Don't have much to say tonight except,
NEW PERSONAL RECORD!!!

What do I mean?




Here is a picture clue to help you decide:

Yep...hit 3.1 miles in just over 26 minutes. That is certainly a personal best for me.
I was speaking to one of the other guys in rehab & admitted that I couldn't run 3 miles AT ALL right before my heart attack.


I mean, I could have gotten to 3 miles EVENTUALLY, but there would have been a good bit of walking going on. I was in THAT poor a shape.


Now, my problem is, I need to get back to rehab tomorrow & hopefully be able to do something similar. THAT would truly mean I was on my way to good health.


Given that it is almost midnight as I write this, I better keep it short tonight or I might sleep through my alarm TWO days in a row.


Good night, and God bless.

Today was furniture moving day...well furniture moving evening anyway.

After work, the kids & I moseyed on over to the old house & loaded up the living room.
(Moseyed on over...ya like that?)

Fortunately, I have wonderful neighbors at both ends who helped with the couch & the big chair. My son helped with the tables and some other small things we moved today.

It was nice to do something somewhat strenuous like move furniture and not feel any issues. 
We only moved a couple of tables, and a couch and a chair. But it was something.

It was nice because I didn't once think about my heart. I just did what needed to be done.

Today was pretty much the first day where I tested my body without thinking, "Woops, I better be careful." I performed some physical labor without being afraid.

I purposely selected a little bit of furniture & I purposely am doing this move a little at a time so as not to put too much stress on my body in one day. Knowing that I wasn't going to try to load a big old truck with all of my belongings, all in one day, helped me mentally. I knew I couldn't really overdo it given the size of my trailer. So, I just did it...I just loaded the trailer, drove to the new place & unloaded it. Once that was done, I was done; no muss, no fuss...no fear.

Tomorrow will not be anything much. I am not trying to move the really big stuff, movers will do that for me. So, my big stuff is done & I am still here. A good day.

All this means that I am making progress; I am getting better mentally and physically.
Let's just hope it keeps going that way.

Good night & God bless.

Wow...what a tiring day.

I had my normal rehab today. I started a little slow, but picked up at the end & finished another 5k (3 miles). I guess if I were smart, I'd actually have tracked the distance I ran in rehab...it would have made a better story wouldn't it? Duh!

Well, anyway, that is not what made me tired. What made me tired was the walk I took to meet the family for lunch...well, THAT didn't make me tired either actually.

What made me tired was the bike ride I took with my oldest in our new community. Now, understand, that was NOT an Iron man version of a bike ride. This was a pretty short ride, but it just seemed like it was all up hill (you know like how our parents had to walk to school in the snow).

We did 2/3 of the community &by the end of the 2nd hill my legs were DONE.

The nice part, other than spending time with my boy, was that my LEGS, and not my HEART, that were my limiting factor. That was a comforting thing.

So...I ran, I worked, and I rode a bike. That is sort of a triathlon...isn't it?

I can tell you that, not long ago, I would not have thought I could do 3 miles on a treadmill, much less adding a mile or so of a bike ride, much LESS having that ride be on the kind of hills we have around here.

That burn in my legs never felt so good.

Rehab officially ends soon, but I 0lan on using the facility for as long as I can. Remember, I am a year or less away from my first sprint triathlon... I gotta be ready.

Good night and God bless.

I don't really have much to talk about tonight.
It was a pretty boring Monday; work, kids, whining (them not me), and taking medicine.

It is funny, I have been taking the medicines so long, and yet I still need the alarms on my cell phone to remind me to take the medicine. Not sure why I can't seem to remember, but I usually am surprised when my alarm goes off to tell me it is time for another medicine,

About the only medicine, I can remember to take is my anti clotting medicine. That is a good thing, because that one is my anti clotting medicine. It prevents a clot from forming at the site where theyinserted the stent.

If it wasn't for the alarms & the pill sorter I'd be forgetting all of the time.

Have a great nI got all.

Good night & God bless.

What a great Easter.

Kids were all dressed on time for church, and they looked so good. The baby was beautiful in her little dress. The boys, the boys were so handsome in some freshly ironed shirts and pants.

