Unconditional Love

We are now living life DAILY. With an LVAD you can’t plan in advance because you will never know what each day will bring. We used to plan out things we were going to do, such as camping, going up north or just going to the drive-in. Now when we want to go we have to make sure Joe is feeling good, we have to clear all our travels with our LVAD team and if we decide to go anywhere we have to make sure we have the batteries charged and all the equipment needed to keep Joe alive with us.

Joe has to have his medication faithfully everyday. If we are going to go visit or just go out and about for the day, I make sure to bring his meds with us. We have to make sure we have his bag, I have a blanket in the car incase he gets cold, I have water for him, his walker, his throw up bucket, his urinal and I also have a small tote with extra band-aids, hand sanitizer, gloves, a mask and all the stuff incase he needs his dressing changed. It seems like overkill but I will be prepared if anything was to happen. This is just our new normal way of living.

Our Daily life also includes a lot of doctor appointments, blood draws and cardiac rehab. When you become a caregiver this is just par for the course. I’m sure at some point in our new way of living we won’t have so many appointments and we can eventually get back to a semi normal life. But right now, we are getting used to the LVAD and all the bells and whistles that come along with it. Everyday it becomes easier and everyday we have a better day then the day before. I know it takes time and we have all the time in the world right now in this minute, this hour, this day.

As I sit in the morning and thank God each day for just waking up, instead of complaining about what I have to do, I start my day by being grateful that I can care for my husband and be there for him. I want all caregivers out there to know that if you were handed the ROLE, you should make the best of it. As I experience it first hand, I KNOW that it’s HARD, I KNOW that it’s demanding, I KNOW all about being TIRED and FRUSTRATED. I also KNOW that this is what we are facing NOW and nothing will change it, not even complaining. Please LOVE what is given to you and make the best of ALL situations. Life really is TOO short.