http://www.strengthinaheartbeat.com                             Online Shopping, my thoughts… Yes, I shop online, let’s be honest we all do.  I have to say, I do know some people who don’t.  That’s their choice.  Me, I love it. If I don’t have to go out to a crowded store, I’m in. I found the love of online shopping, when I was living in the hospital with my daughter, when she was waiting for her new heart.  I would find myself just browsing around different sites, and Lauren would say to me “all the stuff you don’t need but want”.  But to tell you the truth, I would look for stuff that I could use in the hospital.  Maybe something just for myself to make me feel little more human.  A new color nail polish, or a sleeping mask.  Nothing big, but something for me. That’s what made me think, “I am going to create a Amazon store on my website”.  It is a project in the works right now.  I have created the page and started to place items for sale that someone living in a hospital just might want.  Be patient with me, I want to select item’s that people need, want or looked at it and said “I want that”. Keep checking in, as I will be building it. Please leave any feedback on items you would like me to carry. Looking for a great book:  Strength in a Heartbeat, Diary of a Heart Transplant. Lynne

The Power of Organ Donation to Save Lives Through TransplantationKenneth P. Moritsugu, MD, MPH, FACPM 8/20/2017 Great Article: take a moment to read Organ and tissue donation is more important than many of us realize—for society and for the individuals it directly affects. Today, there are nearly 118,000 individuals waiting for an organ transplant to live healthier, more productive lives (Unpublished data, Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network [OPTN], April 2013). For some people with end-stage organ failure, it is truly a matter of life and death. Add to these the thousands more whose lives will be improved through tissue and cornea donation and transplants that can help them move better, see better, and live better. Donation affects more than the donors and recipients. It also affects the families, friends, colleagues, and acquaintances who love and support those in need of transplantation, and who benefit from their renewed life and improved health after transplant. For my part, I have experienced not once, but twice how donation and transplantation affects individuals. Twenty years ago, my wife, Donna Lee Jones, died in a severe automobile accident. Her death was a shock, and my family did not know what to make of our tragedy. Then we were offered the opportunity to donate her organs and tissues for transplantation. While it did not lessen the pain of her loss, it brought comfort to us knowing that out of our tragedy, some good would come, and others could receive the gift of life. Because of her donation, several people received a new lease on life: a man in Tampa, Florida, received her heart; a teenage boy in Washington, D.C., received a kidney and pancreas; a hospital custodian received her other kidney; a woman in Pennsylvania received her liver; and her corneas went to a young woman in Baltimore, Maryland, and a government worker. Four years later, my 20-year-old daughter, Vikki Lianne, was struck by a car and died. Losing a spouse was tragic enough, but the pain of losing a child cannot be expressed. Falling back on our previous experience, we decided to donate Vikki’s organs and tissues for transplantation. Again, several individuals benefited from her gift: a mother of five children from Upstate New York received her heart; a widow with four children received her lung; a 59-year-old man from Washington, D.C., who was active with a local charity, received her liver; a widower with one daughter received her kidney; a working father received the other kidney; and her corneas went to a 26-year-old man in Florida and a 60-year-old woman in Pennsylvania. And we, her family, took comfort in the idea that Vikki’s legacy was one of life and giving. Organ donation provides a life-giving, life-enhancing opportunity to those who are at the end of the line for hope. And the need for organ donors is growing. When Donna Lee died in 1992, there were 27,000 people on the transplant wait list. When Vikki died just four years later, that number had grown to 47,000 (Unpublished data, OPTN, January 2010). As of April 5, 2013, there were 117,812 people waiting, with hope, for an organ to become available (Unpublished data, OPTN, April 2013). One way to expand the number of organs available for transplantation is to expand the number of donors, through carefully and safely considering individuals who in the past were not included. The guideline in this special issue of Public Health Reports provides a scientific, evidence-based process to assure a balance between organ safety and availability for each individual on the transplant wait list. As our knowledge and scientific capabilities regarding safety and availability grow and evolve, donors who in the past would not have been considered as donors are now able to provide the gift of life to others. This guideline will help improve organ transplant outcomes, leading to more individuals being able to live healthier and longer lives. The science and evidence are clear and will improve the safety of organs, balanced with a clear and conscious regard for donors and recipients. It is the human aspect of donation and transplantation—helping people. It is the right thing to do.

