We've had a very exciting week and it's been very hard not to spill the beans.

Bill had only 2 days of rehab this week and did well both days. He also saw the dr and nurse and got good reports from them. After the appointments Wednesday, we headed for HOME! We got here on Thursday afternoon and have enjoyed surprising people. The look on Emily's girls faces was priceless and we surprised the church this morning.

We have been so blessed this year, mainly just to have another year together with our family and friends. Bill continues to improve now and being home is really helping him.

We will have to go back to Florida to finish rehab and then he's going to be re-evaluated for a transplant. If he is accepted, we will have to stay in Florida indefinitely. If they don't accept him he will have to finish his rehab and then we would come home around March. It's still not a sure thing that he will be accepted.

We hope that all of you have a joyous Christmas with family and friends. We also pray for a Blessed New Year. Probably won't update this while we are home. We're gonna be busy!

Hooray! I finally got this to go back to the old format, at least as far as where I write the posts, and they have now given the option to change the fonts! I'm so happy!!!

We're both feeling better although I have gotten congested again this evening. Could be because we took a long walk this afternoon and sat on the porch and then went out to eat. But I'll take my medicine before I go to bed and maybe I'll sleep as good as I did last night.

Bill's really looking forward to a short week this week...no rehab on Friday! The clinic is closing down early for Christmas so he's getting the day off. Don't know what we plan to do yet. We shall just have to see.

All for tonight. Enjoy the rest of your week-end!

Bill is feeling better from his cold, but now I've caught it! Started feeling poorly yesterday and felt really bad this morning. But I can take more medicine than he can so maybe I'll get it knocked out soon.

 He managed to go to rehab this morning and except for stopping at the store on the way home for some meds and bottled water we haven't done much of anything else. We did walk up to check the mail but that's it. We had planned to get the oil changed in the car and do some Christmas shopping, but I don't think either of us was up to it.

Hopefully by the end of the week-end we'll both be back to normal, whatever normal is!

Oh, I do not like this at all! Not only is the format different to look at, the area for composing has changed too! Granted the area is bigger now so it doesn't scroll as much when writing, but the font is very small and these old eyes can't see it as well. Wouldn't be so bad if I could change it but they don't give us that option.

Bill still felt bad yesterday morning. He talked to the girls at rehab and we did see our social worker. As the day progressed he felt better and I think he slept well. He was sleeping when I woke up but I heard him in the bathroom a few minutes ago. Usually that means he's getting up but since I haven't heard anymore moving around, or beeps from his system change-over, I think he's gone back to bed. Today was the day he was going to the dr. if he hadn't improved so we will see when he wakes up.

We get to do some "fun" things today and tomorrow! I got my bookkeeping yesterday so I get to be productive and then go to the post office! We also need some stamps so that I can get the Christmas cards mailed and, highlight of them all, get the oil changed in the car! But, it gets us out of the house for something other than doctors!

All for today. With all of my work to do, I must get busy!

Blogger has decided that it knows better than I do for the layout for this blog! It doesn't matter what I've tried I cannot get back to the old layout, but, I'm gonna keep trying!

Bill is sick today. He has caught a cold. Didn't go to rehab or the meeting with the social worker, but I called into both. Rescheduled the social work meeting and talked to Tina to see what he can take. He's not running any fever so far. If he does I have to take him to the dr. He's still in bed which is the best place for him. He's mainly complaining about a sore throat and his sinuses are draining, which is probably what's causing the sore throat.

It looks like our support group dinner tomorrow night will happen without us. Transplants don't need to be exposed to him!

I'll let you know how he does, and I'll keep working on the layout.

Another week down. No problems this week as far as I know. It's been really quiet.

Bill has done well in rehab, but still not able to use the treadmill. He doesn't see the physical medicine dr. until the end of January. He did ask Tina about it since the techs in rehab insist that he continue to use his walker. Her words were "you said you were having a problem with your leg...", yet now that "he says" the leg doesn't bother him anymore...It doesn't make a lot of sense that they are taking his word that he has a problem but not that he doesn't have one! The only time he's using the walker is when he goes for therapy. Of course he doesn't go anywhere without me beside him and we are usually holding hands or have arms linked.

Bill just asked me if I was updating this and when I said yes he said to tell you that he's doing the Irish Jig! You can tell by that, for those of you who know him, that he still has his sense of humor!

