Respect Our Veterans

With or Without the LVAD, We all must appreciate our Veterans and our serving Military for the Freedom and Protection they provide.

A few years ago I made this tribute video for a dear friend and his son...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQ2ARU2zMq8

And The Good Saga Continues...

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...

The Great LVAD Pumpkin

HAPPY HALLOWEEN :-)

AND THE GOOD SAGA CONTINUES...

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.4

MY LUCKY NUMBERS

Some folks have lucky numbers... and some folks have lucky numbers. These numbers represent my LVAD PUMP's performance and how my own body is reacting...

AND THE GOOD SAGA CONTINUES...

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.4

LVADone@Gmail.com

AND THE GOOD SAGA CONTINUES...

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.4

If President Lincoln had An LVAD...

"If President Lincoln had An LVAD..."

What I am trying to say here is... It is always best to do your homework in making the LVAD and any other decision. Once the decision is made keep doing your homework. It is always in your best interest.

And the good saga continues...

Is Your Cardiologist And Or LVAD Team Suggesting Flu Shot?

Last week... 1st time in my life, I got the Flu shot.

And the Good Saga Continues...

TO SUBWAY PLATFORM My LVAD HAD TO CLIMB 2 STEEP FLIGHTS OF STEPS

2 flights like pictured, one right after another and not outta breath!

And The Good Saga Continues...

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.3

Thoratec Headquarters

Thoratec HQ... makers of the Heartmate II... Employee/Company morale is impressive.

AND THE GOOD SAGA CONTINUES...

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.3

New York Yankees, Columbia Presbyterian Hospital And The LVAD Are Unbeatable Team

And the good saga continues...

New York Yankees, Columbia Presbyterian Hospital And The LVAD Are Unbeatable MVP Team ;-)

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.3

SAME LVAD RODEO, DIFFERENT SPIN

Photo below is dedicated to the Bionic Bride!!!

Holding the HeartMate II LVAD replica.

The LVAD... the inside look ;-)

This Nurse/Doctor is actually a USB memory stick sent to me :-)
And the good saga continues...

Care-Givers are true Warriors :-)

LVAD Care-Givers/Spouses are the true Warriors of LOVE:-)

And The Good Saga Continues...

NEW Photos Of Former Vice President Cheney Making Giant LVAD Step October 2010

I have been following the Former Vice President's LVAD story on a daily basis since the news broke in mid July. I too have an LVAD, and to see a Public Figure with VP Cheney's recognition receive an LVAD implant and perform about his daily activities and duties, sends reassurances to the LVAD community and to the public as a whole that a Life can be saved and restored with the same or even more intensity; despite End Stage Heart Failure.

Below I found these great photos, the first of the Cheney's in public since the VP had his implant.

This photo above of the VP and his wife is my favorite... the proud and humbling smile caught on the VP's face is that given to a wife for her unconditional love and being his #1 Care-giver!

Lynn Cheney interviewing her own husband.

Don't let the "frail" appearance throw you off, Life with the LVAD improves Day By Day, Week By Week and Month By Month. I am very happy and proud that VP Cheney is winning the good fight.

And the Good Saga Continues...

Former Vice President Cheney Back Into Public Speaking With The LVAD! Back In Business!

(Photo by Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images)

Below post is from the Wall Street Journal Online:

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2010/10/04/dick-cheney-gives-speech-in-colorado/

By John D. McKinnon

Last summer, former Vice President Dick Cheney was hospitalized with congestive heart failure, and underwent a procedure to implant a tiny turbine-powered pumping device in his chest. Today, Cheney gave a speech to a national insurance group in Colorado, in a further sign that the device is working to assist his damaged heart.

Cheney was the keynote speaker on Monday at the 97th annual Insurance Leadership Forum at the Broadmoor resort in Colorado Springs.

The group that sponsored the appearance, the Washington-based Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers, was releasing no details of the former vice president’s closed-door remarks, other than to confirm that he appeared in person as scheduled.

Former President George W. Bush is scheduled to appear before the group on Tuesday. The council describes itself as “the voice of the market leaders and the premier association for commercial insurance and employee benefits intermediaries in the United States and abroad.”

And the good saga continues...

Me, My LVAD And A BAT :-) The Video!

Left ventricular assist device made by Thoratec Saved and restored my life.

