June 1st will be a dinner reunion for the Baptist Health LVAD & heart transplant patients.  The men and women who work there are not only dedicated health professionals, they are loving, friendly caregivers....  just an amazing group.....

I asked if I could donate a painting to be given to one of the caregivers.  They have never done this before, but after discussion, they saud yes, thank you....   I dont know how they are going to do it, but here is the painting.  It is 18'' by 32'', a watercolor on paper.   I mounted it to a board and then waxed the surface to protect it.

Foley anchors do not stick well in Larrys skin.  They are used to hold the driveline from pulling. A stabilizer to try to keep it secure....   we were changing them almost every day, the alternate days I was taping them so they would stay longer....

Anyway, I came up with an anchor of our own, at least for now, this works, and has Dr. Ransom's blessing to use....  

Flowers were delivered....   from my sweet husband....   he isnt driving yet, so LOL, he said no card

This is our joke, we usually do no presents, just cards...   since I knew he wouldnt be getting me a card, I didnt buy one for him.....  instead I had one in my card stash that I had bought 4 years ago and never given.....  it was just a "time spent daily with you" kinda card.....   I gave it to US...  but he did give me a present, himself for a few more days, moths, and hopefully years,   plus from the hospital he bought me a new diamond anniversary ring......  LOVE is good..
Even though he doesnt do facebook, smile...

On Thursday, May 25th we celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary.  When we married, Larry had just gotten out of the same hospital after a 23 day stay.  He had gall stones and one got lodged in his pancreatic duct, causing severe pancreatitis.  When be went in, they told me he might not live through that.....  we had already made wedding plans, sent invitations etc, so yes we did get married, he doesnt remember much after all of those days on BIG pain killers...  and the year before he had survived a heart attack and 5 bypasses (before we met).....

So IF he ever reads this blog.....  Happy Anniversary my love.....  i treasure each day as if it was a year.

Ok...
WAYNE, informed me this morning by email, that he hasnt heard from me since the 18th....   yep...  things are going well......  for the most part.

You see, dear Wayne, I have had laryngitis, so could not talk, naturally being a blonde, I thought I could not write either... smile....

Ok, I have had a tiny cold, Larry has as well....   just enough to be bothersome...
Nothing serious....  but our schedule has been full, so I just got preoccupied..

Mondays, we go to clinic for his INR blood test, to get his Warfarin dosage.
Tuesdays, I go to get my Iron infusion, takes all morning.
Wednesday, I had a touch of tummy issue, think now it was another kidney stone moving.
Thursday, this week my mom and friend came over for brunch and visit.
Friday, i had to get blonded.
Today, we did the Walmart rehab therapy walk.

Oh, each day, we have breakfast, do whatever, have lunch, take nap, do dressing change, have a cuppa hot tea, prepare supper, eat.....  so it just seems that time fades from one hour into the next....

So, my friend Wayne.......  that is why I have been quiet...  Possum called one afternoon during dressing change, I missed it, but couldnt talk anyway...   BUT voice is coming back...
Give Earlene my hug.

I am taking really good care of Larry....   plus he smiles a lot more now that he feels better.

Return visit today for Larry.   Last visit was 2 weeks ago.   I would say today's visit had nothing but good news.....   All labs were good, chest xray was good, echocardiogram was good... no leakage around or in the heart.  no swelling or edema in legs or jugular......  Dr. Ransom said he is doing excellent.......

His blood pressure was a little high, but that is something they are still not sure what the HeartMate 3's are supposed to be.  He still has some seepage from his driveline, so will continue on with daily dressing changes....  next step will be 3 day dressing.

Next doctor visit is ONE MONTH.........   Dr Hutchins heard us talking so came in to visit as well....    Dr Ransom also said Larry can do as much as he feels like doing....    but to expect to be sore....  muscles are in rest mode.... Tori said she still doesnt think that using the pressure washer is a good idea....

We will still be up at clinic there once a week for blood INR tests..... until we get his INR meter...  last week Larry asked me what INR meant...... i told him I Not Remember...   laughingly we told Trina and Kim....  as we were leaving today, Trina said I will see you next week for your I Not Remember test.......  

We not only get great medicine, we get friendship.....  awesome program at Baptist Health.... and the only place in Arkansas for these procedures.....  I am amazed each time we go....  on June 1, they are having a Reunion for the patients and caregivers...   a party.....  a dinner....   love it....

Missed Nurses Week last week, so today I took about a gallon of chocolate candies......  not homemade.....

Then lunch.....  la madeleine cafe.....   delicious turkey, apple, and brie sandwich for me..... yummy

While my anemia is again active, I am motivated to do some fixups since we are home for awhile.
And I am very handy myself.....  Added undercounter LED lights in my kitchen.

Cleaned 4 years of leaves off of this deck on the side of our home, which had become a junk pile, storage area.

And keeping this deck clean and usuable.  This has been Larrys duty in the past....

 just a peek at our backyard....  in the city, but love our forest.....

We have 2 West Highland White Terriers aka Westies....   westies are breeds that have westitude, and our LitaBit has the mist westitude of all....  QTπ on the other hand is very sweet and laid back....  LitaBit is 4 years old and decided right away that she was Larry's dog, so a year later I got QT....

During the last 2 months of recovery LitaBit has had almost separation anxiety because she couldn't sit in her daddy's lap.....   she has had to sit on an ottaman beside him.  QTπ prefers the floor or my lap.

Well this morning, she figured out a way, and voila......  she was on his lap....  he was holding his hand over his driveline, just in case......  QT just looked like, what is she doing?

Happy Mother's Day......
just another day that makes me miss my two little boys....  but so very very proud of the great men they have become....  i never gave myself any credit for that until a few years agi when I finally allowed myself to like who I am.....   just wish they were closer, but I know they are happy.....

so here are my sons, their wives (all 4 are medical doctors), and their kids......
These 4 doctors helped me so much when Larry was so close to death....  without their guidance, I do not think he would be alive today.....    and no, I did not get to go to Disney with them.... this was 2 weeks after Larrys LVAD surgery......

Sometimes I miss not writing, but not sure what to say at times....   Larry has been doing really good, improving and getting strength back.  Able to walk now without getting short of breath.  If it weren't for his cords and bags, you woukd not know what he has been through....  i find myself looking at him and just smiling at him.....  he understands.

Nightly snack has become popcorn instead of ice cream....  always has to share some....

Went to clinic today to get INR tests to check for his coumadin dosage...  until his machine gets in, we have to do this weekly....  

when we got to the 4th floor to clinic, it was like reunion week.  The only other 2 LVAD patients that were in the hospital with Larry were both there as well....  both are men, and I had talked to both if their wives many times....  one guy was a week ahead of Larry, the other was a week behind....   they were there for doctor visits, one lives in Searcy, the other in Benton...

We were all out there chatting and comparing notes when Dr Ransom walked by....  of course he smiled and joked about it....

Btw, I offered to let Larry iff at the door, he chose to walk...  we were at the far end of the parking lot.  He did great....   when Tori asked how rehab was going, he mentioned his walk, and she agreed he us doing well on own rehab...

Sure wish I had gotten a group photo....  will try to do that at the reunion dinner in June.

Then I requested a trip to Home Depot... i bought new led undercounter lights... and I got 3 of the 5 mounted too, one has to be returned tomorrow for a longer size before I can do those 2... oh also beed a new drill bit, I broke the one I was using......  LOL, one of Larrys...  i dont own a drill, i do have my own dremmel, and power screwdriver.....  that I keep hidden from him.....