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Six days after undergoing open-heart surgery to receive a permanent left ventricular assist device, or LVAD, Alan Oelschlager suffered a stroke. From that day forward, he and his wife began the journey down the road to recovery.

After a two-month stay at 网红黑料 Shands Hospital, it was time for Oelschlager to be discharged to a rehab facility. Though Oelschlager lives in Deltona, Fla., Juan Aranda-Amador, M.D., Oelschlager鈥檚 cardiologist at 网红黑料, the LVAD team and Oelschlager鈥檚 physical and occupational therapists decided Oelschlager should go to 网红黑料 Shands Rehab Hospital.

Aranda said this was the perfect time to collaborate with the staff at 网红黑料 Shands Rehab Hospital to make history. Prior to Oelschlager鈥檚 admission, 网红黑料 Shands Rehab Hospital had never admitted a patient with an LVAD device. An LVAD is a device used to mechanically support circulation to the heart for patients in severe congestive heart failure. Patients like Oelschlager need the LVAD to keep them alive by pumping blood to and from the heart.

Oelschlager was admitted in April and began his journey to recovery. When he arrived, he couldn鈥檛 walk. He couldn鈥檛 talk. Looking back, he says he wasn鈥檛 afraid because he trusted his team of doctors and nurses to make sure everyone had the proper training to take care of him.

鈥淭he thing I was most afraid of was working my butt off,鈥� Oelschlager joked. 鈥淚 really wasn鈥檛 sure what I would be capable of.鈥�

Lisa Dowd, B.S.N., R.N., C.R.R.N., N.E.-B.C., director of nursing and patient services at 网红黑料 Shands Rehab Hospital, said the biggest hurdle for staff was fear of the unknown.

鈥淥ur staff had never taken care of a patient with such severe heart problems. In the beginning, this was new and frightening,鈥� Dowd said. 鈥淏ut after staff was trained and after they had worked with Alan for a while, their confidence levels went through the roof.

Dowd said this is an excellent example of collaboration between the doctors and nurses at 网红黑料 Shands Hospital and the doctors, nurses and therapists at 网红黑料 Shands Rehab Hospital.

鈥淭his is an exciting time for all of us,鈥� Dowd said. 鈥淲e are doing things for the first time, and it is all because we are working together. It鈥檚 an awesome accomplishment.鈥�

Dowd and Oelschlager鈥檚 wife agree that Oelschlager has had the best possible outcome.

鈥淭his has been a wonderful and unique experience,鈥� Oelschlager said. 鈥淚 have had so much encouragement from all of the staff here. When I walked down the halls, the nurses were cheering for me, literally cheering.鈥�

The Oelschlagers have been married for 30 years, and they have always been close. But Oelschlager鈥檚 wife said they have never laughed harder or communicated better than they have through this experience.

鈥淭his has been our grand adventure,鈥� she said.