THE LVAD IN AN ILLUSTRATIVE PERSPECTIVE

And The Good Saga Continues...

My LVAD Experience Response Letter To A Daughter Whose Dad Is Post-Op with LVAD HeartMate ll

My LVAD Experience Response Letter To A Daughter Whose Dad Is Post-Op With LVAD HeartMate ll :


"As you stated my case is different than your dad's... i have no prior Heart History until my heart attack that happened about 1 month before my LVAD implant. I am also under the age of 50.

But I have LVAD friends in their late 70s and well into their 80s who are more active than they have been in 10 maybe 20 years! I know kids 19, 20 21 year olds with the LVAD. One 21 year old is a Father of 2.

The LVAD is amazing, however... respecting the Driveline and Entry Point and our diets are crucial elements in keeping healthy and preventing infection.

Bravo to your Dad, i think the key to keeping him positive through the 1st week of recovery...

...i kept setting ...Goals Setting SETTING GOALS :-) and achievements... rewarding myself by fulfilling certain food cravings... and other small goals.

Here I am seen helping to "teach" Baseball to my eldest Grandson ...along with my Son-in-law, Daughter and wife.

Also battery location... I use this Holster-shirt that undercover law enforcement wear. i conceal my batteries in these pockets :-) Nice.

I have no neck,shoulder and or back strain as the batteries are stuck to my ribs like a spider web, i barely feel the weight of the batteries while there is not any free motion of the batteries as well.


Holsters are stitched onto an actual shirt and the shirt actually stretches over the driveline that helps to keep everything snug and stable. Lower risk of tugging on the driveline and entry points too.

THE MAIN OBJECTIVE NOW IS FOR YOUR DAD TO PREVENT ALL TUGGING OF DRIVELINE ON THE ENTRY POINT OF THE BELLY. NOT GOOD! IT CAN CAUSE INFECTION. VERY BAD :-) BUT IT IS EASY TO PREVENT THE TUGGING.

I also wrapped a binder around my belly, taught by my hospital, that trapped the driveline as a secondary measure to prevent tugging on the entry point. feeling more secure too.

This style shirt makes "This" LVAD RECIP feel even more comfortable and dignified too ;-)

Sometimes when i dont wear the binder or holster-shirt i wear this small round "thing" called a Hollister that sticks to the skin and snuggly anchors the driveline like a brake, but the Hollister might be given to your dad from the hospital upon discharge... Because it was an LVADRecip from Belgium who told me of the Hollister ...!

I trust that your Dad is being Honored as his biggest Victory in Life has just occurred...

Tell your Dad to Keep Strong, fight the good fight, Heal as Quick as possible and will have fun soon :-)

BTW i am posting this on my Blog without revealing your name.
Thank you... it was a good and important topic to cover. POST-OP LVAD

If you are on Facebook, there is a Greg Wood Memorial HeartMate ll Group there that has LVAD recipients, recipient's family and friends there"

And the good saga continues...

Because there is an LVAD, today is my Birthday! From The Bottom Of My LVAD... Thank You!

Because there is an LVAD, today is my Birthday!

Thanks to ALL that made this happen!


From The Bottom Of My LVAD... Thank you

And the good saga continues...

Vice President Dick Cheney Postpones September 2010 Scheduled Engagement

"Vice President :-) We Are All Routing for you!!!"
FromTheBottomOfMyLVAD

ALL INFO AND PHOTO BELOW IS "REPRINTED" FROM : http://pressofatlanticcity.com/life/article_b5626606-af9a-11df-9f6c-001cc4c03286.html?mode=image&photo=0

...that i originally found on TWITTER:

Former Vice President Dick Cheney's Sept. 18 appearance at the Atlantic City Hilton Casino Resort has been postponeD.

The Hilton issued a press release announcing the postponement this morning. There is no information about a new date for Cheney's appearance. Refunds will be available at the point of purchase.

The former vice president's visit to Atlantic City is the final event in the Hilton's summer speakers series, which as already brought President Bill Clinton, Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck, and Ann Coulter and James Carville to the resort.

Palimed.org Adresses The LVAD

I only knew the Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) existed just one week prior to my LVAD implant / surgery. 11 days later... I was home with my LVAD in front of my computer looking up the Who, What, When, Where, and Why of the LVAD.

