What started off as a normal and peaceful day for 72-year-old Ricky Pickerill quickly turned into a long road to recovery. In 2016, Pickerill was taking a nice walk by a lake he likes to visit when he suddenly started to feel off. He got to an uphill part of his walk and noticed that he was having shortness of breath and trouble getting up the path. Not thinking too much of it, Pickerill went home, where his symptoms worsened.
Pickerill and his wife decided to make a trip to his regular physician’s office. His primary care doctor, Mark Winders, M.D., was concerned about his symptoms and decided he needed to be examined further. It was then that Pickerill found out that he had a heart blockage and atrial fibrillation (AFib – an electrical disturbance in the heart that causes an irregular heartbeat and increased risk for stroke and heart failure).
Though this news was worrisome to hear, Pickerill’s cardiologists, Preeti Attavar, M.D. and Rajdeep Gaitonde, D.O., came up with an action plan quickly and assured him that his symptoms could be managed, letting him live a normal life. Pickerill had a pacemaker defibrillator and two stents put in. This procedure helped Pickerill a lot, until three years later in 2019 when he had another episode.
When Pickerill was lifting something in the back of his car, he had that same eerily familiar feeling come on – something was not right. He began to experience shortness of breath and weakness again, leading him to go back to see his doctor. During this visit, Pickerill learned that his ejection fraction, or the percentage his heart’s main pumping chamber pumps out, was at 10-15 percent. A normal ejection fraction for his age is 50-60 percent. Pickerill’s doctors knew that with his heart as weak as it was, they needed to act fast.
Pickerill was then referred to Rohan Samson, M.D., an advanced heart failure cardiologist at UofL Health – Heart Hospital, a part of UofL Health – Jewish Hospital, where he began more testing. Then Dr. Samson delivered some shocking news: if nothing was done, he had six months to live.
“And I just couldn’t believe it,” said Pickerill.
Pickerill describes the next few minutes being dazed and confused, in denial that this was happening to him. Once he had collected himself a bit, Dr. Samson started talking over the options for treatment. Dr. Samson told Pickerill that he could be put on the transplant list, but given his good health despite his heart, he would not be very high on the list. Then, Dr. Samson mentioned a procedure Pickerill was not familiar with at all – the Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD), a device that helps the heart pump blood.
Thinking this procedure would mean he was hooked up to a machine the rest of his life, unable to enjoy daily activities, Pickerill was feeling extremely doubtful. He was initially against getting the LVAD procedure so much that he decided he would continue with regular care and eventually palliative care.
Pickerill wasn’t sure if it was divine intervention or an act from God, but he believes someone was looking out for him for what happened next.
Shortly after learning the news himself, Pickerill’s good friend called him and told him he had heard about his diagnosis. He shared that a colleague, Bob, had told Pickerill that he had an LVAD, and that Pickerill should consider talking to him before he makes his final decision.
When Pickerill talked to Bob on the phone, his attitude towards the LVAD started to change immediately. Bob shared that when he had the procedure six months ago, he was taken into the emergency room by ambulance and did not have any time to think about his decision – he either got the procedure right there and then or he would die. He had the procedure done, and he did remarkably well during the surgery.
“So, I thought, well, if Bob can do it, I think maybe I’ll give it a shot,” Pickerill said.
After deciding to go through with the procedure, Pickerill called Dr. Samson to get it set up and was scheduled for the LVAD in May 2019. Pickerill’s surgery went seamlessly as he was a really good candidate for the LVAD. “I can honestly say it went perfectly,” Pickerill said.
Pickerill woke up five hours after the surgery, quicker than anyone would have expected. He spent the next eight days in Jewish Hospital recovering and gaining his strength back. He shared his appreciation for his care team at Jewish Hospital during this uncertain time in his life.
“I loved how they handled the procedure, how they handled me, as far as answering my questions and making me feel like family. I can still get a little emotional thinking about it,” Pickerill said.
Although he received quality care from all of the staff at Jewish Hospital, he describes Dr. Samson as being a mentor to him throughout the whole process, making him feel extra comfortable and even giving him his personal cell phone number in case he needed to reach him at any time.
“I am truly grateful for everything Dr. Samson and the VAD team did for me. It gave me another chance at life,” Pickerill said.
After being discharged from Jewish Hospital, Pickerill started cardiopulmonary rehab at UofL Health – Mary & Elizabeth Hospital. Today, he is on his third year of cardiolpulmonary rehab, going to Mary & Elizabeth Hospital three times a week to keep building his strength and making sure everything is still going well with his heart.
Although life looks a little different for Pickerill and his family these days, he’s very fulfilled. He enjoys golfing and spending time with his two young grandsons, who keep him very active. Pickerill credits his family for being such a strong support system throughout the whole process.
When asked what advice he would give to others in a similar situation, he shares that it’s important to continue regular check-ups and rehab, even years after the surgery.
“A little advice for any, and I’ve seen this happen and it’s unfortunate, but the people who go through LVAD or open-heart surgery, a lot of times start to feel better and stop going to physical therapy. I think it’s one of the most important things you could do to continue improving your health,” Pickerill said.
He also shared the importance of not waiting to be seen if you feel like something is off with your body, especially your heart.
“Don’t deny if you have problems,” he said. “Get to the doctor and let them check you out.”
To support patients like Ricky, make a gift to UofL Health – Heart Hospital.