data that can be seen on a home base system monitor or retrieved at the hospital during routine checkups.

The power source of the LVAD is electricity via a household electrical outlet or 2 lithium batteries. The lithium batteries can last up to 16+ hours in an emergency but 12 hours is the recommended use before changing to fully charged batteries.

Each battery weighs close to 1.5 lbs and worn in shoulder-supported holsters.

When at home, but especially asleep, the batteries are removed and the LVAD is plugged into a household electrical outlet. Each time an LVAD recipient leaves his or her home, they must carry at least 2 extra batteries and an extra system controller in the event of rare problems or failures.

As an LVAD recipient, I believe the LVAD is a sensible and remarkable option for people with heart falure. As stated by a cardiologist at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Dr Ulrich Jorde said "...it could save the lives of 10,000 Americans a year."

And it saved mine.

And the good saga continues...

WEAN THE LVAD !

Today I had an appointment at the hospital for my LVAD weaning; it is part of a study I volunteered for. The study showed slight improvement to my native heart's function but not enough to cancel the transplant : ) ...a transplant can take up to 3 years of waiting as i am Blood type O.

I am in very good hands with the LVAD NATION, Big thanks to Rosie, Donna, Khristine, Jennifer and the vacationing Margaret :-)

EARLY MORNING SMILE FROM MY WIFE

is always a nice way to start the day...

In the Lobby of the Hospital geting ready to wean the LVAD : )

and the good saga continues...

HAVE LVAD? WILL CLIMB! Hahaha

EARLY MORNING DEPARTURE WITH BACKPACK OF BACK-UP LVAD EQUIPMENT In The Event That Anything Fails... such as my lithium batteries, LVAD computer controller and other various equipment that sustains my life.

1st stop, my wife, the designated driver takes me to the pharmacy for my refills

ME? I ride shotgun (doctor's orders as my chest wound from the open heart surgery not healed enough in the event that the AIRBAG deploys!) I have about 1 more month before i can drive : )

AT THE PHARMACY, my wife sneaks a photo

TODAY I WANTED TO CLIMB, SO WE FOUND A 30 FOOT MAN MADE "MOUNTAIN" : )

VICTORY! I DID IT! ONCE ATOP, A PERSON BELOW YELLED UP, "ON THE TOP OF THE WORLD!" He didnt know how correct he was... " I replied to him "ALWAYS!" : )

...AND I AM TELLING MY LVAD BROTHERS AND SISTERS THAT THIS HOLSTER-SHIRT MAKES LIFE EASIER : ) THE LITHIUM BATERIES TUCKED OUT OF THE WAY. NO SHOULDER OR BACK STRESS!

WHITE VERSION:

BLACK VERSION:

THESE SHIRTS ALSO COME IN A V-NECK TOO!

SEE THEM AT:

http://www.511tactical.com/

THE LVAD (LEFT VENTRICULAR ASSIST DEVICE) BY: http://www.thoratec.com/

VIDEOS OF THE LVAD FOUND UNDER THE POST CALLED:

LVAD VIDEOS & VIDEO OF MY SURGEON
http://fromthebottomofmylvad.blogspot.com/2010/02/lvad-videos.html

and the good saga continues...

WHOA WOGTECH GETS THIS LVAD EXCITED AND DUSTING OFF HIS EQUIPMENT...IT STARTS AT THE 45 SECOND MARK OF THE VIDEO!

PHOTO ESSAY, BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE LVAD ;)

BEGIN TO TRAIN...

My CENTCOM...

Cold day in NYC, my wife had to work on Sunday...

Proof that we went out last night LOL...

and the good saga continues : )

MEDS THAT LOOK LIKE URANIUM VIALS

YOU DECIDE...

and the good saga continues...

I AM PLUGGED INTO WALL LIKE A TOASTER :) WHEN NOT IN BATTERY MODE

THIS IS WHAT TRAILS ME...

TETHERED & PLUGGED INTO THE WALL... I LOOK DOWN AND SEE

A PRAYING MANTIS : -)

and the good saga continues...

A HEARTY LAUGH! :)

Am I taking this heart issue too far? "HOOF HEARTED" LMAO "who farted?"

And the good saga continues...

LVAD VIDEOS & VIDEO OF MY SURGEON

MY SURGEON DR. NAKA

(APPEARS @ 32 SECONDS OF VIDEO)

GENERAL LVAD INFO

THORATEC HEARTMATE II LVAD

And the good saga continues...

GOD BLESS THE CARE GIVERS!

Valentines Breakfast FOR the Noble and Loving Wife

...an e-Valentines card for my wife :)

In the photo above My wife gave me the Red Spongey Heart : ) AND i gave her Iron Man :)

HAPPY VALENTINES! THANK YOU! Ini Ibig Kita,

I LOVE YOU

One, Two, Three ...LIFT :) Thank you for keeping my spirits lifted :) XOXOXO

And the good saga continues...

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...