Discussions: Living with an LVAD

Does anyone now what the maximum distances you can be away ( vacation) from a LVAD certified hospital?? My team is very cautious. And as mentioned in yesterday’s meeting they also will not let me drive. I’ve had to many blackouts due to GI bleeds. They actually took me off of warfarin and aspirin...

My daily routine: 1. Do a self-check of the controller, check the readings, and check for alarms (low flow and power). 2. Disconnect from remote power; connect to the batteries. 3. If staying-in-the house, use controller bag supplied by the hospital. 4. If going out, use fishing vest purchased from...

Hello! im just curious , I’m sure my dad would love to meet other people that also share this experience. I think sometimes it can feel isolating. thanks!

Hi my brother brother has had an l vad For about 8 years now. Around June he suffered a fall hitting his head and causing him to have a brain bleed, He had to be rushed to Rochester in Minnesota. They removed part of a skull to let his brain swell. He was in the hospital for For 50 days and now he...

Merry Christmas to all those LVAD'ers out there. I hope that Santa is good to all of you!!

pump noise Hello I am a new lvad recipient, I had my surgery on September 19 . Everything seems to be going well except for the fact that i can hear the pump running . It is very annoying and I was wondering if anyone else has this issue?

Something that I've been considering doing is getting a embroidered patch made so that my go bag is clearly marked as medical equipment. I feel that this is important since I actually use a LowePro Camera bag with padded compartments and dual shoulder straps for carrying my spare batteries...

Lets get to it. The worst thing that can happen to an LVAD user is a drive line infection. It can put you in the hospital many times over and cures with the various antibiotics may or may not work for you. It can lead to extra surgeries for debridement and in some cases make it worse. In my case I...

I am a 78 year old male LVAD recipient, eight + years out. Generally have been doing quite well but am increasingly bothered by a very painful hip which is inhibiting my activity level and quality of life. I am interested in communicating with any LVADers out there who has had hip or joint...

Actually I am a caregiver. My husband is the VAD recipient. We are on a 2 week trip at the Grand Canyon then on to Denver to visit our son and daughter in law. Having a great time. The altitude has reduced his breathing comfort. We are staying on paved pathways and do not plan to hike! At 78 Ned is...

Since my LVAD 33 months ago, I have been on a slow and steady decline. My condition at present is no better than the heart failure condition I experienced prior to my surgery. With any physical exertion I can only last a minute or two before requiring about 5 minutes of rest before another minute or...

I’ve had congestive heart failure since 2015 and had a heart attack 2015 at the age of 35. I received an ICD also in 2015. I had an lvad put in on August 13, 2021. For a year prior to getting my VAD I was in and out of the hospital. Around Christmas 2020 I was in the hospital with a heart rate of...

Hi friends! my father has had an lvad for about a year now, and he has some hopes of traveling. In particular, in Central America. The hospital at one point mentioned if he’d be traveling, it’d be a good idea to have an lvad clinic nearby in whatever place he was venturing, if anything were to...

I am schedule to have my Lvad surgery on 11/30/2021, looking for words of Encouragement. I am a 26 year old female with 2 young children.

Hello everyone you helped us soo much with vaccine information so I wanted to reach out to you again. We just made one year with his LVAD! I’m very proud.. it’s been very tough, especially with Covid. What kind of activities do you recommend! Right now my husband walks with a cane. We are looking...

Hello everyone! I was interested to know if anyone received the Covid vaccine and has an LVAD Can you share your story .. side effects and any advice

I received my Lvad early March and still just using the bag to hold my batteries etc. How do you use your seat belt to support bag and not disturb your driveline?

So I have had my LVAD for over 3 years now and thankfully without any major issues. I have been supported by family through this time but unerstandably that is not a long term option and has gone on long enough already. I don't feel comfortable going back to work full time as my energy levels can...

/medical-professionals/resource-library/ems-field-guides The 2021 EMS Field Guides are Here! Print QR codes to keep with you so you and emergency services can access emergency information quickly! You can also find them on the MyLVAD app! If you haven't downloaded it yet...Check it out!!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VAD-wearables We are currently inviting Ventricular Assist Device patients globally to participate in an online questionnaire about their experience with their VAD wearable systems. The aim of the questionnaire is to research how Ventricular Assist Device patients feel...