Discussions: Living with an LVAD

I am 49 and got my lvad in September 2017, I have been playing guitar since I was 10 . Now the problem is my electric guitar picks up the pump and transmits it through the amp to the point of not being able to play. I don't think there is going to be any solution to this but I thought I would throw...

Hello, My dad just got his HeartMate 3 six days ago. He obviously has a long road ahead of him, but I am trying to gather as much info and get things as ready as I can before he comes to live with me. My dad is a jack of all trades - he was a cop, a machinist, pilot, can build anything etc. My...

I am preparing for my LVAD surgery next month. Other than clothing, what types of supplies will I likely need to purchase for myself (not covered by insurance)? Are there additional products that people have made your life with a VAD easier that were not mentioned by your medical team?

Does anyone with an LVAD have any experience with a plug-in hybrid vehicle? Any issue with electromagnetic waves?

My wife has had an LVAD for three years. She was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. She had surgery to remove the cancer and is now facing chemotherpy. We are wondering if any other women with an LVAD have faced this challenge.

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...

I am a caregiver and am VERY frustrated with the options for carrying around the backup supplies. We were given a blue bag for this purpose. It has 2 handles on it, but they are too short to be shoulder straps, and the bag is too heavy to carry off the shoulder. The bag has no top to it, to protect...

I'm scheduled for my LVAD on 7/17/18. I have done a lot of research but can't seem to find much about bras. I'm a big breasted woman and worry that the weight of my breasts will pull on the incision and either tear it or at least increase the pain. I've seen special post surgical bras that are front...

Now at age 70, living in the USA, I have to let my ten-year level term insurance expire because the rates were set to climb rapidly anyway. I have to search for a new company, maybe with much less coverage to keep my monthly or quarterly fees affordable, but I don't know if any company would take me...

Travel is something that we at MyLVAD encourage for LVAD recipients and their loved ones. Information on traveling with an LVAD can be difficult to find. Below you will find an instruction sheet that we created on how to pack the HeartMate II ® external equipment in a standard sized carry-on bag...

How do I deal with the stress and unknown taking care of spouse with lvad system.

My wife and I first got initiated to our lvad and heart transplant program at Oregon Health Sciences University by meeting the various teams who eventually would be treating me for the end stage of my 17 year battle with heart failure. We live about 100 miles from Portland, where the hospital is, so...

Dear LVAD community, Do you know anybody who has had had their LVAD removed due to improved heart function after the patient had an ischemic heart attack? I am not seeking medical advice, simply information. I am the caregiver to a Heartmate II patient located in Houston, Texas. My husband (the...

Hi all! I am new to the community and have a few questions about international travel. My boyfriend (27yoa) had his LVAD implanted about 6 months ago. We just took our first trip from MSP to DC and had no problem with luggage at all (and we flew Spirit!). We took one wheeled carry-on and everything...

Hi- just figured out how to find & use this site. 2 questions 1-Anyone know what > 12 Means in both Peak & trough??? 2- open you up chest/ sternum Is there a less invasive operation? Thanks

Hi- just figured out how to find & use this site. 2 questions 1-Anyone know what > 12 Means in both Peak & trough??? 2- open you up chest/ sternum Is there a less invasive operation? Thanks

HI, Has anyone on here, or someone you know, ever had an Impella device placed? It's claim is that it's the world's smallest heart pump. It takes over 50% or more of your heart function. I had one placed on 03/07/17. They left it in maybe 2-3 days. I was pretty out of it so I'm not sure how long it...

I will soon complete 6 years since I received my Heartmate 2. When I was admitted at Mayo Clinic in PHX AZ I had a severe congestive heart failure. My ejection fraction was less than 10%. I had been sent by two other hospitals to Hospice care and given 90 days to live in February of 2012. I had lost...