I got to talk to mopt of my family, and friends in some way.

My wife was so pretty in the dress we bought for her on our honeymoon.

...and I got to play movies g man and electronics installer.

Yep, we moved more stuff into the house today. Not much, but enough that it is starting to feel like home.

Here's the funny part, I THANKED Ashley for "letting me" carry boxes into the house. Never thought I'd have to thank someone for manual labor, but I did.

I could see the worry in her face growing with each box I carried. Of course, I was getting more confident with each trip.

Well, almost each trip. About 1/2 into unloading the car, I remembered who I was, "a survivor."

My mind jumped in and said, "Um, Body? Please slow down, you are not the man you used to be."

It just sort of hit me that I should be more careful than I was. Mid-trip, with box in hand, I suddenly questioned myself.

Nothing happened (except the unloading of a car full of boxes). Thank God for that.

Today was great, and today was productive,  but today was also a kick in the butt. A kick that I better not try to do too much, or I will live (hopefully anyway) to regret it.

Couple of more weeks of rehab, and then I think they will cut me loose. After that it will be up to me to monitor myself.  Hope I can do that successfully, and help move boxes for my kids when THEY  move into new homes of their own.

By then, this blog will be finished. But if all goes well, I won't be.

Good night and God bless.

Happy Easter to everyone reading this.
Easter is an interesting holiday now.

It is the day we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I certainly find reason to be happy on this day of resurrection, this day of being given life back.

Jesus gave up his life for us, as I would gladly do if it meant my children would live.

Thing is, to finish his job, Jesus had to come BACK from death, live again,  and show himself to be God's Son.

While I am not God's Son in the same way, I believe myself a child of God. And, as he knew with Jesus, God knew better than I did that I had to come back from death in that ambulance so I could finish MY job here on earth.

God will call me someday, I'll pass on, but not before I get the chance to raise 3 more of his children, protect them, teach them and love them.

I know I am still here for a reason, and every day, I see 3 examples of that reason in my babies' faces. Then, I look at thier mother and see number four.

So, all day today (it IS 1 am after all), I will hold in my heart's special place the knowledge that I am meant to help raise this family, protect and provide for them all; and I will begin another chapter in trying to become the best husband, father,  and man that I can be.

Thank you God for giving me one more chance to be the man you wanted me to be.

Happy Easter (and Thanksgiving in a way) to you all.

Good night and God bless.

So, post # 2 for the day & I'm tired.
I cut grass, I moved stuff to the new house. I even did a little work between that and hanging a new TV on the wall.

Needless to say it was a full day.

I am happy to say that, while I am tired, I am not EXHAUSTED or in any pain. I am just plain tired.

 It has been an interesting ride to say the least.

Well, time for bed.

Good night and God Bless

You guys get a two-fer again today since last night did not happen.

We actually slept in our new house last night...all 5 of us. Today will be mixing work with moving. Should be interesting, we'll see how much energy I have left, a test sort of.

My dad is doing better. His color is good and he is eating.

I just finished mowing the lawn....now time to get back to work for a bit.

Talk to you all tonight.

Good day & God bless.

Holy cow!!!
I totally forgot to mention something in my last post!

I am 2 days PAST my 4 month annivaersary!

Yessir...it has now been just over 4 months since my heart attack (no presents please).

Wow...what a ride. In that 4 months, I have been up and down, in and out of the hospital for myself and Ashley. I have seen 2 plays, said goodbye to a young boy and a dear friend. I have even begun moving into a new house and watched my lovely wife begin a new chapter in her life...a quest to become a Physician's Assistant.

I have lost 30 pounds..and...I have posted to this blog over 80 times.

Seems like so much has happened, and yet I am still afraid of doing too much so close to my attack.

Thanks to all of you who have been reading along.

I am feeling good and strong and I continue to go to rehab 3 times a week.

I wonder what else will change in my life in the coming weeks. Whatever it is, I'll post it here....I'm excited...the rest of my life awaits.

Hope you'll continue to join me

Good night and God bless.

