April 18, 2017
Today is the one year anniversary of Den’s LVAD surgery. It is hard to believe that it has been a year already. Where has the time gone! Over the last year we have done the following:
- Den had his surgery, ICU recovery and started PT at the U of C hosptials
- Den spent 2 months at RIC doing intensive PT and OT to get his strength back in order to be able to come home.
- Den came home after 3 1/2 months away from us. (I think Harrison, our dog, was the happiest of us all to have him home.)
- I learned how to care for Den on my own.
- Den had cataract surgery on both eyes and can now see again.
- Den had a very serious blood infection. Then we endured 12 weeks of IV antibiotic therapy.
- Den had a compression fracture of the L3 vertebrae and a procedure to correct it.
There is a lot on our plate coming up very soon; but, as always, we will handle it as a family.
I have to tell you that as I type this, I still remember the day of Den’s surgery like it was yesterday. I remember my anxiety and worry, but I could not let Den or Em see how scared I was. When we had to say good bye just before he was taken to the OR, I didn’t know if that would be the last time I saw him alive. I almost feel apart in the elevator! To this day, when something is not right, I wonder if it is the beginning of the end for my love. Each day has been a blessing and a gift. I try to treat each on as such, but I am human and there are days that Den just strums on my last nerve. But we get over it and move on the best we can.
Den's LVAD 