Welcome......

Thank you for coming to our blog. We have decided to create this so we can share any news on our medical road. And you can have an opportunity to share any comments or advice. We welcome both.

Briefly....My husband Russ was born with a heart condition that is called 3rd degree AV block along with Mitral Valve prolapse. Back in 2009, he was diagnosed with Congestive Heart failure and received a pacemaker. The pacemaker helped the AV block. Now, back in August 2011, he had a relapse with the heart failure. We have been told his mitral valve was in need of repair or to be replaced. After heading off to Loma Linda Hospital, we find out that his heart is just so weak a valve replacement is not an option. We are in the waiting process to see when we can have the valve repaired and if that does not work the doctors will put in a LVAD (basically it is a mechanical pump) which will allow his heart to rest. This device will do the work his heart would normally do. This will be done while we wait for a new heart. So, what are we looking at then? Yes, a heart transplant.

We thank each and everyone for all you do.

About Us

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6/13/2013 UPDATE: A year & a half post transplant and going strong. Russ is doing good and back to work 6 months now. January 2012: We have a new blog, the newest one will be about our experience with receiving a new heart, we hope you join our journey. ******** In addition to our new blog I have put together a couple of blog sites that you can breeze through. One is about my husbands journey to a new heart while living with an LVAD and me as the caregiver. The second, I am putting together to share recipes for a healthy heart. So I am sharing the low sodium recipes we have found and hope you will share yours.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

October 18th test at Loma Linda

Well, today we went in for the Right Heart Catheterization test.  The doctor wanted to this so that it will help determine where Russ(Scott) is at regarding a heart transplant.  Pictures are taken of your heart, the pressure inside the heart and lungs are measured.  The doctors can check how strongly the heart is pumping and the oxygen levels in the blood.

Here is a website I found in hopes that it can help explain a little better what the test is all about and why one would need it:   http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003870.htm

We are now waiting for the results.  The doctor is taking this information to a heart transplant group meeting on Thursday to discuss the results and all the information she has on Russ to see what our next move is.  She is hoping that he will be a candidate for a heart transplant.  Both the Loma Linda specialist and our regular heart doctor seem to think he is a good candidate.
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