The launch of “Strength in a heartbeat”, Diary of a Heart Transplant book, is still in the works. Tomorrow it will be available on Kindle, for everyone who love’s to read  on their devices.  Didn’t forget about you, just took some time.
I would like to “Thank” everyone who has read the book for your kind words on our story.  This is a true story, of being placed and living on the Heart Transplant waiting list.  I published our story for one reason-to help others that are living in the same situation that we were living in.  To let them know they are not alone.  When I would walk around the hospital or sit and just watch my daughter, I felt so alone.  Thought I was the only person with all these feelings of frustrations and loneliness.
If you know anyone that my book could help, please pass this one.  At the end of the book, I created a list of helpful hints of amenities you can ask the hospital you may be staying in.  You would be surprised at what is offered, but you need to ask.  Vouchers for food or parking, just to name one.
Please visit http://www.strengthinaheartbeat.com to purchase your copy.
Thank you
​Lynne

Introducing my new book
Strength a Heartbeat
Diary of a Heart Transplant
The book is a journal I wrote when my daughter Lauren Meizo needed a heart transplant. Life, living in a hospital.Thoughts, fears, laughter and crying. The purpose of this book, I would like to help other families living in a hospital, knowing they are not alone. My daughter, my husband and I lived it for more than 18 months, with a lot of family and friends support.
You can purchase a copy on Amazon and also www.createspacestore.com                                        My new web site is created http://www.lynnemrobitaille.com is also up and running. Please visit.

If you know someone who has had a transplant or waiting for one please pass this on.  The book contains our true feeling on what life is like living in a hospital for a lengthy period of time.

Lynne

          Where to start ????   First thing we would like to thank everyone for all the prayers and positive thoughts sent to Lauren.  To be honest, it is a miracle Lauren is here with us.  I cannot sugar coat this one.  Lauren was not expected to survive.  Her heart went into failure for no reason.  If we didn’t get her to Boston as fast as we did, I would not be writing this.  I cannot thank the emt’s that drove us here. OMG, the driver’s name I remember was Chris.  When we arrived here in Boston I remember saying to him “that was some bad ass driving”.  Lauren wants to source out who the emt’s were that got her to Boston and then thank them personally.

      Lauren was on a machine called ecmo that saved her life.

ECMO stands for Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation. Extracorporeal means outside of the body. A membrane oxygenator is a piece of equipment which acts as a lung to deliver oxygen into the  blood. The ECMO circuit acts as an artificial heart and lung for the patient during ECMO therapy.

A person cannot be on this machine for long. A week or two only.  It is very risky to be placed on the ECMO, it has many side affects, bad ones…..but we had not choice in it.  If you are on the ECMO machine, chance of survival is very low.  When Lauren’s dr.’s would come in and say to Dean and I “I am so sorry”, I would remain in disbelief, this is not happening.

We contacted the family and everyone flew or drive in.  Our son Matt who is in the Army stationed in Arizona, my husband contacted the Red Cross to help with his leave. He was here the next day.   At one point Lauren was awake the dr. was explaining to Lauren what was going on, Lauren looked at him and said “Am I going to die?” dr. Neil just looked at Lauren and said “I don’t know we are doing everything to not make that happen”.  I just in and said “of course not, you are going to get stronger and we are walking out of this hospital together again”.  My son Mikey and his family would drive every day to Boston.  The rest of my family camped out in the family room on couches.

At this time right now, it all seems like a blur to me.  I remember sitting by myself and in my head I was planning Lauren’s, well I can’t say it but, you know what I mean.

That’s in the past now, we are out of ICU and Lauren is getting stronger and stronger.  The dr’s. are calling her a miracle.  Lauren started to get better as fast as she became sick.  I believe it is the power of prayer it worked.  They are still at some point scratching their heads as to what happened.  With that said………………….

Today we are starting to make plans of going to a rehab facility.  Lauren has had so many different rejection meds that they help her heart but weaken her muscles.  So she needs to start all over again.  Right now Lauren is learning how to stand.  That is how weak she is now.  We have requested an acute rehabilitation facility close to home.  I will know more later on in the day.

From our family, we cannot thank everyone enough for all the love, support and prayers.  Also to our wonderful neighbors who have been helping in taking care of our crazy Kooper, yard and pool.  Thank you we love you guys very much.

God Bless

Lynne, Dean & Lauren

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is my pleasure to introduce Terri Wentzell.  Terri is my daughter Lauren’s guardian angel, a nurse at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston Ma. Terri worked in the ICU when my daughter had her heart transplant. Terri’s fast actions saved my daughter’s life. For the rest of my life I will always be grateful to Terri Wentzell. After that happened I saw a person, not a professional nurse, but a person break down when she thought it was private. Nurses are people. They feel, they have emotions, they have only so much strength. It hit Terri hard, when she realized what had just happened and she saved my daughter. I have nothing but the utmost respect for nurses. Terri wrote this book for nurses. I am proud to say I know this wonderful women. Please pass this post around, so many nurses out there would love to receive or buy this book.

 Terri Wentzel

“My book is ready!!! Nurses, . I KNOW how hard you work. I KNOW the struggles of feeling like you’re always caring for others and have nothing left for yourself. This book is me giving you not only permission to care for yourself, but practical application, motivation, encouragement and real solutions for allowing you to live your best life. Go to nursegonestrong.com and order your copy from my Home page (order from a desktop computer for best results rather than a mobile device!). YOU ROCK NURSES!!!! 🙂 Not a nurse? Pick up a copy for the nurse in your family or circle of friends  Or if you are just new to trying to live healthy yourself, you will find real, no-nonsense solutions and practical advice in this book.  God Bless!”

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Lynne