There's a lot to adjust to being constantly tethered to a large, cumbersome machine. Annie buys additional bags, holsters, and even tactical undershirts meant for firearms to expand her options for comfortably carrying the large controller and two batteries.
She starts to log in to the corporate VPN and get an hour or two of work done each afternoon the day after she comes home. People usually drift in to visit her some time after work in the evening. Simon or Reijo usually drive her to doctor's appointments as well as her physical therapy sessions in the mornings.
They gradually alter the settings on her LVAD to permit her becoming more active, so two months after the surgery she transitions from the exercise bike to taking short easy rides around town. It's only then that she starts to really feel how much better she is, how much she had ignored the decline leading up to receiving the LVAD.
They go through all of the education Annie needs to have about the transplant process, but Annie's the one who ultimately comes to the decision to stick to what works as by every measure her tests are doing better and she's feeling pretty well.
It's a big thing to sign up for, trying to get some useful months or years out of the device before even getting on the list for a heart. But it's weighed against the fact that transplanted hearts have limited lifespans, too.
At the three month mark, she starts going into the office again.
By month four, she's working full time, and they're discussing increasing her mobility with some domestic travel assignments to start with.