One of my first interesting finds about LVAD usage was from http://www.pallimed.org/

This website is run by a group of passionate Medical Professionals who happen to be practicing physicians within The Hospice/Palliative Care field. The Pallimed's website offers ideas, debate and methodologies of their work within... allowing seriously ill people to live with dignity, control and freedom of choice; all in an effort to offer Quality Of Life... throughout their serious illnesses at the end stages of life.

Having an LVAD and experiencing a healthy existence, again, I can only imagine that the LVAD will prolong many lives that otherwise would have expired just a few years ago.

However, it does not stop there. The same Doctors and Medical professionals that run PalliMed's website and Blog are also spearheading Hospice and Palliative issues via Social Media/Networking. They can be found on Facebook, twitter...

Below are direct links to Pallimed's

articles mentioning the LVAD :

Pallimed: A Hospice & Palliative Medicine Blog: Destination LVADsNov 12, 2008 ... We see a LOT of LVADs at my hospital. They truly can be a bridge to better things--but often they are a "bridge to nowhere". ...
http://www.pallimed.org/2008/11/destination-lvads.html

Pallimed: Case Conferences: November 2008Nov 13, 2008 ... Most recently, she went to the OR to have her current LVAD replaced with a ... Patients on LVADS or BIVADS are physically restricted... http://www.pallimed.org/2008_11_01_archive.html

Pallimed: A Hospice & Palliative Medicine Blog: Heart failure ...Aug 27, 2007 ... LVADs, in the simplest terms, are implantable devices which augment the pumping ... Full-sized LVAD image (& further discussion) at WebMD, ...
http://www.pallimed.org/2007/08/heart-failure-devices.html

Pallimed: A Hospice & Palliative Medicine Blog: Rise of the MachinesDec 10, 2009 ... For those of you unfamiliar with LVADs, essentially they are .... Personally, I'd take the LVAD, at least at a younger age (and if you are ...
http://www.pallimed.org/2009/12/rise-of-machines.html

Pallimed: A Hospice & Palliative Medicine Blog: Holiday HeartAug 15, 2010 ... At the time, LVADs were used only as a bridge to heart transplant. ... The number of patients receiving a LVAD as a bridge to transplant or ...
http://www.pallimed.org/2010/08/holiday-heart.html

Pallimed: A Hospice & Palliative Medicine Blog: Pall-PourriDec 3, 2008 ... Many of the cases submitted this year for the Annual Assembly case conferences were on LVAD's. We ended up selecting one. December 08, 2008 ...
http://www.pallimed.org/2008/12/pall-pourri.html

Pallimed: A Hospice & Palliative Medicine Blog: 09_12Dec 1, 2009 ... For those of you unfamiliar with LVADs, essentially they are implanted pumps which are inserted directed into the heart and major vessels ...
http://www.pallimed.org/2009_12_01_archive.html

Pallimed: A Hospice & Palliative Medicine Blog: 07_08Aug 3, 2007 ... Journal of the American College of Cardiology has a trial looking at left-ventricular assist devices (LVADs) as destination therapy in ...
http://www.pallimed.org/2007_08_01_archive.html

Pallimed: A Hospice & Palliative Medicine Blog: NYT Sunday ...Jun 20, 2010 ... I come across these situations fairly often working at a large hospital where the heart transplant and LVAD services are quite aggressive. ...

http://www.pallimed.org/2010/06/nyt-sunday-magazine-turning-off.html

Pallimed: A Hospice & Palliative Medicine Blog: 08_12Dec 3, 2008 ... JAMA has a paper looking at some aspects of the 'natural history' of LVADs (see recent post). The paper adds some further detail to the ...
http://www.pallimed.org/2008_12_01_archive.html

Pallimed: A Hospice & Palliative Medicine Blog: Quality vs ...Aug 15, 2008 ... LVAD, improved symptoms and survival, lots of care burdens, lingering death). The basis of this seems to be several trials of oral inotropes ...
http://www.pallimed.org/2008/08/quality-vs-quantity-of-life-in-chf.html

Pallimed: A Hospice & Palliative Medicine Blog: 07_01LVAD anyone? The other talk that looks pretty interesting to me is the one on Pain Research, although I hope it does not get to bogged down in discussions ...
http://www.pallimed.org/2007_01_01_archive.html

And the good saga continues...

