Wow...so cool for YOU GUYS....a two-fer today since my last post was so late.
Tonight was another one of those, "so happy to be alive" moments.


I got to have a "boys night out" with BOTH of my sons. We went to Arigato, a hibachi table restaurant where they cook at the table.




I know, I know.....I probably shouldn't be going anywhere NEAR a place like that, but ya know WHAT.....if I can't ever enjoy LIFE, why be so happy that I am alive?


I am happy I am alive & I plan on making sure God knows that, and I am going to be as much of a "good boy" as I can be....but I also need to remember to ENJOY the life God has seen fit to give me.


I don't have a lot to tell you about tonight....just that I was a bad boy tonight & that I am glad about it....at least a little bit.


<< SMILEY FACE>>


....


             ....


                      ....


As I write this I am trying to help my youngest son with this CCD work for 1st Confession. It is S-L-O-W to say the least and I am getting FAR too confounded....to frustrated. I am quickly being reminded that I have NOT gotten to that magical place where "the little things" don't bother me anymore....at least not totally.


I guess being a year out has made me forget a little what I almost lost & made me forget what is TRULY important. We want our kids to be perfect, our lives to be "storybook". But don't a whole lot of storybooks end with someone being eaten, or melting?


Life is not all good, life is FULL of "the little things" that frustrate us and ruin a day. But life is also full of the little things that "make our day"; and life is full of big things, good and bad. The trick isn't to ignore the "little things". We'd be ignoring 1/2 the life God gave us....the trick is to APPRECIATE it all. We need to appreciate the little things, the big things, the good and the bad.


Maybe, JUST MAYBE I'll learn that trick.


Good night & God bless.

Sorry, a little late with this post.....just call it a "time lapse" post.
I  apparently can't lay with my kids till AFTER I post, 'cause once I snuggle up with them, it is literally lights out.


All both of my boys wanted me to lay with them last night; how COOL is that?
The challenge was that they were in different beds.


So I laid with them in succession, in age order and THANKFULLY, they fell asleep in that order as well. The little one hit the pillow & in less than 5 minutes was DONE. The older one was what did me in.


He takes longer to fall asleep & I think I actually dozed off before he did.
Once that happened, there was nothing left in me to post for you all.


Suffice to say, that I cherish those moments since (especially for the big one) there won't be many of them left.....but at least it won't be because I am dead.


Good night (morning) and God bless.

Folks, as it turns out, we are coming up on the end of The Thank You Year.
It has been a wonderful year & I am truly grateful for those who have been reading so far.


There are about 5 weeks left (I am writing for the whole of 2016, no just for a year after my heart attack). There are few new things I can tell you. So, if anyone wants to see a particular topic, please....let me know. I can answer questions, or I can research a topic for you all.


For tonight, I will just remind you al how hard it is to keep at it after a year. It is getting harder with each day to make SURE I get a workout in. It is getting harder and harder to make sure that I eat within the range of salt and fat.


I have basically been "on a diet" for a year & I am VERY happy that I have been successful so far, but MAN with the holidays here and parties/dinners....it is TOUGH not to eat all that good food.


If you recall, I was not given a list of acceptable foods, I was given a set of targets for things like salt, fat, cholesterol. So, I can eat whatever I want as long as I stay under the targets for a day. Well, ya know....it gets a little tiring to read every label & to try to find an online nutritional information page for every place you eat.


The other thing that causes trouble is giving yourself a break. "Oh, I'll just cheat today." Yeah, today becomes tomorrow & tomorrow becomes a week, and suddenly you are almost 10 pounds heavier than your target. Normally, that would not bother me, but so far it SEEMS that my blood pressure is rising along with the weight. SO....back to the drawing board.


Hopefully, by the time we get through the next 5 weeks, I can tell you that I am back doen in weight & BP. Wish me luck.


Good night & God bless.

Another day, more friends visiting for the holidays.....more joy.
Friends of ours visited for the first time in quite some time from Concord, NC and it was a wonderful time.


