Thoratec and Seton Hosptial Dinner 5/5/2011

Ok Jenny, I'm sitting down and making the time to get this out!  LOL!  This is a VERY rough draft, just getting my thoughts out there, so bear with me.  :)

Last Thursday was such a wonderful day for Michael and I!!  The physician's assistant, Ellen, in our local cardiologists office had set up a dinner with Thoratec and Seton Hospital, the LVAD hospital in Austin, Texas.  I've known about this dinner almost since Michael got his LVAD, and I've been eagerly awaiting it all this time.  I was told that we would be meeting some other LVAD families in the area, and I just cannot begin to explain how important it is to have an LVAD support system.  The people I have met on Facebook have already begun to be family to me.  Two ladies specifically have touched me, but I'll tell their stories later.

So we set up a babysitter, got our fancy duds on, and headed out to Christopher's, a local gourmet restaurant.  When we got there, it was PACKED.  We couldn't move, couldn't hear anyone, and the table made for us was taken over by other attendees.  Then we met Michelle, the sweetest person and the Thoratec rep for Houston.  She was stressed to the max and so upset that things were not going as smoothly as possible; however, she introduced us to Don and Anne Seaman and our night was complete!!!

Anne is 69 and has had her LVAD since October 2010.  She and Don have been married for 46 years and they are the most precious couple!  We exchanged stories, talked about dressings, compared hospitals, and all the while I kept thinking to myself, "Now WHERE is her controller?  She doesn't have a bag, she doesn't have a belt...I know it's there somewhere..."   Michael was equally confused and finally asked her where she kept all her hardware.  By that time my eagle eyes had spotted her controller and I thought to myself, "GENIUS!!"   She said, "Well you know, when I was still in the hospital, I was talking with the LVAD coordinator, Chris, and told him I just wasn't going to carry all of this stuff around with that darn Go Gear.  It just doesn't work for me.  So I got myself a yard of muslin, sewed up a vest with pockets, and honey, I am a 40D for the first time EVER!"    HA!!  Didn't I tell you she is adorable??  Her controller sits right across her chest, and if I weren't looking for it, I never would have known that it wasn't her own "assests".

Once Michelle got everyone at their correct tables and correct rooms, we ordered and then spoke to some undergraduate students who were looking into being P.A.'s (physician assistants).  We got to tell them a little bit of our story, answer their questions, and show them how an LVAD works.  And then the real test started. Michelle had us stand in front of all the P.A.'s and cardiologists, to tell our stories and to answer their questions.  I have to say, I was so nervous.  Here I was in front of these amazingly intelligent people, and they wanted to learn from me. ME!  Then I realized, I got this.  As a caretaker, I know more about the LVAD than most doctors in this world, and definitely more than the doctors in that room.  I cannot tell you how empowering it was to come to that realization.  It was then I knew that I would do whatever it takes to educate and spread the word about LVADs.  This device saved our family, and the more medical professionals that know about it, the more people that can be saved.

After the dinner I had a chance to introduce myself to Dr. Mays, the cardiologist who inserted Michael's balloon pump after he came into the ER and coded.  She is a pretty intimidating woman, because she is SO intelligent, but she was so gracious.  I was able to thank her for saving my husband, and she told me she remembered that day very clearly.  We talked for a while about our journey and she was incredibly encouraging.  We are so blessed that she was available to operate on Michael that day.  Thank you Dr. Mays!!!

By this time, our coach would soon turn into a pumpkin, and I we began to say our goodbyes.  When we spoke to Michelle, she asked if we would be available to help educate the medical community in the future, and we said, "ABSOLUTELY!!!"  Michael and I are so excited to share our story, and hopefully give support to other families who will have to make the same decisions we made.

We had a wonderful night, and while we only got to meet one other LVAD patient, we did find out that there are 3 other LVADers in the area and we hope to meet them soon!!