You probably know somebody named John. After all, there are in the U.S. alone.
But youâve never met one like John Murray, otherwise known as âBig John.â
A rock star and wrestler whoâs warmhearted and loves a good romance film. A man who exudes âtough guyâ in persona and build but is a family-described âhuge teddy bearâ that aims to make someone smile each day.
You might recognize Murray from the reality TV show âRock of Love with Bret Michaels,â where he was Michaelsâ bodyguard while the rock band Poison was on tour. He was part of the security detail for multiple bands and part of Ohioâs professional wrestling scene, too.
He says he was living âthe lifeâ in the Hollywood years â and he lived it big.
But rocking out at shows and fighting in the ring didnât leave even a minute to think about his health. âWhen I was in the music business, I was the life of the party,â he said. âI didnât think about how that life could impact my heart â until I was told I had dilated cardiomyopathy.â
in other words, his heart muscles were becoming thinner, making the pumping chambers of the heart much larger. That made his heart weaker since it was harder to pump blood, and a weakened heart put him at risk for heart failure.
Help arrived in 2018 when he received our HF System. Then, in 2021, he received our (LVAD, or heart pump), forming a combo Murray called âelectric.â
âIt left me feeling so good,â he said. The LVAD helped his heart pump normally again, and the CardioMEMS Sensor was a paper-clip-sized technology that gave his doctor insights into how his heart was performing.
âThese formed the bridge to the day I got my heart transplant,â Murray said. âEven though my LVAD was eventually removed, CardioMEMS has stayed with me. Itâs continuing to give me time back in my life â it gave me a second chance at life. And Iâm not going to waste it.â
New Heart, New Path Forward
Most people wouldnât accept a call from a number they donât recognize. Luckily for Murray, he happened to pick up the phone at just the right time.
âI'm sick. Iâm trying to go to bed. My phone starts ringing, and I ask who it is, and she says, âTiffany,ââ he recalled. âAnd I donât know any Tiffany.â
A beat. ââDo you want a heart, John?ââ
Murray hopped into the car and drove straight to , which is known as one of the . The surgery prep began. Then, it all stopped â his doctor had to halt the process at the last minute due to a situation with the heart donor.
Then, he got more news. As he was coming out of anesthesia, his cardiac team identified a heart that would work. And on March 17, 2023, he received his heart transplant.
It hasnât all been smooth sailing, but Murray looks back with a smile, some laughter, and some gravitas.
âAfter the transplant, I wasnât perfect,â he said. âI got pneumonia. I broke my leg. I still deal with the psychological stress. But every day, I say thank you to my donor angel who gave me this heart and a new lease on life, because I want to show that I was worthy of it.â
A Heart-to-Heart
Murray says heâs an open book about his experience, and heâs working hard to educate people about his heart health journey â and the importance of .
While heâs continuing his advocacy, heâs also still keeping track of his heart with the help of CardioMEMS and his new care team in Tennessee. âIâm grateful I have help to keep me in good health,â he said. âAfter a life of traveling and supporting a family, I finally have the time to focus on myself â including my heart â and what I want in life.â
Murray has lived a big life. And he wants to inspire others to live big, too, and to not take what they have for granted.
âDonât forget what youâve been through. And donât forget about what others have been through to get you to where you are now,â he said. âLife is so much better without being bitter and angry all the time, and itâs O.K. to focus on you.â
In a crowd of more than 5 million Johns, look up to Big John. The man with a big heart.
These materials are not intended to replace your doctor's advice or information. For any questions or concerns you may have regarding the medical procedures, devices and/or your personal health, please discuss these with your physician.
This testimonial relays an account of an individual's response to the treatment. This patient's account is genuine, typical, and documented. However, it does not provide any indication, guide, warranty or guarantee as to the response other persons may have to the treatment. Responses to the treatment discussed can and do vary and are specific to the individual patient.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
HeartMate 3âąÌęLeft Ventricular Assist System
CARDIOMEMS HF SYSTEM
By Prescription Only
Brief Summary: Prior to using these devices, please review the Instructions for Use for a complete listing of indications, contraindications, warnings, precautions, potential adverse events and directions for use.