We built a fire, made some slow-cooker chili, and watched White Christmas. Just a simple day, with simple food and good friends. I am not sure it really could have been a much better conclusion to the holiday weekend.


Now we need to get back to "reality" tomorrow. The kids return to school for the first time since last Tuesday while Ashley & I return to work. Normally, I would not want to return to "reality", but since last November....since my heart attack....




.........I STILL don't want to return to "reality".


Nope; I'll be honest, I think I have a healthier outlook on life now. You know, little things don't bother me, spilled milk doesn't draw tears. But, let's be real; there is a limit to having a sunny disposition and that limit lies directly at the end of a near perfect holiday weekend.


I would love to tell you that this was another time where I was "just happy to be hear" (remember yesterday's post?). Sadly, I can not use that line this time. While I AM ecstatic that I am still around and alive TO return to work, I just can't tell you that I am sooooo happy to be going back to work, and the pitfalls of "real life".


So, gang, I hope you all don't think less of me, but tonight, I am not sunny, I am not satisfied with just being here, I am not excited to return to reality......I don't want this weekend to end, I am tired and I am not looking forward to waking 3 tired children up in the morning.


That's all I got for ya tonight.....reality.


Good night & God bless.

Okay, okay, okay.....yes....I took the holiday off.
Honestly, I was just enjoying my life too much these last couple of days.




Tuesday was awesome. Wednesday brought me back down to earth a bit, but then Thursday was another wonderful day....Friday & today, I got to spend with my kids. WE had the most AWESOME tickle fight on Friday night & then spent today getting stuff to begin our preparations for Christmas & a ski trip in February.


I am so excited to be celebrating what I consider my first "normal" holiday season since the heart attack. Well, okay, let's not call it normal YET, but it certainly feels more normal that the last one did.


In all honesty, I don't know if ANY Christmas, Thanksgiving, or challenging day will ever pass without someone saying, "At least you are here to celebrate it". I mean, that sentiment even passed a few lips when I was working though my dad's passing in June; "Well, at least he had you here in his final days".


Now, don't get me wrong. Every time someone SAYS those things, they are 100% correct and justified in saying them. It just strikes me that this is yet one more way in which my life is forever changed. That phrase, "at least you are here for it," will forever (or at least for the foreseeable future) be a part of my life. It will be part of the good days and the bad. It is as much a part of me now as the stint they put in, and the need to watch my diet and exercise.


...and you know....




At least I am here to talk about that fact, huh?




<<Anyone not see THAT coming?>>


Well, that is about it for today. Remember to keep an eye out for me on Facebook doing silly variations on the 22 Push-up for 22 Day Challenge. That challenge is in support of Veterans who try to commit suicide and I have 2 days left to do...wonder what it'll be tonight.


Good night & God bless.

Well, as you all know, yesterday was pretty fantastic.
Today started out pretty tough. For me, there were the day to day problems and then a few extra hassles.


For my wife, a tough day doesn't start to describe it.
She found out today that someone she knows from work...someone not out of college yet...died in a car accident. It was a hard story to hear, suffice to say he did not suffer much.


So, while I have ridden a bit of a roller coaster over the last year, no one has had to endure the dramatic drops like Ashley has. A year ago, she had to deal with me; hard enough. Today, she had to go from the high of yesterday's joy, to the sadness of losing someone who is WAY too young to die. TO make matters worse, she heard about it before she even got out of her pajamas this morning.


And yet, Ashley went to work, took care of those kids like no one else can & came home to us.
THAT my dear readers is strength; that is faith.


AS my first year of my new life passes I think of all of the times people tell me how much I have been through, but realize that Ashley & my kids have been through all of that and more...and they didn't have people taking care of THEM for 2 months when this all started.


When you go to bed tonight, if you are so inclined, say a prayer for my wife and kids. Ask God that he give them a year of joy and happiness that makes up for the hell they had to go through over the last year.


Good night & God bless.

