Went back to work today. I didn't do anything special, just about 5 hours of reading and getting caught back up to speed. Productivity not withstanding, it was a good day.

The folks on the team were all glad to see me & glad I am "okay." I told the story of what happened a few times...an elevator version of course. I talked about how I felt & I was asked a few times if I had any signs that there was an issue.

It was great to know people missed me & were concerned for me. It is always nice to know you are appreciated. But, what was really nice was that no one made TOO big a deal about things; about the event, about my situation, about being careful around me. I got a warm welcome back and started to get back to work. It was normal, it was good.

See, I am not one who likes to have a big deal made about "me." I don't do well with being the center of attention. I like flying under the radar. I like a quiet compliment. I like making others feel special. ME? I'm just plain, nothing special. So I really appreciated getting a chance to just kind of blend back into the team today.

So how do I feel now, at the end of the day?

I will admit I am a little tired, but since I didn't exactly push myself, I feel pretty good overall. I was even able to take the kids to Cub Scouts without any trouble.

So, I figure that I will work my way back in step by step this week. Go to the office a few hours, come home for a little rest....very little; 3 kids remember?...

If I feel up to it, I'll do some more work from home. Next week, we'll see about full days at the office.

I am taking everyone's advice, working my way back in slowly and not taking things TOO seriously. That is not me....I wanted to just jump back in & show that I could do it. I WANTED to prove this heart attack didn't get ME! Then I remembered a promise I made my wife and kids. I promised that I would take care of myself & that I would live for a good bit longer.

Well, stress is not my friend right now. I need to keep that bad boy under control. I need to be able to do my work without getting too concerned about it. If I can do that I will keep my promise to the most important people in my life.

The first step was admitting that I needed to slow down and get back to work in stages. I did that. Now, I guess we'll just have to wait and see how well I do with the rest of the steps.

....I'll try not to get to stressed out about it though.......

Lesson Learned:
Sometimes it isn't that you need help form others. Sometimes you need to help yourself by recognizing your limitations and living within them. At some point, we all have to take a break, rest, recharge. Help yourselves be willing to slow down if you need to.

Good night & God bless.