On May 7, 2007 I suffered an aortic dissection. During the operation I was given heparin prior to being put on the heart/lung machine. I suffered a severe and totally unexpected reaction to the heparin. My doctors did not expect me to survive, but thanks to my youth and tenacity I did. However I am now crippled. At this point I do not know if my heparin came from Baxter Labs. However after reading about their problems which have resulted in their pulling heparin off of the market, I suspect I was, indeed, given their product.
The consequences of the heparin reaction were devastating and irreversible. My right leg was amputated below the knee, the front half of my left foot was amputated as were three fingertips on my left hand. Although I am a pilot I can no longer fly. I can only drive a car with hand controls. I am learning how to walk with a prosthetic leg.