Ahhhhh, it is nice to be home.

How nice?

So nice that my elevated BP was almost back to normal....almost.

At last check, my BP was 112 over 84.
So, the 112 is ccool, but the 84 is way up and that is apparently the important #.

So, called the doctor today to check.
She said to track it, and kexp on top of it, bUT that I shouldn't worry too much right now.

....too late....

So, what does that mean?

I'll take it to mean that being home is a good thing for me. Being with dad was great, and I really didn't feel stressed. But being home immediately brought my BP closet to normal.

Tomorrow is rehab, we'll see how I do.

Finally, a question.
Is there anything you all want to see me write about?

Do you want a special topic you want to see, or a particular question you all have?

If so, leave me a comment & I'll see what I can do.

Good night and God bless.

So, I am finally home, and man am I beat.
Flight was like someone was taking me through New Orleans without any shocks on the car (i.e. it was ROUGH).

But, dad was well enough for me to feel I could leave, AND I am home with all my babies (yes, that includes Ashley). All in all, this is a good place to be.

Sadly, my BP is still up, so looks like a call to the Dr. is in order tomorrow.

I'Lloyd let you all know what happens.

For now, I need some snuggles with my love and some sleep.

Godd night, and God bless.

I am still with mom & dad.

I felt pretty good today & I even got to do my resistance training. I used free weights (dumbbells) for the first time since my attack.

I'll tell you these last couple of days have reminded me how much easier it is to run and lift when you are using machines. Running the hills here in PA has put much more of a strain on my leg muscles than my friend the treadmill ever did. Lifting weights without the steadying effect of pulleys and plates showed me just how much heavier 20 pounds can feel when you are lifting it all on your own.

But...I was still able to get my workouts in while I am here & that is a good thing. Not only did they help me recover physically, but going for a little run or to the fitness center helped take my mind of my dad and his time in the hospital.

I really think that the events of November 22 have helped me grow & have made me a better caretaker. Thanks to God for giving me that when I needed it most.

It has not been ALL sunshine and roses for me though.
Although I FEEL okay, my BP has seemed to jump today.

I took it after my workout & had someone repeat the process and both times my blood pressure came back 20-30 points higher than it has since starting rehab.

I'll be honest this is a bit concerning for me right now & it is coming at a really bad time. I need to take care of my dad & I am not home with MY doctors and MY support system.

I am hoping that somewhere along the line I have just allowed a temporary spike in sodium to sneak into my diet (I AM TRYING TO BE GOOD...I PROMISE), or that I am just experiencing a blip.

Either way, I'll let you know.....stay tuned.

Finally, dad is improving and is home. Thanks for all of the good thoughts and prayers. they seem to have been heard.

Good night & God bless.

Happy St. Patrick's Day, and I am sorry I have missed a day...again.


Do you remember a few posts back where I said I was done with people dying and going into the hospital around me? Well.....

Apparently, my father did not read that post. The reason I have been out of touch for a day (and the reason I had to travel the other day) was to come to be with my dad in the hospital. Yep, I am BACK in the hospital with a loved one. Fortunately, I am NOT at a funeral home, and it appears I will NOT be in one any time soon.

Basically, dad had trouble eating and was not clearing his waste. We are figuring it out & I am here till we do.

While I have not been WRITING  about my recovery, I have been working on it.
Yesterday, I did it. I ran; no elliptical trainer, no treadmill. I ran on the road with no mechanical help. And, I think I was able to do my full 5k goal. I have not measured my run yet (I'll drive it & check the trip odometer), but I really believe I got all 3 miles in in just over 1/2 hour.

Today, I tried for two in a row....um, not so sure I hit the 3 mile mark today. My muscles were hurting after the first 10 minutes and it started raining on me. So, I think I came up short.

But...I have run 2 days in a row & I am still here.
I will say this; the hills where my mom & dad live are pretty steep.

We know that my dad will need a low-fat, low-sodium diet. So, while I am here I plan on educating my dad on proper eating habits. When he gets home, he'll need a chef, so I went out & got some groceries.....he's gonna be a little surprised when he sees his menu.

