Here are some Cardiac Patient Stories from the Saint Barnabas
Health Care System.
As seen in New Jersey
Monthly magazine, November 2007.
Waiting for a heart transplant and given only a few months
to live, Peter optimistically ordered the
tuxedo for his daughter’s wedding.
An active man with a history of good health but family history
of heart disease, in 1999, Peter underwent triple bypass
surgery. After a successful procedure a several years of
good health, in 2005 he began feeling fatigued again and
it was determined that he needed a stent in his right coronary
artery. Peter recovered but his heart remained weak.
In October 2006, Peter contracted a minor infection – which
is never a minor issue for a heart patient. He became increasingly
ill and lacked the energy to work at the marina he owed and
loved.
A few months later, tests showed that his heart had enlarged
and was only functioning at 15 percent of capacity. He pushed
himself onward until April 2006, when a visit to an emergency
room revealed that his liver and kidneys were shutting down – doctors
said his heart would be next.
When it was determined that Peter had end-stage heart failure
but otherwise in reasonably good health, his name was added
to the heart transplant list.
Peter was very lucky to be a resident of New Jersey and
to have stayed in state for his treatment. Many patients
falsely believe the that they have to travel to big cities
like New York or Philadelphia for quality care, so the transplant
lists for hospitals in those cities tend to be much longer
than in the smaller community hospitals. Peter had chosen
the Heart Failure Treatment
and Transplant Program at Newark Beth Israel Medical
Center and its director, Marc J. Zucker, MD, JD, as his physician.,
Peter waited just over one month for his new heart.
Just six days after his life saving transplant surgery,
the determined, optimistic Peter donned his rented tuxedo
and walked his daughter Kristi down the isle. There wasn’t
a dry eye in the house.
After a long, difficult recovery, Peter now takes medications
four times a day. He is back at the marina and credits
his girlfriend Barbara for helping him in his recovery
and the team at the Heart Failure Treatment and Transplant
program at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center for saving
his life.
For information about organ donation, contact The United
Network of Organ Sharing at unos.org. Interested in becoming
an organ donor? Check the “organ donor” box
the next time you renew your driver’s license or
visit http://www.organdonor.gov/donor/index.htm to
register for an organ donation card.
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