Expenses after explant of Lvad Heart Surgery

Hi my name is Ayana Reid,

I am 47 years old and

I live in Raleigh Nc

I am currently in the hospital as I have been for 1 week awaiting my explant surgery of my Lvad! I was diagnosed with Cardiomyopathy and Chronic Heart Disease 12 years ago. I have undergone numerous surgeries, long stays in the hospital and taking lots of medication to keep my health up due to my illness. I had a defibrillator implanted to help shock my heart if I was ever going into a fibrillation or was having a heart attack. As the years went on I tend to press myself as much as I could to raise my 4 children and live to see them have children and now I’m here witnessing the lives of 14 beautiful grandchildren. In November 2021 I was admitted into the hospital once again at Wake Med hospital in Raleigh Nc! My cardiologist Dr Stuart Russell came in to see me once I had been admitted and he says Mrs Reid I’m not gonna sugar coat this, either you want to live or you want to die! Your heart is weak and you are at end stage heart failure! He says I can send you to DUKE UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL and let them help you live by attaching a mechanical pump to your heart called a Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD).

I was so scared all kinds of things running through my head! I was taken to Duke hospital by ambulance within the hour. Once there I was checked in and put immediately on a prescription drug know as a fule to keep your heart going called Milrinone. I stayed on that medication as they ran different test and completed my work up for OPEN HEART SURGERY! So many people came in to talk to me about this major surgery. The surgeon was the last I spoke with. His name was Dr Shroader. He explained to me how the surgery would go and what to expect! I was devastated to know that this was a life changing decision that I had made and if I wanted to live I had to accept the good and the bad and trust God! Well on December 15,2021 I trusted in the only one I knew to trust and left it in his hands. I didn’t know what I was gonna do… how people would look at me having to carry batteries around 24/7… having to hook up to electricity to keep my batteries charged to keep my heart beating… imagine living the rest of your life depending on 8 batteries to keep you alive! To God be all the Glory! Well guess what I did it! I conquered it! I went the pain from my chest being sawed open! I healed! I was poked with a needle every week for a year and 9months! I went to numerous doctors appointments from Raleigh to Durham to Chapel Hill! I had the weight loss surgery in 2022 and another in 2023 to loose the weight to become healthy! I’m down more than 100 pounds as of today! My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ gets all the praise bc without him none of this would be possible, it could have been the other way around! On today September 14 2023 I have some very important people who will stand before a board of people and introduce my case to get me listed as a back up plan for a heart trans plant! Yes, I said back up plan because your girls ejection fraction has gone from this good ole heart pumping only 15% to 45% in 1year and 9 months with evidence that I no longer need this LVAD to work for me anymore my native heart is doing what it needs to and has recovered so much that just a few medications and doctors appointments will due me just fine! So on Monday September 18,2023 I will be rolling into the operation room to be explanted! It will be a long recovery and a lot of doctors appointments and personal things I may need! I do have a great support system but they could use some extra help! If you feel in your heart to express your kindness rather it be a card, a call, a text, visit or monetary I would gladly appreciate you all!