More news about the chemistry set and pumper

Hello all,
This one is pretty detailed so I'll start with a synopsis and those who want all the details can read on.

We went to pick up the coumadin for Barry today and in the process found out a little more news.  Once again we have been impressed with the time and attention our Dr. has given us.  He showed us where the clot actually is and explained it a little more.  We also saw the nurse who is overseeing Barry's rehab process.  She was very empathetic and has been actively praying for us.   How terrific is that!?  I have a connection with her through my work.  I love how God works out details like this!  

In a nutshell, he has a clot in the heart (kind of like a scab on a wound) and it needs to stay put or dissolve safely over time.  We also don't want other clots to form!  So they're adding one more blood thinner to his chemistry set of meds.  His pump is doing pretty well.  No heart failure at this point.  When Barry can return to work (and to bringing in income!) is still at least 3 months out.  I'm sure you can guess how to pray!  Thanks!

The best news is that for the most part he feels great.  He's pretty much doing everything they tell him.  He's getting a little stir crazy at times but knows he's got to do this right so he's doing his best to listen to the docs and to my nagging- er advice.  We get little surprises from time to time that raise more questions.  I (Terri) still am not handling that well.  God and I are still at work on matters of fear and trust.  Prayers for me and us in that regard would also be welcome.  Thanks to all of you.  This is a tough journey but no tougher than many of our friends are going through in their lives.  We do appreciate your support and love for us--and all those prayers!--terri

Details:
More about the clot.  It's inside the heart and is essentially like a scab.  It is rather large and is in an area of the heart where it isn't moving as dramatically (and healthily) as the rest of the heart.  More about the pump in a minute.  Back to the clot...  If this clot stays "laminated" to the wall of the heart and gets absorbed over time as it heals, all is well.  If for some reason it cracks, or breaks and more clots form on top of it or build it up, that's not so good.  If it breaks loose, it could be life-threatening or very debilitating to wherever it might land, lodge or hit.  So prayers that it all stays stable would be awesome.  The Coumadin (Warfarin) has benefits.  It will hopefully prevent more clots from forming and thin the blood to the degree that it won't stick anywhere.  Since Barry's already on two other blood thinners, this is a triple threat against clotting but it also creates a situation where he can have bleeding complications that could also be very serious.

Since Barry is a building contractor, not a guy who sits at a desk, this complicates his return to work.  Doctor says he doesn't want Barry returning to work until they get past the coumadin/blood clot stage of his recovery.  We welcome your prayers for provision, future career opportunities, etc.

Now for the pump update.  The doctor said the good news is that his extraction factor is in a good range and above the 30-35% that represents heart failure.  Except for the area of the heart where the clot is seems to be moving much better!  We're happy about that!

The last thing we discussed was his heart rate and blood pressure.  His BP is being kept pretty low by the meds.  The blood thinners may drop this even a bit further.  Barry's heart rate is much higher than it ever was before the heart attack.  His resting rate is around 80-85.  Prior to the heart attack it was in the high 50s or 60s.  When he exercises or moves around it goes up pretty rapidly so we were concerned about how much it could go up before there was a problem.  Doctor gave us a number to stay below so now he knows how hard to exercise on his walks.