Sunday, November 22, 2015...Tuesday, November 22, 2016


Yes, that is EXCATLY ONE YEAR
Or...12 months.
Or...52 weeks.
Or...1 cancer diagnosis.
Or...1 loss of a father.
OR...1 lifetime, my lifetime...........since my REbirthday


However you want to measure it, this has been an eventful 12 months.


My kids have turned 3, 7 and 11.




If you remember, I wanted to do a few things with this blog.




In general, this blog was my way of thanking everyone who helped save me, support me and help me get beyond my heart attack. I also wanted to help, to educate, to bring some inspiration to someone with my words. Finally, I wanted to give the Forsyth County EMS a little bit of payback.






Hopefully, I have somehow done those things by now.




In fact today, I brought donations to the Forsyth County EMS.
We got to actually meet with the team that saved my life a year ago. How amazing was THAT?


Ashley & I were falling all over ourselves giving thanks to the two wonderful people who are directly responsible for my life. Will & Lauren.....THANK YOU with "my whole heart"!


As we all discussed the day & the events in the ambulance, I was amazed at how much these two strangers could remember about my "run". They knew the series of events, they could remember exactly what equipment and techniques they used.


This picture was taken today during our visit. If you want to read more, go the the Forsyth County EMS Facebook page.

This next picture is the team the keeps me alive; my rehab team of Beverly, Natalie, Theresa and Lieryn . They are simply the best in the business.

To say this has been a wild year would be SO inadequate; there has been some bad, some exciting and a whole lot of good. One of the EMS Directors asked me how my life has changed. I couldn't answer, the list of ways is just too long, too absolute.

I have tried to bring you all along on the ride through this blog. Thanks for joining me.

We only have a few weeks left before this blog has lived out it's life. If you want to see anything particular, or want to hear about any part of the story, let me know.

Good night & God bless.

Well, we are just about 12 hours away....
In just about 12 hours I will be exactly 1 year out form the start of my heart attack.
It is a bit surreal to be honest with you.


I am excited, I get to celebrate.
I am amazed that it has been a year, but I can't believe how long ago it feels....to be a little cliché....it feels like a lifetime ago.


I am also excited because, tomorrow,  I get to talk face to face to some of the folks that helped save my life a year ago. I have not spoken to or seen them since that day. That is so cool. It feels a little like an early Christmas Eve.


Now, Ashley? She has a different view of things.
She is afraid she may not sleep tonight.


Ashley is anxious because tomorrow IS the anniversary of "the event." She is worried frankly that tomorrow will be cursed and that I will have a relapse; that she will be back in the ER to 'celebrate'.


I guess we won't know who is right till tomorrow night. I think that uncertainty is kind of why I am so excited. Tomorrow is either going to be epic, terrible, or it is going to pass like any other day. Six billion people will not notice tomorrow being any different than the day before. For me, for Ashley, tomorrow will be a day to remember.....hopefully we will remember it as a plain old Tuesday.


Thanks to everyone who has been reading this blog & to those of you who have been there for me every step of the way.


Good night & God bless.

The Sunday before Thanksgiving 2015.....
I go to get milk, die, get brought back, spend the night PRAYING someone will take some of the damn tunes out of me.


The Sunday before Thanksgiving 2016....
I go to church, get a coffeeuphemism and hot chocolate with my son, get home to a HUGE surprise, s0end the day celebrating my RE-birthday with some of the most special people in my life.


Amazing what difference a year can make.

As you all know, Tuesday is the one year anniversary of my heart attack. so,today, Ashley threw me a surprise party to celebrate. What a fantastic day it was.

Friends came and went all day; some were people we have known long enough to call "family" and some we have only known a few short months. Each person that stopped by, or sent a message added one more piece to the memory of the day that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

Others that I love dearly just couldn't make it. Make no mistake, you all were here in spirit and in my heart.

It was a bit overwhelming to be part of today. So, I am sorry if today's post is a little disjointed, or if I cut it off without properly thanking everyone, but I am exhausted.


So, yeah, a year can make a BIG difference; this one started with a day I wIshmael had never happened, but will never forget, and is ending with a day I will cherish.....and never forget.

