I returned to Fargo from my LVAD checkup in Minneapolis Monday only to trip on the back steps and hit my head on a metal chair. No big deal, I thought. It hurt but it wasn't a powerful blow.
Enter warfarin/coumadin, which most LVADs take as an anti-coagulant agent to keep the HeartMate II pumping smoothly and clot free.
To be safe, I went to the ER and the doctor, who is LVAD savvy, ordered CAT scans of my head and neck. The scans showed no brain bleeding or cervical spinal damage.
I now know first hand what a goose egg looks like as my forehead swelled and protruded. A day later gravity moved the bruising from the goose egg to my right eye and face. The next day (Wednesday) my right eye swelled shut from the accumulation of coagulated blood.
My eye doctor found no muscle damage or other damage to the eye itself. Good news. I return today for a followup exam.
This morning the bruising had spread to my left eye and face. With Halloween on the way, I don't need to look for a mask.
I would include a photo but frankly I don't recognize myself. More importantly, I wouldn't want to deter one potential LVAD recipient from getting a pump.
The anti-coagulation regimen is necessary for me to survive. Injuries happen. I'm using hand railings on all stairs. As the London Underground announcement reminds riders when the doors are about to close: Mind the gap. That goes double for LVAD warriors.
My HeartMate II LVAD was a life saver. Established, April 2, 2010. The occasional entries for this blog were battery powered for 38 months. I owe continued life to the wonderful people at Thoratec, my cardiologists, Mayo Clinic surgeons, the University of Minnesota Fairview LVAD and transplant teams, and most importantly my caregiving family. On June 8, 2013, I was blessed with a heart transplant and now am no longer bionic. The journey of life continues.
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Here is my story of congestive heart failure and a return to life with a left ventricular assist device, my HeartMate II, an LVAD, ...
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I've been driving for several decades and have a decent driving record. To be practical, having an LVAD is no impediment for me t...
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This is another in a series of recollections of my time as a trial lawyer. It is made possible by my HeartMate II, left ventricular as...
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One of the attractions of the Christmas season in Chicago, was to see the animated figures in the windows at Marshall Field's. All of th...
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Since September, 2010, I have been attending monthly gatherings in Fargo of those who have LVADs and some who have had heart transplants...
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Yippee Ki Yay, driveline infection. I write with apologies to Johnny Mercer, fabled songwriter, and John McClane, fabled Bruce Willis good...
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This was the week that was. In the spirit of a Japanese proverb: Fall seven times, stand up eight. LVADs have their share ...
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