My Life at 9200 rpm's: An LVAD Warrior on the front lines

When I waved in the rear view mirror at St. Marys Hospital of Mayo Clinic in May, 2010, I knew that my life link to medical information for survival would come from my LVAD Coordinator.    

At the time, Mayo did not assign a particular coordinator to a particular patient. It was a potluck situation:  you got the coordinator on duty.  When I transferred my care to the University of Minnesota Hospital, I was assigned a specific coordinator.  I like the U of M system because it builds a relationship, a bond, based on trust.  

I don't dislike the Mayo method which treats coordinators and patients as interchangeable.  But at the U of M, I don't feel like a number.

Coordinators are universally well trained, experienced registered nurses. Their level of dedication is beyond passionate. They work closely with LVAD teams of surgeons, cardiologists, other health care professionals and are the conduit through which LVAD patients receive vital information and referrals to specialists.  They are like a football quarterback, who takes the whole picture into account before calling a play and carrying it out.

My friend and fellow LVAD recipient, Kristi Mardis, has obtained the ideal job: an assistant LVAD coordinator for her LVAD implantation center and hospital, Baptist Health in Little Rock, Arkansas.  The hospital is fortunate to have her.

She has the hands on knowledge and experience with her HeartMate II, LVAD, that is unavailable from any other source.

A recent article about her decade long heart failure journey is available at http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php/news/health/3048-lifesaving-technology-provides-promise-for-heart-failure-patients.html