Thank you Ashley.

Good night & God bless.

JUST when I thought I was doing something special by running a sub 30 minute 5K run, here comes my son (who has NEVER run a 5K before) running one in 26 1/2 minutes.

No, really....here's the proof. OH, and he ate TWO DOUGHNUTS at the half-way mark!!!

So...if you think I need any more I inspiration than that, think again.
Of course, he wasn't the only one who ran. Ashley ran too, ate doughnuts and finished.


And while I am talking about inspiration, did I mention Ashley lately? Yeah, remember her? That woman who called the EMTs and saved my life?


Well, I'd like to say I had the honor of being the ONLY guy whose life she saved, but alas, I can not. She has saved another heart attack victim. She has been credited with saving the life of a HS football player as well.


If that isn't enough, she has spent countless hours volunteering for the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma....just because they need the help. So, yeah, I guess I have gotten a WEE bit of inspiration from her as well.


My other two kids? What about them? Hell (sorry for the profanity Aunt Sue) they inspire me just by smiling. They simply inspire me to be so much more than I am as a father by being the wonderful kids that THEY are.


I guess my theme tonight is that, while I am trying to inspire others, those closest to me are the true inspirations of the Donahue family.....or maybe I just wanted to brag on my wife and kids and I found a way to make you all listen....


I guess I'll let you all decide which theme you liked better. ;)


Good night & God bless.

Well, I guess we are hitting the home stretch....


When I wake up tomorrow (okay, later today OFFICIALLY) I will be 1 WEEK from my 1 year anniversary.


I will have lived for a year after dying for two and one half minutes.
I am starting to ask myself again why I got to live; why did I get to be the one who "came back"?


Am I supposed to do something big? Am I supposed to save a life; prevent a crime?
Do I have a Guardian Angel named Clarence (movie reference anyone)?


If so, I f I AM supposed to be doing something special, how will I know if I have fulfilled such a lofty expectation?


Have I already? Is this insignificant little diary my "thing"? Did I somehow help someone enough for this to count? No...certainly THIS is not what I am to trade for getting my life back?


But if not this, then what? What am I supposed to do?


I was hoping to have it be something easy to notice; something like I would raise enough money for the EMS unit to buy some fancy new piece of equipment, or I would see someone ELSE have a heart attack and get them help "just in time". Somehow, I don't think it will be such a dramatic thing.


The money I have collected so far will not buy much more than lunch for the EMTs, forget some life saving new gadget.


I know I have not saved a life yet....there is no even trade here; no quid pro quo; no tit-for-tat.


So what, what am I supposed to do? Why did God do something as silly as let this plain, basic, middle aged man beat the "widow maker"?


I fear that long after this blog is closed down, I will still not feel like I have earned my extra time. I may never feel it. All I KNOW is that I am a very lucky man...I have a beautiful, talented, unbelievably caring and generous wife. I have 3 of the most wonderful kids a man could imagine. And....most of all, I get to be with them for at least a little while longer.


Oh, and I know one more thing......no matter WHAT I do, I will never be able to pay God back for even just this one year of that extra time.


Good night & God bless.

Veterans Day is here as I write this (since IS past midnight).  Thank you guys. Thank you all for putting yourselves in harms way for a bunch of folks who may not always act like we appreciate it.

I sent a message to one of the EMT'S who worked my call a eye area ago, and realized that they two seldom get the sense of appreciation they deserve.

So, in my own spin on this Veterans Day, let me thank ALL of our EMT/First Responder brothers and sisters for all of their incredible work and for putting THEMSELVES in harms way when need be (on a roadside for example). You guys literally save lives, and there is nothing more incredible than that.

Good night & God bless (to my readers, our Veterans and our first responders )

Interesting day today....
Lot's of opinions on both sides of the aisle....the election was good, the election was terrible.
My own opinion is not important, and there will be NO commentary in this blog. There, I made the obligatory comment on our "historic" election....

Yesterday was 2 weeks away from my "Re-birthday", or my "Other Birthday" and I
got caught up in watching the returns and missed my post yesterday. Sorry.