Looks like maybe I found another reason for my situation. If I can somehow show my dad how to enjoy eating better, and give him better health....then I found something to make my situation more bearable and understandable.

Wish me luck...and if you don't mind...say a little prayer for my Pop.

Good night & God bless.

Well, yesterday really stunk.

I needed to decide which was less stressful, a drive up interstate 95 through DC and Philadelphia, or an airplane flight to Philadelphia.

Talk about the lesser of 2 evils; especially when it is raining in Philadelphia.

Most would consider the flight of less than 2 hours to be less stressful. However , for any number of reasons, I usually select the drive. I don't mind driving and I actually enjoy a little solitude in the car.

Unfortunately, I selected what probably SHOULD have been the lesser of 2 evils this time. Because of my choice, I am now sitting in the RDU airport almost 14 hours AFTER I was supposed to arrive in Philly.

My heart attack figured into the decision, and that is why I am including this ordeal in my blog.

My wife and I were discussing the options for my trip. She was VERY emphatic that she did not want me alone in the car for that long. She was concerned that the stress of going through some of the busiest traffic areas in the country would cause me a problem and that I might have another "episode". At least if I flew, I'd always have someone there to take care of me.

That is all true...of course you can't have a flight delay if you drive.
In fact, you can NOT have a flight delayed 3 times for a total of 4 hours. You also can NOT have a flight CANCELLED after a 4 hour delay.

Hmmmmmm, which mode of travel was the LESS stressful?

Okay, still not convinced? Okay, how about if I tell you I had to drive almost 2 hours to get to the airport in the first place, and that my hotel booking was almost messed up....does THAT make the call for you?

I am tired and a little cranky, so I am going to stop here. Suffice to say, this has been a lousy 24 hours, and while my heart didn't cause me any trouble, this was just another example of why my life will never be the same after November 22. Each decision I make will always be made with the knowledge that my heart has to be taken into account.

Fortunately, things seem to be running as they should thins morning. Hopefully tonight's post will be more light-hearted (no pun intended) and uplifting.

Ya know I said something the other day...and I am not really sure it made any sense.


Who wants to take a guess what THAT was...
...and no, you can't say that NOTHING I write makes any sense.


......................I'm waiting..................


Okay, well, if no one want to guess, I'll tell you.


I said two nights ago that "my heart felt good." Think about that for a few seconds.


<<Jeopardy Theme>>


Yeah, I KNOW....like a TOTALLY really silly thing to say huh?????
It's senseless since you don't FEEL a good heart, right?


Think about this....your heart beats all day...every day...60-80 times every minute of ev-er-y day.
Do you ever really FEEL it when it is just working like it should?


You feel your heart jump when you fall in love, you feel your heart pound when you are scared, you feel your heart beat when you try to run a marathon.


But during the day, when you are just doing what you do, do you feel your heart? Do you think about it being there? Do you realize it is the one muscle that just doesn't stop moving?


...well, unless you are in the back of an ambulance and need CPR...


No, if your heart is working like it should, it doesn't feel good. It doesn't feel normal. It just really doesn't FEEL anything. As hard as that little sucker works, you never know it is there.


So, two nights ago, my heart did NOT feel good. It felt like it was not even there and THAT was a good thing. Sorry for the confusion ;).


I have had a good 24 hours since realizing I did not skip my most important medicine. Yay, me!


Have a great night y'all and a great week to come.


Good night & God bless.

I scared myself today.
I thought I had forgotten to take my anti-platelet medicine tonight.

That is the important one now. It prevents a clot, or a scar from settling at the stent placement site.

Fortunately, I was wrong. I took it. But man was I freaking out there for a bit. The nurses and doctors really drove it home that missing even ONE dose was dangerous.

I am VERY glad we use that pill sorter as well. Looking at that saved my sanity. One glance at the pill pod for Saturday & I knew I was up to date. WHEW!

I felt a panic attack coming on until I saw that empty pod.

Well that is really all for tonight; back to my splitting headache.

Good night & God bless.

I've spent the last few hours on my daughter's floor...she's finally asleep.

