Profile picture for user feltingfool
Andrea M. Recipient

Intro and a question...

Tue, 05/08/2012 - 9:50AM

I am a prospective LVAD recipient. I've had heart failure for about 15 years, since I was pregnant with my second child.

I now have three children and two stepdaughters, along with two grandsons. My kids are 24 and 18 year old stepdaughters, an 18 year old son, 14 year old and 20 month old daughters.

I had an unplanned and extremely risky third pregnancy. My ejection fraction going into the pregnancy was 25% and has dropped to 15% now. I have recently decompensated pretty drastically and am being sent to Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC to be evaled for LVAD or transplant. LVAD is more likely to be the direction we go at this point.

Are there any questions I need to ask, things you maybe wish you'd asked sooner in the process? Advice on anything and everything is appreciated...lol.

My primary caregiver will be my partner, Billy, but he has had a stroke so has limited use of his right hand. My 14 year old daughter will pick up slack where necessary. Not fair to her, but neither is having a mom with heart failure...alas... it is what it is.

I'd love to connect with other LVAD recipients or prospective recipients in my area, especially those with their procedures done at Duke.

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Profile picture for user nwolfson
pdgolden

Tue, 05/15/2012 - 2:55AM

I'm 65 and had my LVAD put in Aug of last year. The improvement of my condition was 1,000% (so my husband says). My enjection fraction had gone to 5% so we had to do something pretty quick. My problem, we think, was that in 1999 I had breast cancer and one of the chemo drugs damaged my heart. I had a previous open heart surgery to repair a valve, but it didn't work so I just kept on getting worse.

I was given the choice of transplant or LVAD and because I was getting worse daily we really didn't have the time to wait on a transplant, so we decided on the LVAD. I think it was one of the best decisions of my life. I thought I would have quite an adjustment, but everything has gone quite smoothly with me.

If you can handle all your children and grandchildren this will probably be a breeze for you. Of course you will have a recovery time, but remember that everyday you get better and better and whatever I went through to get my LVAD is just a slight memory now.

Just keep a positive attitude and do whatever the doctors tell you to do and you should do fine. Our LVAD group in Oklahoma City are some of the most caring and wonderful medical staff I have every met. They work as a team and are there for me anytime I have questions. This kind of support gives me the confidence to know I did the right thing by having the LVAD put in.

Good luck to you in whatever you decide. You will know in your heart what is best for you. Take care.

Profile picture for user Luiz
Antonio F.

Wed, 05/16/2012 - 2:27PM

Hi,

Please, check those links from Mayo Clinic.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/coronary-artery-disease/DS00064/DSECTION=preparing-for-your-appointment

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/lvad/MY01077/DSECTION=how-you-prepare

I hope this may help you to get more informed.

Best of luck with your decision.

God bless you.

Profile picture for user feltingfool
Andrea M.

Fri, 05/18/2012 - 1:02PM

Thanks you both for your responses! My surgery is scheduled for Wednesday, 5/23/12 and I am pretty excited. I am worse every day and though my ejection fraction is holding at 15%, my pulmonary pressures and things on that side are not so great. That's the biggest reason for moving so quickly.

I'm prepared as much as possible I think and the team at Duke seems to be cohesive and very supportive of me and my family. They are really making an effort to accomodate the needs of my children in that they are including them in some teaching and what not. That is huge for me. My daughters are 20 months and 14 years, son is 18, so the older ones are capable of understanding things as well as I do and it's been good to have the team recognize that.

Profile picture for user nwolfson
pdgolden

Mon, 05/28/2012 - 11:06PM

Dear Feltingfool -

Please contact and I will be more than happy to help you get through this period in your life. You will find that the your medical personnel will be your most helpful people in your situation, but it is always nice to talk to someone who has been there and done that. Please don't hesitate to ask me anything you would like to know and I will help as best I can. Good luck, hang in there, and keep an upper lip...may god bless you.

pdgolden