Mental health while having my lvad

Please get in touch with your PCP ASAP.  The longer you wait the harder it will be for you.

I feel so sorry for you.  May God be with you.

I went through the same thing after my VAD implant, wondering what life would be like, whether it was worth it to undergo the surgery, pain and restrictions.  Would life be worth living?  Maybe I should have  let nature take it's course and just died. But my cardiologist sent me to a support group of VAD recipients where I told my story.  Everyone in the group spoke and said how much their life had improved.  I remember one man who had been an avid cyclist and had to quit because of his heart failure and was back to riding several miles a day.  Another one talked about his love for golf and how he had to give it up, but was back to playing with his same foursome that he had been part of for decades. There others with similar stories.  Seeing and hearing these men ranging in age from their fifties into their seventies talk about how happy and grateful they were to have been given the gift of a long and active life inspired me.  I became determined to make the best of the new life I had been given. Now, ten years and eight months later I'm still going strong, working out at the gym four or five days a week doing stretching, strength training and cardio;  playing golf, flyfishing, going to movies, concerts and opera.  Being in the lives of my five gandsons and their parents.  Life is good

It is coming up on my one year implant.  All medical people agreed strongly that I would not live more than a couple of months because of my failing heart.  My problem is that I felt just fine and was doing a lot of activity like walking, cycling, Skiing, and manual labor on my rentals.  So, it was very difficult to go to the operation of of the LVAD.  So, I have had to make adjustments to my life style to accommodate my restrictions by having the LVAD.  But, my life has been good and I have no interest in ending it anytime if I have a way to keep going.  Now, I am feeling good again after the long recovery period from open heart surgery.  And, like is still great.  I even skied this last season with all of my equipment.  Good luck and be happy that you are still with us.

I was curious to know if a chair massager is compatible with the LVAD.  My significant other complains his back hurts from wearing the battery bag during the day.  I was considering getting one as a gift for him.