Genesis of an LVAD

Every story has to start somewhere. Mine begins here. I have lived with a life sustaining medical device for more than two years.  I owe my existence to my LVAD, a HeartMate II. 

My life changed dramatically in 2010.  Out of seemingly nowhere,  I suffered end stage congestive heart failure because my left ventricle grew in size and became an ineffective blood pump. April 2, 2010, the heart surgeons at St. Marys Hospital of Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, installed a continuous flow heart pump, the HeartMate II by Thoratec Corporation. I never had a heart attack or high blood pressure or some of the other tell tale signs that something was wrong.

Receiving my LVAD propelled me back into life at an increased pace and with zest. There are limitations on what I can do (no longer water proof, I fly fish from shore or a stable boat) but those limits are nothing compared to being unable to breathe, walk, talk, sleep or do many other things I took for granted.  It is as if I were given the order, "As you were," meaning continue with what you were doing before the military senior came into view and insinuated himself into your life.  For me, "As you were" capsulizes what happened to me.  The HeartMate II was implanted and I continued to march. Battery operated. Bionic. Alive.

I am grateful to my family for their never ending support and the surgeons and cardiologists at Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota for their vigilance and dedication.