Profile picture for user fishfighter
Paul R. Prospective Patient

Hello everyone

Sun, 07/22/2012 - 6:16PM

I am a propective of a LVAD in the near future. I been fighting CHF under two years. All my heart problems has came from a viro infection.

Anyway, I'm a male,54 years old, married to the love of my life for the pass 32 years, two kids and one grandson that just turn two.

I am retired from work now which all started when I had a CRT-D implant done April,2011. I used to be a control room operator inside a coal fired powerplant.Problem with that is that I would of been working within 30' of two 600MW generators. Not good with the pacemaker. So, I been out of work from Nov,2010 with no plans on going back.

Health wise before I got sick, I was a very active person that enjoyed the outdoors from hunting to offshore fishing. I had to give up the offshore fishing from the start, but was still able to hunt some. I'm 6' and weight in at 160lbs. Before, I was weighting in at 185lbs. My transplant team still doesn't know as to why I been loosing weight which most came off in the past 2 months. I am having problems with fluid build up which has put me in the hospital 3 times in the last 40 days. I just got out last friday from my last trip there which is Ochsner in New Orleans,La.

Just a few months my team started talking about a LVAD. Last hospital stay, they were really pushing it hard and all test were done. I am waiting for a call from them for my next appointment which should be next week to 10 days. At that point I am to meet with the surgeons. To go forward.

That is were I'm at to this point other then all kinds of meds along with a picc line pumping dobutamine in me 24/7 the past 7 months.

6675 reads
Profile picture for user dawnchristensen
Dawn C.

Tue, 07/24/2012 - 7:46AM

Hi Fishfighter,

We wanted to let you know that we are happy to help you with any questions you might have and hope that the forums on the site help to provide you with support from others in your position. We are starting an LVAD recipient support group online in the next month. Check back for updates on how to join the group. In the meantime, please let us know how we can help.

Good luck!

Dawn.

Profile picture for user ThomasMartin
Thomas M.

Sat, 07/28/2012 - 4:06PM

Just know that there are always options and restoring health, that there is always something you can do. I had an LVAD implanted at age 51 as I hovered near death after being healthy my entire life. After surgery, my options were a transplant or living the rest of my life with the pump. I was told that my odds of my heart healing were only 1% at the time. I do not believe any one doctor has all the answers and began reading obsessively the books of Drs David Brownstein, Mark Starr and Rodger Murphree. I also radically changed my diet to a nutrient-rich diet following the writings of Sally Fallon and the Weston A Price Foundation. I had my LVAD removed in September of last year, 15 months after having it implanted and am doing great. I have written abook about my experienceand what I did to get well and now lecture to groups and also volunteer at hospitals. I can finally swim again - it's great!. I wish you all the best!