As many of you have been reading my blog on a consistent basis, know that I have multiple devices implanted into the left side of my chest in order to keep my heart beating as best as possible until a donor heart becomes available for a transplant. I have a Bi-Valve Pacemaker (Medtronic), an ICD – Internal Cardio Defibrillator (Medtronic), and an LVAD – Left Ventricle Assist Device (Thoratec). Two things these devices all have in common, is that one, they are keeping me alive, and two they require and utilize electricity to perform their respective functions.
The ICD and Pacemaker are fully implanted in my body, and run on a battery pack that sits under my left pectoral muscle just under my collar bone. The LVAD needs external Lithium-ion batteries that can allow me freedom and mobility for 12 hours per pair of batteries, and I can run off wall current at home. The home device that allows me to plug into the wall, only allows my 30 feet of freedom as I am on a cord plugged into a Power Base which then is plugged into the wall.
The LVAD has lead to many nights of sleeplessness and worry on those evenings when we have had inclement weather and I need to worry about power outages or whether or not I have to switch back to batteries to sleep that night. My friends affected by Hurricane Sandy had to truly find unique solutions to keep powered, from generators, to Fire and Ambulance Stations, to car battery converters and generous neighbors.
Marvel Comic’s Thor (all rights reserved)
Recently I have had issues with my ICD which has caused a rollercoaster of emotions, and experiences with electricity. The purpose of my ICD is to deliver a life-saving “therapeutic” dose of Electricity to my heart to knock it out of dangerously high heart beat situations. Think of heart rates in the 280-300 beats per minutes equal to being very dangerous meaning impending unconsciousness or death (remember that Bruce Banner only needs his heart rate to exceed 200 beats per minutes to transform into the Hulk). So when my ICD gathers electricity and jolts my heart, it is working heroically like Thor and his Hammer.
Two weeks ago I suffered from a rapid heartbeat in the 280-300 bpm range and was shocked by my ICD six times with no effect on the beat, which my heart decided to correct on its own. This caused concern with my cardiology team to a point of identifying that the potential area where these abnormal evil arrhythmias (Think Electro – Spiderman’s Villain) were originating from an area of the heart where the two main leads weren’t successfully reaching it. It was decided to add a third lead coil to help create a
Marvel Comic’s Electro (all rights reserved)
broader field (leaving Electro less places to hide). The surgery was a success, and my equipment was tested to make sure it would fire appropriately when need be to knock out the problem electrical rate.
So, now I have more metal and wires for my own Iron Man suit, but no armor or lasers (yet).
Many people also go through a lot of mental stress over being shocked. According to many thought leaders it can result in the same levels of PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) where one shock is equivalent to being shot. Well I took six shots, so I guess there’s a bit more to work through there. All of your prayers and support mean everything to us, but with Faith, Family, Friends, and Mental Will we’ll get through this latest chapter.
Superdad's Alter Ego 