CAREGIVER ADVICE FOR SOMEONE WHO'S "GIVEN UP"

We each have our own crosses to bare. I'm also tired of lugging this stuff around. It gets frustrating, but the only other options besides death, is sitting in the hospital until a heart is available. I guest my first question is, is it a bridge to a transplant?  What is sounds like is, it's time for a family pow wow. Let him know if not by saying it, showing him his worth to you and all of the family members. My family constantly visits and calls to check on me. We all laugh about the fact that I'm a cyborg now who needs to be recharge everyday. What I'm saying is, let him know that you'd rather have him here than not.  Just let him know you can teach an old dog new tricks. Everything he did before, he can still do. Just reassure him of your love and commitment to him. Hope this helps.

I've had an LVAD for five years now. I've gotten used to lugging the gear around and hardly pay attention to it anymore. If it annoys your significant other, look for another way to carry it.  There are lots of shirts and vests available, many or them on MYLVAD. 

The option of dying is very permanent. If he isn't getting enough out of life, look for things that interest him.  Just watching my kids grow up is a pretty strong incentive for me.  A friend once told me that the only thing we can really change in life is our attitude toward it.  He can look for worthwhile things in life if he wants to. Hang in there.

My husband hates the equipment too, but loves life.  He found, for him, much better solutions for carrying and wearing the equipment than what most people wear.  Check these out for him.  

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CZG7X92/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076MM2CMC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

good luck.  

My husband passed away on dec 21st.  From the time he received his lvad he was always depressed.  I tried many times to reach out to his doctors and tell them. His whole personality changed.  There really needs to be a support program for lvad patients.  This is a very traumatic surgery.  The one thing that is upmost important is keeping your driveline infection free.  If you get an infection. Then things willl really go bad for ad patient isthe lvad patient. We had a car accident and that infection from the accident is what took his life.   So guard your driveline like your life depends on it.

My husband passed away on dec 21st.  From the time he received his lvad he was always depressed.  I tried many times to reach out to his doctors and tell them. His whole personality changed.  There really needs to be a support program for lvad patients.  This is a very traumatic surgery.  The one thing that is upmost important is keeping your driveline infection free.  If you get an infection. Then things willl really go bad for ad patient isthe lvad patient. We had a car accident and that infection from the accident is what took his life.   So guard your driveline like your life depends on it.

My husband has been greatly helped by the vest I made for him, our link is on this page, and I can send you free instructions if you email us at hankpattyrichmond@sbcglobal.net.  The vest is easy to make, works fantastically, and Hank has always said that it made him feel like a normal person again.  We wish you all well being.  Patty Richmond

Dont give up. I was an LVAD patient with less than 10% function after a heart attack and 3 strokes and was expected to keep my LVAD until they found me a heart or I expired, whichever came first. So, I did the same thing, prepared to die. But something inside me gave it to God and this ENORMOUS STRENGTH rose up inside me, and God took over. I started to live my life with purpose, choosing to see all of the things I was GAINING instead of LOSING. When I did that, I was able to lift others and counsel them and that helped me, too. 3yrs later, Sept. 28, 2017, I found out my LVAD cord had broken at the base and I had a resulting staph infection about to go septic under my heart. It took 3 more miracle open heart surgeries in 5 days(Oct. 9, 11, 13) at Banner Good Sam in Phoenix, AZ,  for them to remove my LVAD to treat the infection and replace my LVAD, but, they never put a new one in, because when they took out the broken one, my heart started to beat on it's own, going from less than 10% to 45% WITHOUT THE LVAD during surgery. They left it out, and my heart has been beating on it's own at 40% -45% ever since! PRAISE GOD! My Surgeon, Dr, Amibile, says he has NEVER seen or heard this in 30 years of practice. That I am a miracle. I say Jesus is the miracle. I say all this to say, you dont know what your future holds, but,  give it your best, give it to the Lord, and when you believe and dont give up, He can bless your life in ways YOU CANT IMAGINE. TRUST. Blessings to you and your family.💖

Hi there!  My husband is being sent for a consultation for a LVAD.  What can I expect?

thanks!

It is wonderful to read the success stories of LVAD patients.  My husband was one of those, after his first surgery.  Not so after he needed a second pump, due to a blood clot, which caused the first pump to fail in Sept. 2019.  Life has been a struggle ever since.  Both he & I are tired, & we just want this to be over. 

I am in my third year and  have not returned to the hospital for problems. I agree with him about the bulky equipment getting in the way but I still do many things I like doing. Our two granddaughters started college this year and I am around to see it. My wife has been terrific and we celebrate our 57th Anniversary the end of the month. I try to focus on all the positive things in my life like my wife, my children, grandchildren and family. I feel blessed and thank God for every day he gives me. Death is in God's hands and there is nothing I can do more than prayer. He will pick the time, the place and the how we go. So I try to make the best of every day and focus on family positives and I am thankful to be around to enjoy. I hope he knows he is not alone as the number of patients with LVADs continues to grow and improvements will continue to come in the technology that I am confident will improve all our lives. I hope that this helps in some small way. Take care and God bless.

My husband also tires of lugging the gear around with him everywhere, but he does still enjoy life. I encourage him to get out and do things whenever possible!  The biggest issue is he says he feels that he looks like "a unibomber" with all the wires coming out from his shirt.  We live in Florida, and it's just too hot to wear an LVAD shirt AND a regular shirt over it, so he usually goes out with just an LVAD shirt. 

Has anyone made an LVAD shirt that puts the batteries, controllers, and wires on the INSIDE of the shirt?  He wants to find one made that way.