AS THE LVAD SPINS... The LVAD Links Its Recipients Into A Special Community

Since i started this blog, folks come to me with questions about the LVAD. By no means am i an expert, nor medical professional. I am a very lucky man with an LVAD implant and it is grafted to my heart. The LVAD, Heartmate 2, has given back to me what the Heart Attack took away!


Ever since the NEWS broke about VP Cheney receiving an LVAD as well, my email inbox and phone messages are SWARMED by the question HOW IS VP DICK CHENEY?


I wish some words or signals came out of his camp. But i do understand his need for privacy... as I do enjoy my privacy as well. I can only guess that he is doing well and following the course set for him and his condition by his team of Doctors... We hope and pray he is well, but am comfortable in knowing he is in great medical hands... no doubt!

Again The LVAD community sends its BEST wishes and Prayers out to Vice President Dick Cheney! Keep Strong in body and mind!!!

And the good saga continues...

1st Annual LVAD-WIFFLE BALL 2010 MEET

:-) For now, this is a dream of mine. As an LVAD recipient, I must keep active but at the same time I must stay away from strenuous exercise and contact sports.

So it "dawned" upon me, why not stick ball? Wiffle ball?

It is a VERY TAME form of baseball that does not require running. The equipment used is a light plastic bat and ball. Scoring and outs are determined by the distance and location of where the ball is hit or NOT HIT :-)

I live in the NYC area but would hold this 1st Annual CHAMPIONSHIP at a central location or at several locations.

If interested or have ideas to make this a reality, contact me @ LVADone@gmail.com

At this juncture, WIFFLE Inc is not affiliated with this Planned event.

The WIFFLE® perforated plastic ball -

The WIFFLE ball was designed to take the place of baseball, stickball and softball for boys and girls in back yards and city streets. It is made of a tough rubbery plastic – is light in weight and cannot be thrown or hit any great distance. The WIFFLE ball is also an excellent indoor ball.

The Pitches -

The WIFFLE ball is thrown like a baseball and will curve very easily. The diagrams below show how the ball should be held for curving and controlling the ball. Experiment with different grips and releases to find the pitches that work best for you. There is no need to throw the ball hard to produce results!

The Game - played with the WIFFLE perforated plastic ball

As stated above, the WIFFLE ball was designed for use in congested areas. Because the ball will not travel far when solidly hit, ball chasing and base running have been eliminated. An ordinary broom handle can be used if a WIFFLE bat is not available. The size of the playing field is optional, but we recommend a minimum dimension of 20 feet in width at the home run markers (approx. 8 paces) by about 60 feet long (approx. 23 paces) from home plate to each home run marker. The field is laid out with foul lines and markers for singles, doubles triples and home run areas. See sketch of suggested playing field.



The minimum number of players required to play a game with the WIFFLE ball is two – the pitcher and batter – one player per side. The maximum number of players that can complete are ten – five players to a side. If a full team is playing, each side will consist of a catcher, pitcher, double area fielder, triple area fielder and home run area fielder. Fielders cannot move from one area to another when a full team is playing. When more than two players are playing, captains for each side are picked and they choose their respective teams alternately. As in baseball, the game is played with one team at bat and one team in the field. The batting order of the team at bat shall be Pitcher, Catcher, Double Area player, Triple Area player and finally Home Run area player. The rules of play are similar to baseball, however there is no base running. Three outs to retire a side, per inning, nine innings per game. In case of a tie, additional innings are played. For a complete inning, both sides must bat.

An out for the batter can be made in three ways:

The batter can strike out only if he/she swings at a pitched ball and does not foul tip the third strike. Foul tips count as a strike for the first two strikes only. A foul tip caught in back of the batters box does not count as an out.
Fly balls caught in fair or foul territory
Ground balls caught while the ball is in motion, in fair territory. Bunting is not allowed and the batter cannot obtain a base on balls.
Scoring -

Single markers are placed approximately 24 feet from home plate on the foul line. A ball hit in the single area (i.e. the area between batters box and single markers and not caught, constitutes a single. Double markers are placed approximately 20 feet in back of the single markers on the foul line. A ball hit in the double area (between the single marker and the double marker) and not caught constitutes a double. Triple markers are placed on foul lines 20 feet back of the double markers. Balls hit in the triple area (between the double markers and triple markers) and not caught, constitute a triple. Balls hit past the triple markers, and not caught, constitute a home run.

