why have I been so quiet...   lots of reasons.......

1.  We decided after a trip back to Tampa in May, that thus was the area we wanted to retire to.   LOL really.... yes we have been retired, but traveling the way we did, it seemed like travel was work....  I am still awed at exactly how much we did travel....   but now we have decided to slow that down and watch the water....

2. Moving was not the hardest part....  but that did involve packing up....  we decided to sell most of what we had accumulated, so that involved an estate sale.  I really thought that wouldbe easy, but the first company we contacted turned us down, but they gave us a name, and we found Deena, who has continyed her mothers business, Estate Sales by Bettye Bogart.

3. Next was looking for a realtor.  Our last realtor had retired, so went on the search.... Johnny McKay, with Crye-Leike was who we hired.  Turns out his mother was a hometown friend of my older cousin....  unfortunately for us.  THE HOUSE HAS NOT YET SOLD.   Even though it is listed at a price way below the apraused amount.

4. we have an RV, so we have temporary housing, just didnt want to live in it indefinitely.  Chose to rent a pod for the stuff we didnt sell....  that pod is still in storage until we get to a point where we need it...  great option....

5. Bought a lot, love the lot, peaceful area, on a canal just a short distance from the Gulf.  Remember Larry has a LVAD, so he is not allowed to swim, etc.  water and electricity do not mix....

6. thought changing doctors would be no problem.....  wasnt thinking about the LVAD programs releasing and then another accepting Larry.  For us it has been easy, we had a super vad team in Little Rick, and we have found another super vad team at Tampa General Hospital.....  the main adjustment has been in changing the dressing supply company, but that has worked too....

7.  Getting acclimated into the new state has been fairly easy, it just takes time.  

New license, tags, banks, voting registration, mail changes, and endless address change forms. 

New stores, groceries, so glad there is internet to help.

8. New home....  still working on this one... taking longer than we had planned, but are negotiating on a great modular home.  It is already built, have to get the piers done on the kot, then they will yse cranes to lift the home onto the piers...   

9. Then we will have the pod delivered, unpack it, then begin replacing the furniture we will need....   

we are still enjoying the process and looking forward to many years sitting on the deck together...  

So...  while we are both now 67 years old, we are taking charge and trying to get more life....  Larry is feeling better than he has in years, me too.  I am embracing the older better me...  and liking the person that I am....  to include my gray again hair..  used to be BAG, blonde after gray, now I am GABAG....  gray after blonde after gray......   

More to come....  

LVAD Shirt, new product

my last sentence of my last post said I will try to post more often....  but I havent...  until the other day, I really thought no one but my mother read these......

Now I know that others do.....  I received an email the other day from a guy in Poland who awked if I would like to try his shirt.....  I say me, cause I am the verbal one, Larry is quieter.   I responded that if that was a hoax, I wasnt interested....   he responded back, now we have one of his shirts... Larry put it on this morning....  after talking with Larry about it, he has seen it online as well.... and had thought about ordering one.....   SMILE, he will order another one.

Larry has had back pain which has limited his willingness to move about. He tried every product he has found, and still switches them around....  I am a seamstress, so I have made vests, modified vests, and deconstructed backpacks.  He has bought vests, cargo pants, and recently been wearing football girdles....

So here is my review of this product. LVAD SHIRT   https://www.lvadshirt.com

*When Larry was putting it on, he immediately looked back into the package for instructions.  There were none.  We pulled up the website to make sure there was no secret way to do those wires.  My suggestion is simple, put a photo of the shirt in the package.

*Larry then placed it on and said.....  it is very true to size, European sizing is not always the same as herein USA, but this shirt was.  He did get the XXL, and we have not washed it, but it wont shrink because of the fiber content.  

* It was easy to put on, and once on, Larry said the battery pickets were in a really good place, not too high, nor too low, and he liked them being more under his arms.

*Even though we were gifted this shirt, he got to choose color, black, and he chose sleeveless.  The underarms come down low enough to comfortably wear as an undershirt, the neckline is low, and the hem/tail is plenty long enough to stay down.

The price of this shirt is cheaper than any of the other shirts he has ordered.  And even though it was mailed from Poland, we received it in less than a week.....  this is the first time Larry has gotten a product to try,  but I would give it an honest evaluation either way.  I only put the products on my blog that I feel are worth it.

The only negative Larry has, is that there is no pocket for the controller...  he has the controller in his pants pocket right now.  We are in transition, so his belt control holders are packed up somewhere.

I found your website searching on the internet for LVAD (I am a patient who has had Heartmate
implanted since 2014). It’s great, that you want to do something for others! I am trying to help
patients in Poland myself, i.a. by VAD Poland Association, which was established together with
other patients. In order to thank you for your commitment I wanted to offer you LVADshirt
(www.lvadshirt.com) that I created for LVAD patients. If you agree to accept it please give me
the type (t-shirt / tank top), color (black / white) and the size of the shirt. Please provide me your
address and I will send it to you. I will be glad if you review this shirt on your blog.

Regards,
Michal Jakubowski

Thank you Michal,  ok now some photos....br />