We're going to a party Tuesday night! The heart transplant/VAD support group is having a Christmas dinner. We've gone to some of their meetings and have met some really great people there. There's another VAD patient and his wife that we have gotten to know more and we have a lot in common. So, we're going to Jacksonville Beach for an Italian dinner Tuesday night.

His doctor visits had dropped from weekly to every 2 weeks now, which is progress. That's one step closer to getting home! Dr. Hosenpud did say that he thought the problem with his eye last week was a small clot that passed through the pump. He said that unlike a clot that develops in a vein, you can tell where it is going to go. But when it passes through the pump it can go anywhere in the body. Hopefully they have his Coumadin level where they want it now. He hasn't had any problems since then.

All for now. It's time for breakfast and then figure out what to do with the rest of the day.

Have a great Sunday!

Another week gone. It started out just routine, and ended with a bang!

Sunday we took a drive north into Georgia, getting lost in the process. What was supposed to be an hour drive north and an hour back turned into a 4 hour drive. But, it was a lovely afternoon and we saw lots of boats and crossed lots of bridges. If we had looked at the map a little closer, and then remembered to put it in the car, we would have seen that we couldn't "get there from here" without taking a ferry. We saw the ferry crossing and lots of cars lined up for it, but turned around to find another way!

Bill has not used his walker at all now for a week! His leg is behaving itself and he's much steadier on his feet. He is having a time with the rehab therapists. They want him to continue using it "just in case". But, he's afraid that he was getting too dependent on it.

Wednesday he got good reports from Tina and Dr. Hosenpud. He will start bi-weekly appointments with them now instead of weekly. Makes it one step closer to coming home!

Thursday afternoon was pacemaker check day and everything looked good. She said it looked like he had 1 little episode of v-tach but was paced out of it and it didn't last long. We talked to another couple that are dealing with the LVAD. He's also on dialysis and is listed for heart and kidney transplants. They're really nice and we're finding out we have lots in common, former military and family in Arkansas.

Friday was the kicker day. He had just started to warm-up in rehab and said that his vision wasn't right. It wasn't doubled and it wasn't blurry. He said that it looked like things were split in half, kind of like when your glasses are on crooked (for those of you who wear glasses). He said that one side of things would be up and the other side would be down. Anyway, Laurie called Tina who wanted him to go to ER so they got me and off we went. Tina came down and hooked him to a monitor to see if there was a problem with the pump and it was working fine. All of the neurological tests were fine and the bloodwork was fine. Dr. Hosenpud did increase his coumadin thinking that he could be developing a clot. Everyone was thinking stroke by this point. They did a CT scan and then did another one using dye. But, after 6 hours, they said that the scans were perfect and they could come up with nothing that would have caused the problem! At least we know that he has not had a stroke, which had been a concern after the anesthesia and clot in his arm. And, even though they pre-medicated him for his allergy to the contrast dye, he has turned into a lobster! He's not too uncomfortable and I gave him some Benadryl and he slept all night. So, he got another dose tonight!

We're thinking now that it is a problem with his eyes and he needs to see an opthamologist. He had his eyes checked in August and got new glasses before we came to Florida. We do see Tina and Dr. Hosenpud on Wednesday for a follow-up so maybe they will have some suggestions.

Bill has done quite well this week with appetite and eating. Wednesday we went to Appleby's and had a steak and he ate every bite! He didn't eat all of the mashed potatoes and veggies, but he did eat all the steak and had a small hot fudge sundae for dessert. He didn't eat as well Thursday and Friday we both ate very little with being at the hospital for so long. We didn't get home until after 4 so that meant no lunch. This morning he had lost 4 pounds. But, today he ate 2 pancakes and 2 scrambled eggs for breakfast and then snacked all day. The nutritionist told him Weds. to eat whatever he wanted. So, peanut butter and crackers and peanuts were his snacks. We went to Golden Corral for dinner and he ate 2 plates plus dessert. Hopefully he has turned a corner with that aspect of recovery and will start to put on some weight.

Planning on going to the fitness center tomorrow since he didn't get his rehab in yesterday. Hopefully it will be a nice day to walk.

All for tonight. I think I hit all of the highlights. I'll let you know what the plan is for the eye problem. It hasn't happened since and he has had no pain with it at all. So, since he has turned off the TV and the lamp, I guess it's time to go to bed. Good-night!