copinghearts

Me and Dad (pre-surgery). My husband and I moved our wedding up to ensure my Dad could be part of the ceremony. 

3 Daughters and Dad (pre-surgery). My husband and I moved our wedding up to ensure my Dad could be part of the ceremony. 

The Hwang Family (pre-surgery). My husband and I moved our wedding up to ensure my Dad could be part of the ceremony. 

Jonah our family dog

Family and Friend photos to help warm up the room. 

The Golf Channel. Putting up a familiar past time helps the memory jog. 

Sleepover in the ICU. Sunglasses and ear plugs recommended. 

Escaping the long days with a book

My Dad's best friend from middle school visits him in the ICU

Amazing. I found a 1000 Piece puzzle in the surgery waiting room to keep my mind busy and calm.

Completed 1000 Piece puzzle of Vernazza, Italy at home. I hope to visit one day :)

Our first encounter with the Total Artificial Heart device

Serious machinery in the ICU

IVs on IVs. The nurses juggled lots of medicine in the ICU.

Physical touch and prayers in the ICU were key

Bridge to surgery from the ICU

This was the first day my dad had been outdoors in over a month, post TAH surgery.

My sister and cousins visit in the ICU. My dad does not remember much of his time in the ICU but this is normal and probably a good thing.

Discharge Day!

Discharge Day. With Steve Willams, a fellow TAH patient who received a heart transplant in 2015 and now volunteer at Cedars Sinai. 

Drive lines are evaluated every clinic visit to ensure there are no signs of infection.

Dad is in good spirits. They say you come out of surgery the way you went into surgery.

Before going into surgery, the portable Freedom Driver is swapped out with the hospital's mechanical device. This is the same device my dad was hooked up to post TAH surgery. This machine allows medical staff to better control the mechanical device including Beats Per Minute, Fill Volume and Cardiac Output.

Biopsy's are required post transplantation surgery, about one week, to check if the body is rejecting the heart.  Follow up biopsy's and other check-ups are required at least once a week in the first month.