My neck and back hurt, but my heart feels fine.

Very tired.

We start moving stuff to the new house tomorrow.

That's all I've got for you tonight.

Good night and God bless.

How far is a 5k in miles?


Do you know? I know. How do I know?
I have a VERY smart wife....who used to run....A LOT.


Who cares you say? Well, if YOU had had a heart attack and YOU wanted to participate in "Sprint Triathlons" next year....YOU would.


Since I have had a heart attack, and I am GOING to participate in a "Sprint Triathlon" next year (or this year, but don't tell Ashley), I do.


Why am I talking about this today? What happened today to make me tell you this?


Well, in my 30 minute workout, I just about finished a 5k.


Oh, yeah, how far IS that in miles? It is 3.1 miles & I hit 3.1 miles at 32 minutes. Then I finished rehab with my weight training.


I won't break any Ironman records at today's pace, but today I proved I can finish 1/3 of the sprint triathlon and still have gas left in the tank. Good news.


Now, the run is stage 3 of the race. Stage 3...check!


A bike ride is stage 2 of the race.
The bike ride is 12.4 miles. That shouldn't be a problem if my goal is just to survive the race.


Stage 1 is the killer (woops poor choice of words). The swim is between 300 and 750 meters. I will look for a race at the 300 meter distance. I couldn't do 750 meters in a pool when I was healthy. Forget swimming 750 meters now.


That is one of my goals in a nutshell. By next season, I want to finish a Sprint Triathlon and show my kids what hard work and perseverance can do. I want them to see that this heart attack is NOT going to beat me. Finally, I want to support them in training for the kid's triathlons they want to participate in.


Now, I was going to end there, but this just hit me....
If you travel form my house for 3.1 miles, you will be just at the end of the on-ramp for the interstate that takes you to the hospital. THAT is just about where the ambulance was when I seized and my heart stopped.


Today, I walked/ran (without stopping) just about the distance the ambulance traveled when I coded.
How's THAT for a "thing that makes you go, 'Hmmm.'"


Okay, long enough....thanks for reading.


Good night & God bless.

Remember that special lady I told you about last night?

Well, she blessed me with a special Anniversary day today. She and I signed the papers to close on our house, we went to work & then we went to dinner. We shared some spaghetti, some wine and (YUM) a Krispy Kreme Sweetbread desert.

Yes, I think I may have had a weeks worth of salt & sugar at dinner tonight, but it was worth it.
Everything was simple, but it was just so nice to have an hour or two where we could be Ashley & Craig.

Of course, all of this came with periodic stops to remember that I almost was not around to HAVE dinner and a glass of wine. Yes, tonight, once again, this THING that happened to me hovered over everything we did and said today.

However, we are far enough out now, that my condition influenced my decisions, but it did NOT control them. I was aware of my decisions and their consequences, but I still felt free to make choices rather than be forced into decisions.

Other than dinner, I was VERY careful today & I will likely be equally careful tomorrow to make up for my dinner selections. My heart attack made me be careful.

Dinner was a release, an escape, a reward; call it what you want (yes, maybe even a bad set of decisions) but it was what I WANTED to do, not what I was REQUIRED to do....

....and that felt great.

So, tomorrow we get back to being a "good boy" and looking forward to the next "escape". Tonight, I will finish my little vacation and make some sweet memories that Ashley & I can talk about 14 years from now....God willing, of course.

Good night & God bless

Tomorrow is a BIG day.

We close on our new house, yes...and that is important...but not the BEST thing that happens to me tomorrow.

Tomorrow, I will get to celebrate my 14th wedding anniversary. That's right sports fans, the old, "till death do us part" for 14 years.

Wow....never thought I would have to worry about CHALLENGING those vows, but I did in a big way. Wow...yep, that JUST hit me.

For better or for worse....it couldn't be much better than now. It couldn't be much worse than it was on Nov. 22.

In sickness AND in health....yep, got that one....'Nuf said

Till death do us part....weeeelllll, technically I WAS actually dead for 2.5 minutes, so I guess we covered that one too.

