This is the bag I did get....   while it will work, it is just a bit too big...  which adds to bulk....

The good thing about this one is the plastic liner, and the handle...
the bad is the size and it only has 2 wheels which makes it more awkward to maneuver.....  

Today is a beautiful day....
But then every day is......

While I was doing some errands this morning, Larry used  the leaf blower on the carport, now he is power washing it...  and no, I am NOT watching every move he makes...  that has been the hardest part of his recovery, is forme to not do every thing for him, and as my good friend Barb warned me, do NOT watch him sleep.....  letting him do what he can, by himself, is the best rehab he can have...

A long tiring day, but good report....  we left here at 10:30 am and got home at 3:00pm.
Larrys doctor appointment....  always have labs first then chest xray.    Ten days since his last one, next one is in 3 weeks.

Saw both Dr Ransom and Dr. Hutchins...  just really like the way they work so closely....  all was good.   His lungs were totally clear of all fluid, his edema in his legs is gone, so they reduced some of the diuretics.  Think his heart is clear of all arythmia, but kept him on that med just in case.  Will do an ICD readout at next checkup.  Also will probably switch to the every 3 day dressings at that time...  pleased with his blood pressure readings as well. So it was a GREAT CHECKUP....

Then we went on to eat lunch at Jason's Deli...  

While at the clinic at Baptist, I spied the bag I had been looking for...  it is perfect, but I cant seem to find it online...  the lady had bought it for her father at tjMaxx about 2 months ago, she said it was the last one,  i did go by to see, but none...  most likely discontinued...

dang it, yes Sharon, at tjmxx, but that was before I was even looking for one..
anyway here it is ifn anyone sees one, let me know...

Yes, dental people......  not my favorite place to go, but I really do like the place I go.... Hart and Coco...
i am finishing up the process of dental implants that were placed surgically in November..  knew they were doing the CT scan on the progress, but didnt know that today was the day to uncover them.....   so deadening shots, then slit the gums, to place  the posts on the implants.  Bone had grown so well that Dr Hart had to chip some of the bone away... he said it was a strong, happy implant.....

 Hart and Coco

But spent the afternoon on my own happy pills...
now too tender to bite down, so the planned grilled pork with grainy mustard sauce from HomeChef will wait while I have another smoothie....

4 weeks ago today that Larry received his LVAD.  his is a HeartMate III, the newest model......  thank yous over and over to Dr Steve Hutchins and Dr John Ranson, and their awesome team....

In some ways it seems like forever ago, things are settling in, although still tired, Larry feels great.  No more fighting for a breath, in fact very little shortness of breath at all....  no pain, even his muscular aches and pains seem better.  He hasnt yet started cardiac rehab, but that will be soon, it is a 3x a week exercise program.....  

His appetite has returned and we are really enjoying the HomeChef meals.  The tastes are superb....  and it helps me out because it is all there ready to cook.....   so I will continue with them for a bit, until I can get my iron infusions and get to feeling stronger....

I did go buy Larry some smaller pants... he couldnt keep his old ones up anymore....  poor thing, his legs and arms are as thin as I have ever seen him...   trying to get him to drink more MuscleMilk....

Last night got a Facetime call....   Aiden's sweet little 3 year old face came on, and he couldnt even say hi to me, he said he wanted to talk to Dziadzia......  lol  they have some magic connection....  about midway through, Madi and Jackson got home, so we got to talk to them all....  and since my easter cards to them had just arrived, we watched them open them....  Aiden proceeded to put the stickers on the ipad on Larrys face....   yep, that was a nice way to end the day....

Green is the vista, all of the trees have burst in shades if green, and everything else is covered in yellow pollen.....

And now it is breakfast time.....  half a cup of coffee with mocha..... both doggies on my lap, and i am very contented....  but need to get up and move, there are things to do and people to see....  even if they are dental people...... SMILE.

Smile... and prayers.
  I just found out that a friend of a friend is having the LVAD surgery on Wednesday.  I hope that they have as good of an outcome as we have had.  I dont know them, but plan on visiting them.  It is a challenge, it is a change, but the support from the Baptist Heart Team is awesome.

Please pray for M and his wife S....

And please feel free to share this blog with anyone who might need it.  

NOTE;

Larry just now received this last month......  Heartmate III

this is when they began doing the III, 

he has had an ICD, which is an Internal Cardiac Defibrilator, in fact on his second one.  It had never zapped him until last month.   

but I thought it was a good explanation....

June 2015   HeartMate III -  this is what Larry has.

Baptist Health Medical Center-Little Rock (BHMC-LR) implanted the state’s first HeartMate III, a left ventricular assist device, today as part of a clinical trial called MOMENTUM III.
“This is extremely exciting for our end-stage heart-failure patients,” said Dr. John Ransom, a cardiovascular surgeon and surgical director of the Baptist Health Heart Transplant Program. “Our program does between 30 and 40 HeartMate II patients a year. Having the HeartMate III as a potential option for some of our patients will enhance our patient outcomes.”
The Baptist Health Heart Transplant Program is currently one of only 60 select centers chosen to evaluate the Thoratec HeartMate III, left ventricular assist device, the latest advancement in mechanical circulatory support. This trial is expected to enroll more than 1,000 patients nationwide.
The HeartMate III is an implantable mechanical device that helps circulate blood throughout the body. Sometimes called a “heart pump” or “VAD” it is designed to supplement the pumping function of the heart for patients whose hearts are too weak to pump blood adequately on their own. The MOMENTUM III Clinical Trial is designed to evaluate the performance and safety of the HeartMate III at six months of LVAD support in subjects with advanced heart failure. The potential benefits of the HeartMate III include fewer complications and the device is much smaller than previous HeartMates allowing for a more active lifestyle.
“While the number of patients diagnosed with advanced heart failure continues to rise, the number of donor hearts has remained the same,” added Ransom. “LVAD’s are an important alternative not only for this group, but also for our patients choosing an LVAD instead of a heart transplant.”
Baptist Health was the first in the state to perform a heart transplant in 1989 and is currently the only active adult heart transplant center in Arkansas having performed 228 heart transplants since then.  The Baptist Health Heart Transplant Program is also the only facility in Arkansas implanting adult left ventricular assist devices.
Baptist Health is an Arkansas-based, locally owned and managed, not-for-profit, faith-based health-care organization. Baptist Health is Arkansas’ most comprehensive health-care system with more than 8,300 employees operating eight hospitals. For more information about Baptist Health, call Baptist Health HealthLine at 1-888-BAPTIST or visit the website at baptist-health.com.