The LVAD that I have is a HeartMate II. Its purpose is to bypass my damaged Left Ventricle by pumping oxygen enriched blood into my brain, lungs and body. Its kind of a partial artificial heart, but really a blood pump. It is a manmade miracle! before i had the implant i was horizontal on a hospital bed 24/7 with little time left to live and with poor quality of life... now i can swing a bat again :-) Thank you "LVAD NATION" 7th Floor, Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in NYC

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



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

And the Good Saga continues...

The General's General, The One You Want Leading The Good Fight For Your Cause.

Margaret Flannery was the first from "LVAD Nation" to meet with me and my wife. With patience Margaret explained in depth about the LVAD implant, the peripheral procedures and testings involved in order to become eligible.

Her confidence, professionalism and approachable demeanor made my decision to trust Columbia Presbyterian Hospital to perform the open heart surgery/LVAD implant very easy. A short time later Margaret made my decision even easier by bringing in Dr Naka, the surgeon who would perform the surgery. Both Dr Naka and Margaret showed me a replica of the HeartMate II LVAD. I was able to hold it and realized that this device would bring back most of the stamina that I had lost. I felt that the 2 of them were the Best of the Best Columbia had to offer.

10 months later, LVAD in place, from the bottom of my LVAD I am thankful that folks like Margaret and Dr Naka are affiliated with Columbia Presbyterian hospital.

And the good saga continues...

Columbia Presbyterian Hospital VAD SUPPORT GROUP September 28 2010

Today's LVAD Lunch & Learn series proved to be very productive. 1st on the agenda was Thoratec Product Update presented by Teri Gardner, RN Clinical Consultant from Thoratec. The update showed the future generations of the LVAD and LVAS. Smaller, more user friendly and wireless... yes, NO wires! However, the wireless is still in the distant future but on the radar screen of Thoratec. Bravo.

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

Dr Yoshifumi Naka, my Surgeon, and the Director of the Cardiac Transplantation and Mechanical Circulatory Support Program, stopped in and greeted everyone between the 1st and 2nd items on the agenda. Dr Naka was greeted by a round of applause and more applause from the audience as he left. After all, Dr. Naka had his skilled and gifted hands "touch" all of our hearts in more ways than one.

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

2nd on the agenda was Traveling with the LVAD, presented by Khristine Orlanes, ACNP. Informative topics included "Must Haves at All Times", "Air Travel specifics" and "Land Travel". During this session, discussions led to the proper handling of our LVAS as well as offering information to the airline and TSA for security reasons.

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

3rd on the agenda was "Preventing and Managing Infections", presented by Dr Nir Uriel Proffesor Clinical Medicine, Center for Advanced Cardiac Care, Columbia University. This topic was engaging as it addressed infections at the driveline Exit-Site. All in attendance were told and showed what to look for and how to avoid an infection. Well over 40% of deaths related to the LVAD is due to infection.

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

Lastly, there was a spread of good healthy food, buffet style, where all the LVAD recipients, care-givers and other interested parties mingled and shared their war stories :-) at the newly built River Terrace, Milstein Family Heart Center, Columbia Presbyterian Hospital NYC.

And the good saga continues...

2nd LVAD LUNCH AND LEARN

2nd LVAD LUNCH and LEARN... They are great as it focuses on the

LVAD recipient/patient/care-givers/Families ONLY!

The last one pulled in over 20 LVAD recipients. I am hoping more of us is there.

And the good saga continues...

Large LVAD Community Cheering Vice President Cheney

After attending the HeartMate II Ambassador Summit in Pleasanton, California, I was constantly asked how VP Cheney is faring. I only know as much as the rest. My knowledge of VP Cheney's recovery is as good as what's being released in the media. In an earlier post, I cited remarks made by his daughter, Liz Cheney and linked a radio interview that she made, where she stated that her Dad is doing well.

I would just like to express that there will be a day, maybe now, that Former Vice President Dick Cheney will become an LVAD Recipient, rather than an LVAD Patient. That threshold is realistic and obtainable. It is a point in that person's life that he or she says, "Yes, this LVAD has restored my life and stamina to where it was years ago. I do have restrictions however it is a wonderful trade-off to feel this good.