CardioMEMSâą HF System Indications and Usage: The CardioMEMS HF System is indicated for wirelessly measuring and monitoring pulmonary artery pressure and heart rate in NYHA Class II or III heart failure patients who either have been hospitalized for heart failure in the previous year and/or have elevated natriuretic peptides. The hemodynamic data are used by physicians for heart failure management with the goal of controlling pulmonary artery pressures and reducing heart failure hospitalizations.
Contraindications: The CardioMEMSâą HF System is contraindicated for patients with an inability to take dual antiplatelet or anticoagulants for one month post implant.
CardioMEMSâą HF System Potential Adverse Events:Ìę Potential adverse events associated with the implantation procedure include, but are not limited to, the following: air embolism, allergic reaction, infection, delayed wound healing, arrhythmias, bleeding, hemoptysis, hematoma, nausea, cerebrovascular accident, thrombus, cardiovascular injury, myocardial infarction, death, embolization, thermal burn, cardiac perforation, pneumothorax, thoracic duct injury and hemothorax.
myCardioMEMSâą Mobile App Limitations: Patients must use their own Apple⥠or Android⥠mobile device to receive and transmit information to the myCardioMEMSâą Mobile App. To do so the device must be powered on, app must be installed and data coverage (cellular or Wi-FiâĄ) available. The myCardioMEMSâą App can provide notification of medication adjustments and reminders, requests for lab work and acknowledgment that the PA pressure readings have been received. However there are many internal and external factors that can hinder, delay, or prevent acquisition and delivery of the notifications and patient information as intended by the clinician. These factors include: patient environment, data services, mobile device operating system and settings, clinic environment, schedule/configuration changes, or data processing.
HeartMate 3âąÌęLeft Ventricular Assist System
Indications: The HeartMate 3 Left Ventricular Assist System is indicated for providing short- and long-term mechanical circulatory support (e.g., as bridge to transplant or myocardial recovery, or destination therapy) in adult and pediatric patients with advanced refractory left ventricular heart failure and with an appropriate body surface area.
Contraindications: The HeartMate 3 Left Ventricular Assist System is contraindicated for patients who cannot tolerate, or who are allergic to, anticoagulation therapy.
Adverse Events: Adverse events that may be associated with the use of the HeartMate 3âą Left Ventricular Assist System are: death, bleeding, cardiac arrhythmia, localized infection, right heart failure, respiratory failure, device malfunctions, driveline infection, renal dysfunction, sepsis, stroke, other neurological event (not stroke-related), hepatic dysfunction, psychiatric episode, venous thromboembolism, hypertension, arterial non-central nervous system (CNS) thromboembolism, pericardial fluid collection, pump pocket or pseudo pocket infection, myocardial infarction, wound dehiscence, hemolysis (not associated with suspected device thrombosis) or pump thrombosis.
HeartMate 3 Coring Tool
Indications: For the HeartMate 3 Left Ventricular Assist System (LVAS) Indications for Use, please refer to the HeartMate 3 LVAS Instructions for Use. The HeartMate 3âą Coring Tool is intended for use with the HeartMate 3 LVAS. The HeartMate 3 Coring Tool provides a means to resect a plug of myocardium from the left ventricle, which allows for HeartMate 3 inflow cannula insertion.
Contraindications: The use of the HeartMate 3 Coring Tool is contraindicated in patients who are contraindicated for HeartMate 3 Left Ventricular Assist System (LVAS) therapy.
Adverse Events: The following adverse events may be associated with the use of the HeartMate 3 Coring Tool. Adverse events are listed in anticipated decreasing order of frequency, except for death, which appears first as it is a non-reversible complication: death, bleeding (perioperative or late), local infection, local ischemia, cardiac arrhythmia, stroke, peripheral thromboembolic event, neurologic dysfunction, hemolysis, sepsis.
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