Community Forums

My father had LVAD surgery on June 11th since then things have moved more slowly with his recovery than we had hoped. For the last 7-8 days has been suffering from low sodium levels, low oxygen levels, and bouts of what they are calling ICU Psychosis. He either is disoriented and unsure of where he...

My dad had an lvad placed a month ago and had internal bleeding that led to a stroke. Has anyone else had issues with surgery? He is 74 and having a rough time, he has a Trach and still dependent on the ventilator. Does anyone have stories where they had issues and it took a long time to recover?

My father experiences Stage Four (D) Heart Failure, Ischemic Cardiomyopathy, Chronic Atrial Fibrilation, Pulmonary Hypertension (due to left heart disease) and CKD Stage Three. He underwent the LVAD procedure on Friday, April 26. Six days later he remains on a ventilator under heavy sedation. He has...

Hi. I have some LVAD equipment I would love to give away to anyone who needs it. Thoratec Heart Mate Go Gear Battery Holster, 2 Shower Bags, one consolidated bag, right, Battery Holster, power module cable, 2 stabilization belts, white. Please let me know and I will ship to you. thanks Maryellen

Does anyone have problems with batt. Clips I put them in my pocket to do things every once in a while batt. Beeps

My heart was damaged by a chemo drug and that's why I have heartmatelll. Did anyone else have that experience?

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

I am 54 years old and really had no noticeable symptoms until recently. I thought I had bronchitis went to hospital and got zpack. It didn't help and went back and they after MRIs , Cathetors etc told me I had major heart failure and would need a lvad and eventually heart transplant. It has really...

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...

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...

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...

Hi all! I am new to the LVAD caregiver community. My Father-in-law has his LVAD surgery this Wednesday. He is a BIG lover of the outdoors so I want to get him a fishing style vest to haul around his equipment in (his backup equipment will be in a bag). Can anyone with a HeartMate 3 tell me the...

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What experience has anyone had Fitbit and what model do you recommend?

--Invitation to Participate-- We would like to better understand the experience of providing care to a family member or friend with an LVAD. If you are a caregiver of someone with a LVAD, we invite you to copy paste on the following link to see if you are eligible to participate in our study. https:...

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...

Can anyone tell me what the risk is of being connected with external electric power in a thunderstorm? Is it advisabel to connect the batteries instead, when there is lightning around?

Hi! My fiance had his LVAD placed January 31st and he has been doing really well. However, over the past week he has become more short of breath than usual. He has reached out to the LVAD clinic and they say it's normal, as this is the last thing that will come around. Well, a few days ago he...

I have three vests made by Cindy Bosco and they have served me well. If you are interested you can contact her on 989-274-8862 or www.boscolvadvest.com. They have given me more freedom and mobility. She is excellent to work with and very flexible.