The baseball rules of scoring apply:

Example: A player hits a single – his/her team has a man on first base (imaginary runners). The next player hits a single – the team now has a man of first and second. Third batter hits a home run – three runs score! (The imaginary runners on first and second, plus the home run.)

A batter earns 1 imaginary base on a single, 2 imaginary bases on a double and 3 imaginary bases on a triple.
A runner on 1st advances one base on a single, 2 bases on a double and scores on a triple
A runner on 2nd base scores on a single, double, or triple.
A runner on 3rd base scores on any hit.


Copyright 1954, 1982, 1999 The Wiffle Ball, Inc.

AND THE GOOD SAGA CONTINUES...

One Spin At A Time, A Day In The Life Of A Lucky LVAD Recipient. No Rodeo Yet!

With The LVAD, we must listen to our Doctors and Nurses and KNOW our own limitations and safety concerns while keeping active. Common Sense ABOVE ALL!

Here I am riding an old gentle horse name Delores. I mounted her via a concrete platform with steps, like a loading dock. i did not climb up on her as I would have normally done without the LVAD. On my ride, I was joined by a guide, my wife and daughter.

Everyday I am finding new reasons to love and respect my Heartmate2 LVAD!


Me, Myself and My LVAD, getting to ride Delores on a slow and easy run. No Rodeos yet!

Take Note: The LVAD battery wire (gray) exiting the controller :-)

And the good saga continues...

Vice President Dick Cheney Released From Hospital

Former Vice President Dick Cheney was released Monday from the hospital, about a month after doctors installed a new pump in his chest to assist his damaged heart. A spokesman said in a brief statement that the vice president “was released from Fairfax hospital and returned home this morning.”

Associated Press

In this July 8, 2001 file photo released by The White House Vice President Dick Cheney smiles while fly-fishing on the Snake River with his family in his home state of Wyoming.

The former vice president was released from the hospital Monday. His daughter Liz Cheney said he is already planning trips for fly fishing and hunting later this year. Cheney had his first heart attack at 37-years-old and his most recent one in February. He entered the hospital in late June complaining of discomfort, and later disclosed that he was “entering a new phase of the disease when I began to experience increasing congestive heart failure.”
That led to the decision to implant a left ventricular assist device, or LVAD, in his chest in July.

While the treatment is relatively new, one of Cheney’s doctors held out hope last week that the former vice president will be able to return to an active life.

“This can take a person who has a failing heart, who is short of breath, perhaps, you know, walking to the bathroom, and can restore them, not just a sort of adequate functioning, but to normal functioning,” Dr. Jonathan Reiner told Cheney’s daughter, Liz, on Fox News last week. “People with this device can go back to work and go back to full-time work.”

They also can go back to fishing and hunting – two of the vice president’s favorite activities – Reiner added in response to a prompt from Cheney.

Reiner describes the device this way: “What this pump can do is take blood from the failing heart, accelerate it with a turbine essentially that’s spinning it almost 10,000 revolutions per minute and essentially jack that up into the aorta. So, a failing heart may only be able to deliver two liters per minute of blood to the body. A normal heart can deliver almost six liters per minute. It’s about a quarter and a half, gallon and a half, excuse me. This device by itself can deliver over six liters per minute.”

Link:
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2010/08/09/cheney-released-from-hospital/

And the good saga continues...

A-ROD Crushes 600th! LVAD Crushes 1st!

Yesterday A-ROD hits his 600th home run.

Me and my LVAD crushing the ball! Hehehehehe!

A Day In The LIFE Of An LVAD Recipient/A Photo Essay

A beautiful Braided horse named Shai

An old peaceful horse loved his muscular Jowls massaged

This guy loved rubbing his face up against mine! It was great!

SUNSET @ CITY ISLAND/NYC

CITY ISLAND SEA GULLS AWAIT FOOD ;-)

BEAUTIFUL STATEMENT ON PLAQUE @ CEMETERY ON THE WATER...

ZOOM IN AND READ ;-)

STARTED DAY WASHING THE TRUCK. BECAUSE OF THE LVAD I HAVE TO STAY AWAY FROM VACUUMS...

