kathys heart transplant

 My name is Kathy Rhodes, at the age of 59 I was offcially diagnosed with congestive heart failure after having years of the symtoms. My condition is heritary through my mothers side of the family.  Everyone has had the condition one  way or another and have lost her brother mother and she herself passed away. My lvad pump is working but it has not improved the heart it still has and injection fraction of 10 so my doctor wants to put me on the transpland list. One night four years ago I began having a very hard time breathing, and my husband called 911. I arrived at the ER where they admitted me to a bed and told me the tragic news. Once I was properly diagnosed, the hospital stays began.  At least I had finally had an answer to the sickness I had been feeling. I began seeking treatment at Tulsa Heart Failure Clinic in Tulsa Oklahoma. Here, they "installed" a pacemaker and difibulater in my chest.  After about a year of their treatment they could no longer help me and sent me to Integris Baptist Hospital in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.  After a few sessions with the doctor discussing the LVAD (Left Ventricular Assist Device) which is a mechanical pump that is implanted inside a person's chest to help a weakened heart ventricle pump blood throughout the body.  Which, unlike a total artificial heart, the LVAD doesn't replace the heart. It just helps it do its job.  The doctor informed me that this would be used as a "bridge to trasplantation" which essentially means this will keep me alive until the appropriet heart donor becomes avaliable. At this time my heart had been functioning at 10-15 on the injection fraction. The normal heart rate is 60-100  if. After the discussion of the LVAD the doctors promptly admitted me into the hospital. I was residing in the hospital for two months, due to infections, before I was cleared for surgery. At the time I was so sick I don't think I remember clearly being in the hospital. After the surgery I was wheeled to ICU where I was put on a ventilator for about a week. I have no memory of this, but was told I looked pretty bad and was not recovering as quickly as I should have been. I was in and out of ICU for about a month. Once I was recovered I was sent to a rehab clinic in the hospital where I essentially learned to walk again. After 2 weeks of rehab I was finally discharged and able to go home.  Home life is different now. I have a wire protruding out of my stomach (driveline) and battery packs for the LVAD that I must carry with me always in a backpack. I have 2 sets of batteries that I must keep charged. At night I have to plug myself into the wall to keep the LVAD charged. Recently I contracted an infection in the driveline and was hospitalized for 2 weeks. I now have a wound vac, which essentially sucks out the infection, that I must carry around along with the LVAD batteries. I have to travel to Oklahoma City once a week to have the wound cleaned, which becomes costly as well. Although I am greatful for the LVAD keeping me alive I no longer want to feel like a machine. I would love to get a heart but cannot afford it or all the medicatons that come along with it. I want to feel normal and free again.   My main goal in life is to hold my grandaughters first baby atleast....but we hope it will be awhile as she is only seventeen and has college to go through to become a teacher.  So you see it is very important to me to be alive and healthy for her we have always been a big part of each others lives.  It isnt just to live a normal life but to be alive for that event!!!!!  The need for assistance is to cover cost of weekly or more trips to ok city and a stay at a motel after surgery to inclued food and loss of pay for my husband and to pay someone to act as a caregiver when needed right after surgery.  I am a caregiver and had to quit working which cut our pay alot so we are just tring to get through this.  I am a very independant person and never had to ask for help so this is very hard but I am not ready to leave this world yet. My reasons are my husband daughter and grandaughter. !Any sort of help would be greatly appriciated. God bless.