Need Guidance Please =)

It definitely can be a lot--especially if you are so far from home! The doctors wanted to be with my husband (age 32)at all times for about the first week or two after he got home. Family members would come hang out with him while i was at work, and some days I was able to work from home. After that, he started spending more time on his own, gradually at first but then quite independent.

One thing that is important, especially at first when moving around is very painful post-surgery, is to have everything in a relatively close space. A small apart turned out to be an advantage. :) For us, it is great to have the bathroom close to our bedroom, since the cord from the wall unit only reaches so far.

I don't if this will help but i received my LVAD on Oct 12 2012. I live in Louisville Ky but went to Nashville Tn for the operation. Following the Dr's orders and a little determination I came home 4 days before Thanksgiving. I now go back once a month for followups to make sure everything is working okay! I'm doing GREAT and love my new life!

I am one of the lucky ones, i have an lvad/transplant hospital less than 10 minutes away and my hospital is about 20 minutes away, but i am at a loss on how some of the people deal who live far from a clinic. It sounds like i'm pushing the group, but i guess i am a little, in facebook there are many lvad groups that can help you with this, but my favorite is 'LVAD Conversations.' there, i think you will find many people who have the same problem as you, i even remember one person talking of a medivac by helicopter.

Bibby - I hope by now the new life is a little bit easier for you. We are celebrating our 1st year implant, and have been leading a normal life like before the LVAD. We have travelled on 6 different trips (2 in our RV) since May 2013,and have had no problems whatsoever!! Just hang in there.

Bibby,

Well, you're coming up on your first bonus year and congratulations. For what it's worth, I do all my own dressing, shower with a shower pack and lead a full life. After I shower, our bathroom has double sinks about two feet apart and I clean this area with a Lysol antiseptic sheet with my prep gloves on and wear a mask. I then open the gauze packets dressed as above wet down the wash and rinse gauzed and remove the previous dressing. I then put on the sterile gloves and redress the opening. I now use 3x3 gauze pads for wash and rinse and 2x2 pads for the final dressing. I use a 4x43/4 inch Tegaderm film to cover the dressings. For the anchor of the drive line I cut a Tegaderm in half, place it below the opening and then cover both the dressing and the driveline with a full Tegaderm. I put a "C" shape in the drive line to lock the drive line in place between the two sheets of film. The Tegaderm also works great in the shower. It keeps the dressings dry and I can wash right over the top. (Carefully though)

I found I was having a reaction to the tape we were using and went to the Tegaderm. I hope all is going well for you folks. I volunteer a couple of days a week at the Peregrine Fund and am enjoying life.

Jim Petty