Me And My LVAD :-)

The last 7 months I was a volunteer for a Study (SCORR) or (SOCC) at Columbia-NY Presbyterian Hospital. Me and My LVAD :-)




One of the results from the study ended up where my Brain was mapped out under a "Lower Blood Perfusion Test" The model of my brain, under these conditions is THE ONLY ONE IN THE WORLD.

My LVAD's speed was lowered... lowering the oxygen in the blood, hence the brain :-)
This study will assist stroke patients as well as LVAD patients now and in the future.

And the good saga continues...

My LVAD Gives Strength And Allows Me To Be A Caregiver

My wife and CAREGIVER is under the weather with some kind of flu or virus. So my LVAD will take over and care for my wife.

The nurse at my wife's job sent her home as high BP, fever and chills started to develop. The wife of my Primary Physician (both Physician and Wife are close friends of ours as well) told my wife that she will pick her up at the train and bring my wife to emergency to get blood works done.

The reason why our friends decided to take my wife to get the blood works done, was in the event that my wife had a strong or rare flu or virus, they did not want me to catch it. Wow! I feel blessed on 2 fronts... the 1st for having such caring Family and Friends who constantly look out for me. The second front is this LVAD, i am blessed by having it and to the best of my ability... take care of my wife and help her to a speedy recovery.

Currently she is taking medicine to thwart her symptoms and the doctor also prescribed the same medication for me to ward off any possibility that my wife may pass the virus/flu over to me. Later on today I will be taking my wife to a doctor's exam.

I made her breakfast and tea ...but for now I am letting her sleep.

And the good saga continues...

I AM AN LVAD RECIPIENT... AND AN LVAD PATIENT WHEN AT MY LVAD HOSPITAL APPOINTMENTS

• I feel well. I do not feel like a patient. In my opinion, I am not.

• I am a recipient of an artificial (partial) organ.

I am an LVAD Recipient :-)

• Plain and simple... for me... The LVAD Restores Life!

• Thank you Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital / NYC and Thank You Thoratec

And the good saga continues...

VIDEO OF Dr. Stewart From Columbia Presbyterian Hospital Explaining Vice President Cheney / LVAD

Dr. Stewart from Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital/NYC (the Hospital where Dr. Naka performed my LVAD surgery) discusses the type of LVAD Vice President Dick Cheney has grafted to his heart ...the same one I have, the Thoratec HeartMate2 LVAD.

http://www.columbiasurgery.net/2010/07/20/dr-stewart-is-interviewed-on-msnbc-regarding-dick-cheney-heart-failure-surgery

...And The Good saga Continues...

Thoratec Quoted Me On Their Website ;-)

Nice, Thoratec quoted me on their Website and also posted a photo of me. Thank You.

http://www.thoratec.com/vad-trials-outcomes/patient-stories/details.aspx?sid=5

And the VERY good saga coninues...

Vice President Dick Cheney Becomes LVAD Recipient

Former Vice President Dick Cheney Receives a thoratec Heartmate2 LVAD!

Dear Vice President Cheney, Keep Strong, you will do well.

Taken from FoxNews.com:


Former Vice President Dick Cheney, who has a long history of heart problems, has been fitted with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD), which is a battery-operated, mechanical pump-type device that's surgically implanted to help a weakened heart sustain life.



Cheney, 69, underwent the procedure last week at Inova Fairfax Heart and Vascular Institute in Falls Church, Va.

In a statement, Cheney said he decided to get the LVAD implanted after it “became clear that he was entering a new phase of the disease” when he began experiencing congestive heart failure.

About 5 million Americans have congestive heart failure, where the heart weakens over time — often as a result of heart attacks — and cannot pump enough blood. Heart transplants are one solution, but few patients find a donor and many are too old or sick for a transplant.

According to the American Heart Association (AHA) the device is sometimes called a “bridge to transplant” because it can “buy time” for the patient.

“In most cases, people who have LVADS are waiting or are being considered for a heart transplant,” Dr. Nieca Goldberg, medical director of the NYU Women’s Heart Program in New York City told FoxNews.com. ”The device helps people with heart failure that have really reduced heart function due to heart muscle damage. Every time he (Cheney) had a heart attack, some amount of heart muscle was damaged,” she said.

A common type of LVAD has a tube that pulls blood from the left ventricle into a pump, the AHA said on its website. The pump then sends blood into the aorta (the large blood vessel leaving the left ventricle), which helps the weakened ventricle.

