Well - Fall 2010 - (Page 11)

patients do not have a pulse and can’t take their own blood pressure. “I just focused on how good I felt,” he says. He handled everything with the good humor and life-affirming outlook that was his hallmark. “One time I went into a sales meeting with a couple of suppliers and they joked that I was wired for a bomb,” Ainsley says. “I stole the show more than once.” Transplant Needed Ainsley could not have been better until one night, while stretching to reach a jar of peanut butter, he accidentally pulled his drive line, which is literally the power cord to the device, and the bag holding the batteries fell —Brian Ainsley, ventricular to the floor. The drive line tugged at where the cord assist device (VAD) and exited his abdomen, which caused trauma to his body. heart transplant patient He instantly started to feel weak and soon suffered an infection. He was immediately put on the waiting list for a heart transplant. Although the last thing Ainsley wanted was another surgery, he had complete trust in his team of doctors at UNC Health Care. His surgeon, Michael Bowdish, MD, had a particularly close relationship with Ainsley, as did the rest of the UNC Health Care medical team. “He was the most motivated patient I’ve ever operated on,” Dr. Bowdish says. Ainsley was touched by the extra layer of care that he received at UNC Health Care. “Doctors don’t normally get this involved with their patients,” Ainsley says. “I get emotional when I think about it. It blew my mind at how incredible the entire staff was.” In turn, Julie has a theory why her husband made such an impression on the UNC Health Care team. “He’s a unique character,” she says. “They fell in love with him in a second.” During the almost four weeks Brian Ainsley was After a little more than a year with the VAD, on Jan. 12, in the hospital, his wife, Julie, made the 90-minute Ainsley had heart transplant surgery. commute to UNC Health Care after an eightThen, when doctors discovered the heart wasn’t beating hour workday to spend time with her husband. properly, they determined another surgery was required. “I needed to work to keep the insurance, but “Several times they told me I would lose him,” Julie says. work proved to be a nice break from my constant “It’s been a miracle.” worry for Brian,” she says. But she knew he was in good hands. Life After Surgery “I’ve never been at a hospital where they Soon after returning home almost a month later, Ainsley was treat you like you really matter,” Ainsley adds. back working long days under the hot North Carolina sun. “There wasn’t one person that didn’t stand out Ainsley has participated in outreach with UNC Health in that hospital.” Care doctors throughout the state. Their goal is to educate Julie provided regular Facebook updates to their and encourage cardiologists to consider using a VAD earlier in large family and circle of friends. She remained the treatment process. steadfastly optimistic about a full recovery. With his medical troubles firmly behind him, Ainsley is “Brian’s love of life kept him alive,” she says. focused on the good stuff: his family, his business, fishing and, “He’s spontaneous and loves adventure. There was of course, his motorcycle. Not a day goes by, however, that he no way he was going to stop living his life.” does not have a special place in his special heart for the team Thanks in no small part to Julie’s love and of medical professionals at UNC Health Care. support. “Other hospitals could learn some bedside manners from UNC Health Care,” he says. Photo: Rachel GaRRison foR tamaRa lackey PhotoGRaPhy “Doctors don’t normally get this involved with their patients. I get emotional when I think about it. It blew my mind at how incredible the entire staff was.” Support SyStem www.unchealthcare.org 11 http://www.unchealthcare.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Well - Fall 2010

Well - Fall 2010
Contents
UNC Health Care News
Community
100 Years of Medical Advancement
Managing Diabetes for a Lifetime
Fixing His Failing Heart
Nutrition
Q&A
Calendar

Well - Fall 2010