Danny Sauer: One Day After Surgery

I'm still in complete awe at how God answered prayers about Danny so much more than what we ever expected!

Timeline:
LVAD, Thursday
Chest closed up at time of surgery, Thursday
Off of ventilator, Friday
Balloon pump removed, Friday
Extreme pain from surgical area, Friday
IV pain meds started and pain getting under control, Friday
Sit up in bed, Friday evening
Will get out of bed and move to chair, Saturday
Will move to step down unit (not ICU level) either Saturday (8/7) or Sunday (8/8)

If he keeps improving at the fast pace he is now, he could be out of the hospital and back to Baton Rouge in as soon as 10 days!!! We will have to come back to New Orleans at least once a week for a while. (When he has the transplant, we will have to live in New Orleans for about 2 months after hospital discharge...)

The staff here at Ochsner is absolutely amazed at his progress so far, but I know this is all God's doing.

Danny and I have a ton to learn about how to take care of the controller (computer that controls his pump), batteries, driveline (plug-in cord), and the place where the power cord comes out of his abdomen. Mistakes can be fatal, so we need to learn well! Before he is discharged from Ochsner, we both have to pass oral, written, and practical tests. We have to learn how to monitor different things every day and keep the information recorded in a book. It's a lot to learn and seems quite overwhelming at this point, but I know we can do it!

He will go back on the transplant list as soon as his body has recovered enough from this surgery. Transplant is a huge, painful, emotional roller coaster because he gets a call, drops everything to get to New Orleans, do blood and tissue testing to check for compatibility, all to potentially hear that the heart is not for him.

However, God says, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matthew 6:34). So, that's what I'm gonna do...focus on one day at a time!

Apparently his recovery will look very different each day here, so I will update and provide pictures often!

Here's the computer that runs his LVAD...It's called a controller. He will wear that on his belt or in a vest. He will also have to carry 2 pretty big batteries all the time and a travel bag with 2 extra batteries and an extra controller. This stuff has to be with him at all times.