I learned to do my own LVAD dressing changes. I had to do them daily. It gave my caregivers a break, and allowed me to travel alone with my LVAD. Independence is a wonderful thing. There were many times that I made mistakes and started over, but it always got done.
I stood in front of a big mirror in the bedroom or bathroom, and used the counter or dresser as my sterile area, after wiping it down clean. I got all of my materials out, then mentally double checked everything before opening the first piece of gauze. Then I followed the routine the hospital taught me. Each hospital is slightly different so I will leave the details out.
The LVAD shoulder bag and cotton twill LVAD Vest that we offer on the site were among the greatest improvements in my life. They completely ended my neck and back pain. You can view these items on the LVAD product pages.
I took a sharpie and made marks on my cords and battery connectors to line them up when switching from the night machine to batteries. I made it a game to switch without an alarm going off, because my wife was sleeping.
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