Community Forums

I received a HeartMate III LVAD on 1/25/19. I have been home from the hospital for 5 days and I am using a Thoratec vest that was given to me at the hospital. I am ready to order mens clothing to accommodate my LVAD and would appreciate some advice. The batteries are now hanging on my side and the...

Hi my ex husband is having an LVAD this wk. He has asked me to be a caregiver. I have researched much information, however I have not been able to find out much about what role caregiver takes. If anyone could tell me what to expect I would greatly appreciate it and any advice. Thank-you

PLEASE EMAIL US DIRECTLY FOR INSTRUCTIONS at Hankpattyrichmond@sbcglobal.net. We have received and filled more than 300 requests for the LVAD vest instructions. We hope that you were able to make your vest and are enjoying its benefits. If you would like to email us pictures of your creations, I can...

Hi Everyone, My name is Arthur Canga, I'm from Brazil. My dad got the heartmate 3 this past July and i would like to get a few tips or some suggestions to protect his driveline during the shower. What kind of bandage is more secure to avoid his driveline of getting wet? He is starting to get some...

My husband got a Heartmate 3 in October. December was our first month at home. Our electric bill was about $150. higher than normal for the same period in past years. The only new appliance or new usage is our Heartmate 3 chargers. I'm a bit shocked. Is that the experience of others?

Hello everybody! I am a student at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Hanover in Germany. In the context of my Bachelor thesis I developed a questionnaire. For this purpose I am looking for patients with an artificial heart (LVAD) who will participate in my short survey. The survey is...

Hello Everyone! I am a product design student at the University of Cincinnati with a close friend who has an LVAD. Since witnessing her experience as a young 20 year old living with an LVAD, I have been inspired to do my thesis project on trying to address some of the frustrations and pain points...

Hi all!! My name is Dick. I was just reminded that I joined this forum 15 days ago. Here is my story so far. I went to the hospital on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving to get the evaluations and approvals done. I was supposed to return the following week and have the LVAD installed if all went well....

I have a heartmate 3. implanted in January, I can finally shower, I am able to cover the driveline site, but the waterproof bag is a pain. For those of you who shower often how do you manage to protect and keep your batteries and controller dry?

Love the new styles for both men and women! Comfortable and stylish LVAD vests for HeartMate 2 & 3’s. www.vadwearvests.com

Hello all. I recently joined this forum because my husband has end stage congestive heart failure. I feel like this has happened so fast. He had a massive heart attack in May 2019 and his EF is 20%. He has been in and out of the hospital multiple times, many times for fluid retention. He has an ICD...

My mom had an lvad and she passed away. I have a bunch of equipment I would rather donate than just getting rid of. I would love to hear any ideas. I can send pictures if needed. Email me. Klwatk2@gmail.com

My husband got his LVAD 11/27/2019, the day before Thanksgiving. He was kept sedated for more than two weeks due to problems breathing on his own and the right side of his heart not keeping up with the LVAD. He's been off the sedation for ALMOST a week now and still is not really responding to...

I am 26, in fair condition, well enough to exercise and want to add jumping to my exercise program but the controller and two batteries aren't held stable well enough with anything I have. Does anyone have suggestions? Thanks

Our Best Wishes for a Happy, Healthy, New Year from VAD Wear Vests!

Hello All, My father just had the LVAD surgery on October 12, 2017. I was wondering if anyone experienced weight loss or loss of energy after the surgery. If so, how long did it take for your weight loss to level out.

Hi, hello, good afternoon! My husband is jumping through the hoops to get qualified for the Heartmate II. We're just about done and meeting with the LVAD surgeon in just a week. I don't see many recent posts and it concerns me dearly. My husband is not a bridge to transplant due to his age (73) and...

Hello everyone, i am a new member of this site, a caregiver for my husband. I read a lot of useful Information, but it is all about mostly Heartmate. Is there anyone out there with a Jarvik 2000 LVAD?

Dear fellow heart failure patients, I am searching for answers to reverse my heart failure. Have you heard from anyone who had their heart failure successfully reversed with medication? And if so, what medication was involved. Thank you very much for your advise Hans

Hello Everyone again, i have a Heartmate II for almost 3 years now. Not a candidate for transplant, too healthy,, antibodies too high. However, the Dr. wants to put on entresto and continue on coreg to possibly remodel the heart and bring up the EF. There is more information, but no need to bore you...