“The interesting thing about the LVAD is that people are really mobile,” Goldberg said. “It’s small enough so people can walk around with it.”

The pump is located in the upper part of the abdomen. Another tube attached to the pump is brought out of the abdominal wall to the outside of the body and attached to the pump's battery and control system, according to the AHA.

Patients with LVADs, like Cheney, can be discharged from the hospital and have an acceptable quality of life while they wait for a donor to become available.

“This will help him have a more active life,” Goldberg said. “He won’t be running marathons, but his life will be better with it than without it.”

According to an abstract presented at the American Heart Association's 2005 Scientific Sessions, LVADs reduced the risk of death in end-stage heart failure patients by 50 percent at 6 and 12 months, and extended the average life span from 3.1 months to more than 10 months.

LVADs are being studied for use as a permanent therapy for people with severe heart failure who aren't transplant candidates.

Cheney has dealt with heart problems for much of his adult life, suffering five heart attacks since age 37.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

And the good saga continues...

Tomorrow Is Not Promised To Anyone... But...

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone. I can attest to that and feel more blessed that the LVAD has given me the quality of life (naturally with some restrictions) I had prior to my heart attack.

The remnants of my silent heart attack left me struggling to walk a maximum of 5 feet, let alone run. My left ventricle ceased to function at an adequate rate to sustain life as I knew it... i could not even hold my 10 month old grandson!

Running, swimming and contact sports are some of the restrictions while with the LVAD, however I am free to enjoy lifting my grandchildren... and trying to keep up with them.

I look back and think that without the LVAD, the best case scenario would find myself confined to my sofa, maybe a hospital bed in my own home... or even admitted to the hospital full time... for up to a year or more awaiting a heart transplant.

The LVAD is a gift that i can never repay to all those committed... to Thoratec, who brought my Heartmate2 LVAD to reality, the team who implanted and grafted the LVAD to my heart. And last but not least, the LVAD Nation located on the 7th floor at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital. THANK YOU AGAIN AND AGAIN!


What the heart attack took away the LVAD GAVE BACK TO ME. This is priceless.

For the past 7 months, after my LVAD implant, the LVAD has continued to make "me" feel like "me" again!

And the good saga continues...

email me @: LVADone@gmail.com

The LVAD Community Has Been Stunned

A person I highly respect and a former LVAD recipient, Ron W, stated so eloquently to me... "what we do does come with high risk"... and he is right and we ALL know this including Greg Wood.

The LVAD world has been stunned this week when a 20-month LVAD recipient Greg Wood from the state of Washington died due to complications AFTER his Heart Transplant last Friday.
Greg was a tremendous advocate for life, life with the LVAD and was never reluctant to assist others online and at his local hospital. His character always gave words of kindness and encouragement to those living with the LVAD or those who were about to get the LVAD implant.
Recently, Greg took it upon himself to participate in the American Heart Association Heart Walk where he raised a substantial amount of money for the cause. Selfless and noble, Greg gave back to society and in particular his fellow LVAD recipients. Greg will be remembered by those he touched in his life.

Greg Wood will not be forgotten for his strength to help others smile and laugh with his ability to raise awareness and comfort. In honor of Greg, the online FACEBOOK GROUP "Heartmate 2 Group" has been renamed: The Greg Wood Heartmate 2 Group:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=6915&id=100000016818228#!/group.php?gid=84812217431&ref=ts

My LVAD makes people say to me "WOW!" People ask me "Why? How?"

My LVAD makes people say to me "WOW!" People ask me "why? How?"

This blog has kept me busy in ways i never thought. Since my first post, back in February, I have been in touch with other LVAD recipients and their families, medical professionals ranging from Nurses to Surgeons... Paramedics, First Responders and Physicians and LVAD Coordinators. From around the world and across the United States, people are reaching out to each other in an effort to better our own lives and to better the lives of future LVAD recipients. My LVAD contacts now reach 12 Countries / 19 States and counting...

Over 4,000 people across the world have the LVAD implant.

3,000+ are located here in the states.

How am I receiving life with the LVAD?! I am 47 years old and had a devastating heart attack 7 months back and the LVAD implanted 6 months ago. Having this LVAD is winning the lottery for me... it has restored a better quality of life for me that i can not put a price on.

With that said, i DO find myself sacrificing alot, but i cant control these changes. What was ...was. However the positives do outnumber the negatives and thats all I care about.

