We now have a generator.....   was delivered today, so now if the power goes out, we can have some peace of mind....  Larry has 4 sets of batteries, and each set powers for 10-12 hours...  but still it is something he thinks about.....

No, insurance did not cover that, this was on us....  but so far, insurance has taken care if just about everything...  

He received a new doppler blood pressure reader today, so will return the one we were using back to Baptist.  Got a call today about the home INR test machine, so Larry wont have to go in each week for that blood test.....  that checks his coagulation ratio for his Warfarin dosage.  All of these things will help cut his required visits to the clinic/office.

Then in todays mail, there was a dinner invitation to a LVAD patient and caregiver reunion.....  how cool is that?   I sure hope that some of our nurses from the CVICU are there....  i am so very glad we were able to come home for this.....

 I still have not received reimbursement from the FMCA insurance... too slow if you ask me, but I will continue to remind them....  instead if once a week, think I will begin twice a week...

We did make a exercise run today....   lol if you thought we were running... we went to the bug walmart....  but we each had our own cart...  so that was considered exercise....  nice weather for it... finally no rain...

prayers for those who are dealing with floods, dealing with deaths of loved ones, and health concerns....   many of my friends are in my thought....

Doctor appointment day is always a long day....  but today was a good one.   Every one there is just so great, to include the desk clerks, nurses, and "handsome John Ransom"....  found out on tuesday at my infusion that was his nickname.....  he laughed really loud when I mentioned it.

Why a long visit?   Well, all of it is at least in the same building.
1st is the stop by the lab for bloodwork
2nd is the stop by for a chest xray
3rd is to go to clinic for vital signs
4th is the room......  where our nurse coordinator does her thing. Larry has to unplug his data
      line, plug into theirs so they check past readings, she goes over everything with us, but I also
      text her during the week if needed.
Then We see Dr Ransom, he ALWAYS looks at his driveline, goes over meds, and numbers.
     I love the fact that he is so personally involved...   i mentioned to him that Larry had had a staph
     infection (Tori had checked it on Monday) and he immediately said where, show me...  i did a  
    good job of caring for that....
then there are sometimes other tests, like today they interrogated his ICD, to get that data, and they
     did another EKG, did one in step 3, but he wanted a longer strip.....  so the nurses gave him a
     4 foot strip...  laughing the whole time, should they wind it or fold pleat it....
Sometimes at the point we also see Dr. Hutchins, today we did not.

today he got very good reports....  stopped his med for the arythmia.....ecause he hasnt had any,  did increase a diuretic 2x a week, said all labs were great, and it is very obvious that his excercising is helping....  we also today met the 4th LVAD coordinator, Jimmy....   one of the 4 is always on call

Then we went to eat a late lunch...  becoming a custom...  so left the house at 10:30 got home at 2;30...
McAlister Deli today...   nothing fancy, just time out...

Larry has ordered a couple of new backpack type carriers and tried one out today, seemed to work good, and got a thumbs up from Dr.......

Larry is continuing to improve daily.....  both physically and mentally....   i posted on facebook about my visit this morning to UAMS.....  infusion center.

This is NOT a new condition for me, recurring....

 i had gastric bypass surgery years ago, as a result, by blood pressure is normal, cholesterol is normal, and I am no longer diabetic......  however one of the side effects that can happen after that surgery, is that I am now Iron Deficiency Anemic.....  my body cannot absorb iron through my digestive system, either from food or pills.  Seven years ago it had gotten so low that i could barely get from the bed to the couch....  this is not just iron in my circulatory system, but iron in my bone marrow,  so began the series of transfusions.....  they first though i would have to have these every 5 months or so, but after a few years we got it built up so that it lasted longer this time.  I do have this tested every 6 months at doctor checkups.

I could have waited a few months, but since I am Larrys primary caretaker, my doctor and I decided to go ahead before it got too low.....  no problems......  i drive myself, get hooked up to an IV, have the iron over a one hour infusion, then drive home...  will do this every Tuesday for a total of 7 weeks.... it is only scary before you know what it is......

He wanted to go with me, but I was more afraid of him picking up some illness.......