Patient Story

• Age: 43 (at implant)
• Diagnosis: Acute rejection of donor heart
• Implant date: July 2, 2008
• Transplant date: May 8, 2009
• Time on the Total: 310 days
• Residence: Levittown, Pennsylvania
• Hospital: Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
• Surgeon: Dr. Rohinton Morris

Rejection of My First Heart Transplant

My heart problems started in 1990.

When I was 21, I was diagnosed with a rare cancer. At the time, my chemotherapy drugs were undergoing a clinical trial. The doctors believe the drugs are what caused me to develop a weakened heart (cardiomyopathy).

I was able to live a pretty normal life until 2000. I started suffering from shortness of breath and extreme fatigue. When I stood up and walked, I would get lightheaded. I wasn’t even able to climb a flight of stairs without having to stop and rest.

Eventually, the doctors took me up to the maximum amount of heart medications. I had a defibrillator in me, then a biventricular defibrillator. It got to the point where my heart function was pretty much shot.

In 2004, I was lucky that a matching donor heart was available when I needed it. After the transplant and recovery, I was doing great. However, my body started suffering from rejection of my new heart.

Running Out of Time

In early 2008, my doctors told me I would probably need another heart transplant.

In May 2008, I started to get sicker and sicker. Once again, I became so weak that I couldn’t even climb a flight of stairs. I was vomiting daily.

On July 1, 2008, when I arrived at the hospital, I knew I was in bad shape. The doctors told me that my kidneys and liver had shut down. They had to put me on a feeding tube because my bowels were obstructed. I remember the doctors vaguely telling me that the SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart might be my only hope.

The next day, I woke up with the Total Artificial Heart. I was so sick at the time, I was just glad to have woken up at all.

Life with the Total Artificial Heart

With the Total Artificial Heart, I walked up to an hour on the treadmill, rode the exercise bike and pushed my 450-lb driver around the hospital.

There were really no physical limitations on what I could do. There was no shortness of breath or fatigue except if my legs got tired. It’s almost like you have your own heart in you, but it’s a healthy heart.

With the Total Artificial Heart, I was a thousand times better. Just because you don’t have a human heart doesn’t mean you can’t have a quality life. Aside from the 450-lb driver that powered my Total Artificial Heart, it was sort of like a hotel stay that I couldn’t leave.

I looked and felt too healthy to be in the hospital.

There are some heart pumps out there, especially with older people, where you’re just maintaining life, but the Total Artificial Heart provides quality of life… even in the hospital. It’s a fantastic device.

A New Perspective

On May 8, 2009, I received my donor heart transplant. I’m feeling much better. I have a lot more energy and am going to the gym four times a week. Hopefully by the end of the year I will be back to work.

The Total Artificial Heart did a phenomenal job of keeping me healthy and active for more than 10 months. My body got so used to the efficiency of the Total Artificial Heart that when I got my donor heart, it had a hard time keeping up.

After my battle with cancer, it made me look at life differently. I sort of lived life like it was a business. “I want to get married. I want to have children. I want to have a house. I want to buy cars.”

It wasn’t until my first heart problem that I realized I had missed out on the real important things like tucking my kids in at night. Now, I always make sure we do things together as a family. It definitely makes me realize exactly what is important in my life.

Words of Wisdom

Try to create normalcy and act like you’re not in the hospital. Follow a routine every day just like you would at home:

• You need to get up every morning, even if you don’t feel like it
• If you can’t shower, you need to at least wash your hair
• You need to wear your own clothes
• You need to go to the hospital gym and get in better shape for the transplant

Attitude is everything. You need to stay positive and realize that getting better is your job. The doctors can offer you a second chance, but you have to grab it and make the most of it.