So again from the bottom of our LVADs, the LVAD community wishes Vice President Cheney a happy recovery.

And the good saga continues...

“What can we do to make THORATEC better?” My answer was “ Build ALOT more LVADs. Save more lives”

Every since the LVAD was implanted in me, I have adopted the phrase “And the good saga continues…”. So all along my “good saga”, THORATEC has proven time and again that it is an organization that is sincerely committed to their visionary mission of saving lives. They are manufacturing a product whose “end users” are in different stages of heart failure, in which mine is End-Stage Heart Failure.

In more ways than THORATEC may ever know, their product, the HeartMate II is a gift… a gift of life, and life is the most precious commodity anyone can have.

THORATEC has proven to me that they are always looking to improve an already well-run organization. They go to extreme and tedious lengths to reinforce quality control at all levels in creating the components of the HeartMate II.

The participants of the Summit were treated to a tour of THORATEC’s manufacturing plant where I found employee morale to be comprised of pride and accountability. The participants of the summit were also engaged in a round of discussions to assist THORATEC in their future decisions and directions.




And I can say from the bottom of my LVAD that each summit participant took pride in answering any questions THORATEC posed as we all knew that sharing our experiences, giving our opinions and ideas will better the quality of life of future LVAD patients and their families.

One of the easiest questions asked of me was “What can we do to make THORATEC better?” My answer was “ Build ALOT more LVADs. Save more lives” ;-)

Being a participant at THORATEC's HeartMate II Ambassador Summit has been a phenomenal experience I will never forget.

Thank you THORATEC… from the bottom of my LVAD… each and every employee.

My LVAD INFO-Card

For the past several months,

I have been handing these inf0-cards out.

FRONT:

REAR:
I have been handing these cards out for the pastr several months now to raise awareness and to "explain" to folks what i really have :-) i will be bringing them to the Summit as well.

And the good saga continues.... In California!

I am who I am TODAY because of a lot people and their passion. Let's start here...

This Wednesday at 5am, My Wife, Rosie and I are flying off to California.

We are attending Thoratec's HeartMate2 Patient Ambassador Summit 2010. We are honored and looking forward to sharing what we will learn once we come back.

Posted in the photo is part of LVAD NATION from Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan... I am who I am now because of them and would like to thank the ENTIRE staff there.

Not pictured are Margaret, Donna and the many doctors & nurses that saw me through surgery and recovery. L to R Rosie, Jennifer, Anne Marie, me and Khristine... pictures of Margaret and Donna soon to follow.

And The Good Saga Continues...

Dick Cheney: ‘Doing a Lot of Physical Therapy’ After Heart Surgery—but Hoping to Go Fishing Real Soon, Says Daughter Liz

Here are excerpts from a BlogRadio interview with Liz Cheney

Dick Cheney: ‘Doing a Lot of Physical Therapy’ After Heart Surgery—but Hoping to Go Fishing Real Soon, Says Daughter Liz


The former veep: Angling to get back to the Cowboy State asap. You gotta hand it to Dick Cheney. Less than two months after doctors implanted a pump in his heart to compensate for increasing congestive heart failure, the 69-year-old former vice president—who has had five heart attacks over the past 32 years —is hard at work on his memoirs, while gearing up for some outdoor fun.

So says Dick’s daughter, Liz Cheney, who’s collaborating on her dad’s book, which will help put his legacy within the George W. Bush administration into perspective.

“He’s doing really well. He is back at home here in Virginia and he’s hoping to get back to what we really consider home, which is Wyoming, as soon as he can,” she tells AACONS host Marie Stroughter.

“His left-ventricular assist device is essentially a pump that helps his heart function, helps his heart to pump more effectively. And that’s working wonderfully.

Liz: Helping dad cast new light on history.
“He’s doing a lot of physical therapy. He was in the hospital for about five weeks. So when you’re in the hospital for that long, it does take time to recover and come back. So that’s what he’s focused on very much now,” Liz, an attorney who held key roles in the State Department under President Bush, continues.

“But he’s doing really well, and back at work on the book. We’re looking forward to having the book come out, and also to having him get back to Wyoming.

“I think what he’d really like to do is get back on a drift boat on the Snake River and do some fishing. Hopefully that’ll come...

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/aacons/2010/09/02/interview-with-liz-cheney

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...