Heart Transplant update - from 11/13/2014

Hi again, everyone. I guess the fact that my updates are becoming less frequent should tell you that things are getting better in my recovery from LVAD surgery. I'm becoming more active. Aside from some of the scar tissue and occasional achy legs, pain is not really part of the equation at this point. My energy is returning and I am becoming more active. I still move slowly, but if you ask anyone I ever played sports with, I never did move fast. At any rate, I don't feel fatigued like I did prior to the surgery. 

I am still not cleared by doctors to drive, but I hope to get clearance when I go to my cardiologist appointment in Cleveland next week. If any of you have ever had driving restrictions, I'm sure you know that there is a certain loss of independence when you are unable to drive.  In the mean time, Amy has been taking me where I need/want to go. Most days while she is at work are passed by doing dishes, doing paperwork for insurance companies and government offices, and other odd jobs. A few times a week, I walk to the clubhouse for our apartment complex to use the exercise equipment. Much like when I was attending cardiac rehab in the hospital, I use the recumbent bike and/or the treadmill. When I was in the hospital, I think the longest distances I made were a mile on the bike and 1/4 mile walking on the treadmill. Recently, I have gotten up to about 3 miles on the bike and a mile on the treadmill.  Although my speed has increased a bit, I won't be running anytime soon...unless a bear or snake is chasing me. Yesterday, I tried the elliptical machine. That didn't work out so well. I lasted just a few minutes and only made it 1/10 of a mile. It was definitely more vigorous than the treadmill or the bike. Maybe later on, I will try again. For now, it's clear that I'm not ready for that.

A lot of people have asked me when I will likely receive a donor heart. As you might imagine, it is a bit unpredictable given that a heart cannot come from a live donor. I am prepared to wait a couple of years or possibly longer. There are well over 100 people on the transplant list at Cleveland Clinic. On average, they do about 45 heart transplants a year. A little math suggests that I will be waiting up to two years or more. Because of the length of time and the uncertainty of the timing of receiving a transplant, as well as the travel and lifting restrictions that I have because of the LVAD device I have implanted, I will not be able to return to work until after I receive the transplant. As a result, my papplications for disability are in process.

A few things to keep in mind when/if you see me, please remember that getting sick for me is not a good thing. If I have the flu or some other illness that will weaken me, I cannot have the transplant surgery. I have received a flu shot, pneumonia shot and other vaccinations to avoid anything serious. However, as you know, those immunization can't guard against everything. If you are sick, please don't share your germs with me. If you will be around me a lot, please consider getting a flu shot yourself. It's not just good for me, it's good for you. Wow, that sounded like a really bad PSA.

I have a few things in mind to keep me occupied during my time off such as doing some writing, volunteering and, of course, I will  attend to my sports card hobby, probably selling off some of it so that our spare bedroom isn't overcome by them. If anyone has other suggestions for productive things to help keep me busy, I welcome the ideas.

Thanks again for the prayers for both myself and Amy, who has been a gem as a caretaker.