Aa
Heart Failure
Im laying in a hospital bed at Baylor All Saints Hospital in Plano Tx. Im on a transplant list right now they have me on a heart pump until I get a transplant or I should say IF i get one. I am 21 years old I never thought this would happen to me, or little did I know it could happen to me being young. Im scared of dying the doctor said I wont live if I dont get a Heart soon. the doctors here are great but they keep saying your transplant is getting closer and im getting tired of hearing that because there isnt a donor yet.My parents are planning my funeral just in case it hurts me to even talk about it and there asking me how I want my funeral. I dont care I just dont want to die. All family and friends have been here with me, but I just want evreyone to go home and leave me alone I do not want to talk about death. All they do is sit around me and cry I dont want them to feel sorry for me because that just makes me even more upset. I have asked the doctor how long i can have this heart pump until it doesnt do the job anymore and he always changes the subject. So my question for you is How long can a heart pump do the job. Please help.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hello Maddi
First of all. You are a tremendously brave person. It sounds like you are in a great medical hands and feel comfortable with that fact. I think that you are doing the right thing by asking your physician directly about how long your device can function. That would be an impossible question for someone outside your circle of medical care to answer becaue it requires a lot of detailed medical information about the condition of your heart, the type of device and other factors. To try to answer your question would be a "best guess" and that would be a tremendous disservice to you.
I would recommend that you look the supervising attending cardiologist or surgeon in the eye and say doctor "Please answer my question and give me a "ball park" estimate of how long this device will last and what are the potential complications the longer I have it." Remember that everything we (doctors) tell people is a "best guess" based upon the available information. The more info, the more accurate the estimate but it is still an estimate
Finally, I wish you all the best. Please keep a positive mental outlook as you have clearly been doing up to this point.I personally think that your optimism is 80% of the battle. Remember your a champ just like your favorite sports figure, entertainer or whoever else you admire. Try to understand the feelings that your family has and tell them that you need for them to be strong and positive. Good luck and God Bless
First of all. You are a tremendously brave person. It sounds like you are in a great medical hands and feel comfortable with that fact. I think that you are doing the right thing by asking your physician directly about how long your device can function. That would be an impossible question for someone outside your circle of medical care to answer becaue it requires a lot of detailed medical information about the condition of your heart, the type of device and other factors. To try to answer your question would be a "best guess" and that would be a tremendous disservice to you.
I would recommend that you look the supervising attending cardiologist or surgeon in the eye and say doctor "Please answer my question and give me a "ball park" estimate of how long this device will last and what are the potential complications the longer I have it." Remember that everything we (doctors) tell people is a "best guess" based upon the available information. The more info, the more accurate the estimate but it is still an estimate
Finally, I wish you all the best. Please keep a positive mental outlook as you have clearly been doing up to this point.I personally think that your optimism is 80% of the battle. Remember your a champ just like your favorite sports figure, entertainer or whoever else you admire. Try to understand the feelings that your family has and tell them that you need for them to be strong and positive. Good luck and God Bless
I hope all goes well with you.. I just posted something for my mom and i ran across your posting... nothing i can do for you i thought i could say hi from Buffalo NY. and wish you the best.. weather here is cool in the 60's but no snow how is the weather there?
I also hope that all goes well for you, you just need to hang in there and think positively, i can imagine that what you are going through right now is scary, but you just have to remain strong, i have faith that everything will turn out okay, i wish you the best of luck friend, just be strong brother.
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