I try NOT to look back and say WHY? Why me? Its normal to feel this way, but i do know its not healthy to look back and question while tormenting myself mentally. What is ...is.

So i choose to look Forward. At times its a slight struggle to keep positive, so thats when i start occupying my mind with other things... change gears. In a way i distract myself from feeling down. I postpone it with no intentions of ever redeeming it :-)

I always remind myself that the man who complained of no shoes, Stopped complaining when he saw the man with no feet...

No doubt... keeping happy is hard work and feeling down is easy... too easy... but not at all Productive! So i keep my mind busy being productive.

Besides... I have kids and grandsons to set an example for... in ways known and unknown to me... :-)

Should you have any questions, send them my way... maybe we can share some ideas...

...keep mentally tough with a poker-face and body strong with a game-face.

And the good saga continues...
email me at: LVADone@gmail.com

LVAD LUNCH AND LEARN

LVAD Lunch & Learn
For LVAD recipients and families to participate in an LVAD Support Group

Date: May 3rd, 2010

Time: 11:00am – 2:00pm

Lunch will be served

Location: Montefiore Medical Center
3415 Bainbridge Ave Bronx, New York
CHAM Conference Room

Guest Speakers:

Nicolette Keen,MS,RD,CDN
Paula Marcus M.D.
Jery Whitworth RN...

Lunch provided by Thoratec Corporation
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I often joke with my LVAD team at Columbia-Presbyterian/NYC that with my LVAD lithium batteries, I can charge a dead battery in a car. I am now convinced after meeting with 20 + LVAD recipients at one gathering, we all probably can jump-start a Jumbo Jet should the occasion arise. :-)


As I end a great day and change my power source from my lithium batteries to my PBU leads ...yes Margaret, I do sleep without batteries :-)... I can not help to think of how honored I feel to be given the podium to speak before 20+ LVAD recipients. It was also an opportunity to meet Simone Van Tull from the transplantcafe.com site, Dick Clark and Mr. Stowe, all who are LVAD recipients and I have gotten to know them (or of them) from online connections or the telephone. This conference also enabled me to exchange contact info with many new LVAD brothers and sisters :-)

Honored... me at the podium, another humbling experience.

I discussed my ideas on how to live a more comfortable life with the LVAD, such as using the 511Tactical Holster Shirt and my encounters with Thoratec; the company that developed the Heartmate 2 LVAD. In turn, I was asked many questions.

It was amazing to see a conference room populated by folks powered by an LVAD. On the agenda, LVAD medical professionals discussed with the LVAD group ways to address situations that an LVAD recipient may encounter, such as stress, depression, meditations and palliative decisions to name a few.


What was particularly interesting to me was the time taken to heed the words from the LVAD recipient’s caretakers and recognizing their tasks and responsibilities in assisting the LVAD recipient in their daily lives. With that said, I THANK my wife.

And the good saga continues...

The Same Veracity, However This Time It Is Titanium!

Let us nuke (microwave) some “No salt” popcorn for 2 minutes… because today is an anniversary of sorts. 5 months this very day since my LVAD surgery. I am feeling monumental …heheheheh. Five months of fighting the good fight for all the expressions & prayers and the medical advances I received or receiving.

Again, I can remember, just a few years ago… in an LVAD-LESS world, I would not be around adding posts to this blog, see my kids and throw my grandchildren playfully onto my shoulders. Grandson One on my right shoulder and Grandson Two on my left shoulder… I begin to charge like a bull, the three of us laugh.

The truth of the matter is, the veracity I have from the Heartmate 2 LVAD has equaled the veracity of life prior to my massive heart attack. I am thankful. In hindsight, getting through these last six months, I applaud myself :-) for the relentless self- discipline used to regain the enjoyment of life’s finer attributes. I respect my vessel… my mind and body.

After all, a leading team of dedicated Medical Professionals, sincerely watch over my health, and for that I know I am blessed with the heavens on my side. Dynamic people doing amazing work at Columbia-New York Presbyterian hospital. As I watch, I have become a patient and a recipient …an amazed spectator.

As the quote goes at the end of the 1st IRON MAN movie…

“I am Iron Man”

Iron Man and Iron Man2 MARVEL.COM The Movie © 2009 © 2010

And the good saga continues…