Discussions: Caregiver Support

How long does it typically take to do this process correctly? I have different nurses telling me different procedure steps! I’m so frustrated! How many times must you have completed the correct sterile protocol before you can be released from the hospital?

My Uncle has been living with his LVad for many years. He has recently been having complications. He's been in hospital over a week with a GI bleed they can't seem to find. He's had two colonoscopy and swallowed a pill that had a camera in it. They went in today and cauterized three spots that could...

Hello everyone! My husband is getting the LVAD this Friday. We knew about his heart failure but getting the VAD this early was a surprise, his condition has declined quickly. I'm nervous about a lot of things but would love advice from younger couples/families (older couples too if you have advice!)...

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.

My dad had an Lvad implanted exactly 6 weeks ago today, However the doctors are saying his right side simply is not doing its job, and being that he has been in the hospital so long he is not strong enough to be considered for an Rvad surgery making it a Bivad. Due to his age AND undiagnosed spot on...

My Husband had LVAD surgery on Friday 1/8/2021. About 10 pm that night they had to put a tube down his throat to see what was going wrong. By 1:00am Saturday Morning I had to consent again for them to go back in him because the right side of the heart wasn't strong enough. Well Sunday the nurse told...

My husband has a lvad and his dementia is getting worse. Has anyone gone through this?

My husband, Michael had his LVAD implanted in August 2019 after much discussion and lots of defib shocks. He has been in heart failure since his heart attack in 2017... well as of June 2020 it has been determined by his team that a heart transplant will not happen for him. He hasn’t been able to...

First time posting but I’ve been lurking for a while. My husband had his lvad surgery today and although the left side of his heart is responding positively, his right side is functionIng worse than before surgery. He spent a week in the hospital with a balloon pump and his right side responded well...

My husband started on these two recently. Seroquel last Thursday and the Gabapentin on Saturday. They are to help with his delirium/encephalopathy. I have heard negative things about this drug combination- especially Seroquel. Anyone have experience with either of these working or not working? Thank...

My husband experiences involuntary shaking like he had a fever or something. He doesn’t have a fever so I’m wondering what could cause this?

My husband received his Heartware lvad on Oct 1, 2020. (Stemi heart attack Aug 4, 2020) Monday, (10/5/2020), two nurses & my hubby set off out to walk a few 'laps' around the cicu wing. Having previously walked behind a different 3some on Sat & Sun, rolling his chair directly behind them in case he...

My husband had his LVAD op October 2017 10 days later he developed bowed ischaemia and had life saving surgery again, he had bowel resection and an illeostomy. He is lucky to have survived. Now over year later he has had drive line infection, regular low magnesium and potassium also, he looses fluid...

Hello everyone. My mother has been having LVAD for 6 years. We cannot measure his blood pressure in any way, sometimes it can be measured on the monitors in the hospital. There is a thrombus shortage in both the pump and the default. For this reason, we want to observe the blood pressure in some way...

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My significant other had LVAD implantation last year in May. Before he had the surgery his heart function was at 15% and he had prepared himself that he was going to die. His children and I talked to him about pursuing LVAD surgery and he seemed receptive. We went to Mayo and they said he would be a...

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...

Hello. I honestly just wanted some advice and knowledge on what to expect if my Mom ends up getting one. They are discussing it during this hospital admission. I have been looking after both of my parents for the past three months as my Mom has been in and out of the hospital and my Dad has...

My brother received his LVAD on 02/02/2015. We went through the same search. The vest he received in hospital was uncomfortable for him. At one of his therapy sessions we found the answer. I replicated an idea a fellow patient's wife devised for him. We use mans tank tops which I modify. Turn shirt...

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