For richer or for poorer....if the insurance company keeps charging the rates they do the poorer part will come soon enough. As for rich...well, I think the last few months of this blog have shown how rich I am. We have a roof over our heads, we eat every night and I can't begin to tell you how much my family makes me feel fuller and more "well-off" every day. Add to that the incredible friends that have been so great to the Donahue family (and CONTINUNE to be) and I would bet that I can match the likes of Gates, Buffet and Walton.

As for me, I would marry Ashley again any day and twice on Sundays. She has most definitely been there for the good and the bad for me (the ugly). I can only hope and pray that I have been there for her when she has needed or wanted me there for her. I can only hope I have fulfilled my vows with the love and devotion that she has.

Ashley, #13 was sure a challenge (lucky #13 huh?), but we made it through. If we can get another 37 more together, it still wouldn't be enough....even if they ALL are like 13.

Of all of the friends I am saying thank you to in this blog, you are far and away the most deserving.

I love you baby.

In my last rehab session, our educational session was about stress and ways to alleviate it.
This blog is one of my ways. It gives me the chance to just blurt stuff out that I have been thinking.

(No, not EVERYTHING I am thinking...you never know who is reading)

One thing that we learned was to practice gratitude to alleviate stress. Part of stress is want. Want of more, not being happy with your current situation. So, if you practice gratitude for what you DO have, then you can relax a little when it comes to wanting more.

Replace the stress with gratitude. It is a simple idea, but one we often forget. Kind of like, "eat right & exercise." This is not a tough concept, but somehow we all forget to DO it.

What they suggested was to wake up every day & thank God (or whomever you feel is appropriate)
for 5 things in your life.

I have not tried it yet, but sounds like a great idea; so here goes...

Dear God, thank you for:

My incredible kids. They remind me why I want to live every day & remind me that I need to be better every day than the last. They make it FUN to be a dad.

My strong wife. She keeps me on my toes and keeps me "honest." Her smile is infectious and her support is endless. We need each other.

My family; sisters, mom, dad. Role models all, each in their own way. And always there, even form 600 miles away. They made me who I am.

My friends....more than I ever realized I had, more than I deserve. These folks kept Ashley & the kids safe and well taken care of while I was out of commission. They are the reason for this blog.

My heart attack. I know it is cliché, but I have been given a warning shot over the bow. I was letting my life turn into a string of days to be "gotten through." With what so far has been a comparatively small amount of disruption, I was shown the value, and importance, and JOY of living each day. I am not HAPPY I had my heart attack, but I am GRATEFUL for the way it has turned out.

WHEW!

There you have it. my first session of "Gratitude Practice"
Felt good. You should try it.

Good night & God bless.

It can stop now......people around me can stop trying to one-up me in the bad health department.
Everyone please say a little prayer for my Father-in-Law. He was taken to the hospital by ambulance the other day and is still there with a horrible case of pneumonia.

His blood pressure and heart rate are high and he is having trouble breathing. Fortunately, he IS off the ventilator and breathing on his own...labored as it may be.

Ashley in particular really does not need this right now. After dealing with my situation for the last few months, she really does not deserve to worry about the other important man on her life like this.


As for me, today was a good feeling day. We started packing and boxing things up for the move next week. Unfortunately, since the house is a shambles we got food out all day. While I tried to be a good boy, I can guarantee you that my salt and fat intake was WAYYYYY too high. That is just the nature of eating out.

As you all can tell from my topics, I am still in the mindset of worrying about every day being the one where I fall off the wagon, begin eating poorly and mess up all of the hard work since Nov. 22.

Time to send Ashley to the store for some good old fashioned salt free food. Because of the move, this next week or two will present me with more need to eat out than most weeks have. So I need to make sure that every chance I get, I eat right and don't overdo the portions.

I hate being a heart attack survivor, but I do like fitting into pants I haven't worn since before Ashley & I got married. I gotta remember both of those facts next time I grab for a snack. I need to remember how much I DON'T want another heart attach so that I grab carrots instead of crackers or chips.

Thanks for reading along. Say a prayer for my father-in-law.

Good night & God bless.

Well, I missed last night. I was tired and when my baby girl asked me to lay with her....it was all over but the snoring.

Why was I so tired?

Because you guys said some pretty AWESOME prayers!

Yesterday's workout was one of my best yet. I hit 3 miles on the treadmill and I did some weight work. In fact I am finally getting to weights that are challenging me.

So, since YOU GUYS gave me such great moral support, I was able to overcome my fears on Wednesday and have a great workout. Because of THAT, I was very tired last night and fell asleep early.

So I guess it was ALL Y'ALLs fault that I missed last night.

WHEW! Glad I am off the hook for THAT.


That was then...this is now...

Today was okay, but I guess I was still tired. I had a short fuse with my kids all day. I was frustrated behind the wheel and generally not much fun to be around. SO, I guess I could use some more of those prayers you used so well last night again tonight.

I am not sure what happened today, but I gotta get out of this hole quickly. It is the kind of mood I was in a lot before November 22. Worse, it is the kind of mood my kids don't need to witness.

It's  late & Ashley just got home, so I am signing off to hug her.

Good night & God bless.

So I am a little nervous tonight.


I am nervous about tomorrow.


Tomorrow will be my first rehabilitation class in nearly a week. Being sick over the weekend derailed my class yesterday. I was in no position to go to rehab, beleeeeeeeeive me.


I am nervous because, as I sit here typing, I feel like a blob. I know how inactive I have been during this last week. I am nervous that I will be set back in my ability to drive myself tomorrow. 


I have tried to eat very well while I was out of rehab, but the sitting and the lack of rest on Sunday & Monday nights are weighing on me.


Tonight is the first time since I started rehab that I am not SURE I want to be there tomorrow. I do not like that.


I could use a little push from y'all. Anyone that wants to help, drop me a comment and give me a push to help make sure I go to rehab.


Not a lot else to say tonight. I need to go relax and build some confidence for rehab tomorrow morning.


Good night & God bless.

"Well, my heart attack finally spilled over to someone else in the family yesterday."
"What's THAT mean?"
"I'll tell you."
"Oh, good."
"Ready?"

"Tell us already!!!"

Okay, okay, okay....I'll tell you what I mean.

So, I have had a heart attack....for those of you just joining us...
As such, every move I make is under scrutiny AND every little twinge, every little pain is met with a fearful look. I have been back to the hospital 2 times for an "overabundance of caution."

What does that have to do with yesterday? Well, the hyper-vigilance spilled over to Ashley last night.

She was lying in bed (beautiful as always), feeling poorly.
She mentioned that her chest hurt...uh, for an HOUR...
She then tells me that the pain is in the middle of her chest, like a pressure radiating and growing...
Now, I hear that she is feeling nauseous (noticing a trend?)...
And finally, and here was the kicker...she "just couldn't get comfortable"...

Anyone wanna guess how long it took me to decide that she needed to go to the ER?

Yes indeed, my wife JUST parroted my own symptoms from 3 months ago while I held her in our bed.

Now...had I never had a heart attack, I would likely have just figured she was having a panic attack and held her for another 10-20 minutes, or until it got noticeably worse. But, NOT THIS NIGHT; this night, I was on the phone with 911 and getting a neighbor to come watch the Kids.

<<Pause for a special HUGE thank-you to Tracy Arena who came over without a second of hesitation.>>

Having had the heart attack, and hearing Ashley's symptoms, that was the first thing I thought it could be. Without my experiences, I would likely have made a different call. But, since we have a "survivor" in the family now, I immediately was afraid of what MIGHT be going on inside Ashley.

Fortunately, to make a long story short, we were in the ER until 5 am, multiple tests were run, and nothing really bad was found. Yes, Ashley IS tired after that, and has a stomach bug, but has not suffered a heart attack.

Given my current situation, we were not taking any chances though.

My point?

I am not longer the only one in the family whose health will be under the microscope. That honor has now spilled over to, well, everyone in the family.

Once again the EMTs were wonderful, and the staff at Baptist was first rate. Bravo! Guys!

That's it for now. I am falling asleep as I finish up, so we're done for tonight.

Good night & God bless.