But...post or no post...I WAS thinking about the blog & I was wondering how I could tie in election day without making political commentary. I could incorporate a vote of my own.

Cliché, I know. But here we go.

I am not sure what to call November 22 each year from now on. I am looking for some snazzy little phrase to use for my "heart attack-adversary", but I just can't find anything better that "Re-birthday" and that one just doesn't QUITE do it.

This may seem to be a silly thing to worry about, but this is a PRETTY important day & it needs an appropriate name. I mean, we need to know what to put on my cake.

What do you all think? What should I call November 22 from now on? Drop me a comment with your suggestion.

To be honest, this may not be a TRUE election. In fact I may not put it out for a VOTE at all; mine may be the ONLY vote that counts. But hey, you all have an opportunity to chime in and maybe be the person whose word shows up on cakes for what I hope is years to come.

Good night & God bless.

Sorry...took the weekend off. The weekend was very busy & I didn't think I could do this blog justice with the time given. So, I missed a couple of days.

What makes tonight's post extra special is not that I am back after a break, it is that I get to give you some REALLY cool news.

After Ashley's post to Facebook the other day, her new friend from the Forsyth County EMS shared this blog. As a result of HTAT sharing my blog, one of the EMT's who work my call READ IT & was able to find me and friend me on Facebook.

Yes, I get to be a Facebook friend with one of the people who ACTUALLY SAVED MY LIFE. Now, how many people do YOU know who will actually get to say that in the course of a lifetime?

The young lady (name withheld until I get approval) and I have traded messages and I hope to see her on the 22nd when I deliver the donations form the readers and me.

Next step is to get her to introduce me to the others on duty that day. I need to be able to thank them in person just as I have now been able to thank her.

Wow....I am still overwhelmed that I get to know at least one of the folks directly responsible for this blog. I can't wait to get a chance to meet her and the others and present them with what I hope is the first of many annual gifts.

I'll let you know how things go when I swing into the EMS unit on the 22nd.

Good night & God bless.

Special surprise author tonight.
Ashley had a special chance to remind the EMT's in Forsyth County that they have made huge impacts on our family.

Here is her post to Facebook about the encounter:

Tonight, I got to reconnect with someone who I met in July of 2015-- one of the paramedics who treated me after I fainted due to being septic after Seussical!  She was one of the paramedics covering the football game with me tonight!  I knew who she was as soon as she introduced herself AND I was so excited to get to tell her that what she did for me mattered!  We chatted about what had happened with me, our families, etc AND then, I got to tell her that her colleagues saved my husband's life (lots of tears happened here!)!  It was amazing to share his miraculous story and know just how blessed we have been!  So, here's to you, J.Ray, you and your colleagues make a difference and the Donahue family will forever be indebted to y'all!


Thanks Ashley.

The other night she also met an EMT who was not involved in my case, but who had HEARD about it and remembered it almost a year later. Apparently, I am a minor celebrity in the Forsyth County EMT corps.

Add to this, the time these folks came to take care of our son...and they deserve so much more than we could ever give.

There is still almost a month before I present my donation to them. If you'd like to contribute, send your donation to me at

5205 Smoky Ridge Ln.
Winston Salem, NC  27127

Make your check payable to Forsyth County EMS. I'll match everything up to $250.

Good night and God bless.

I am now within 3 weeks of being alive again for a whole year.
Less than a month. It just hit me really how close my rebirth day is; how close I am to the end of this blog (keep the cheers to a minimum).




I looked back over some of my posts. Some good, some pretty poor. They have definitely evolved over the year. I kind of got to thinking how I had evolved over the year.


I have lost 30 lbs.
I have gotten religious about running at least 3 times a day.
I have gotten used to taking pills for a living.
I have gotten VERY aware of my weight and how much I eat. I actually panic just a little if I gain any weight, or feel like I went over 1500 milligrams of sodium in a day.


As you might imagine, things have taken on a new priority in life. Missing events for my kids actually hurts now. I mean I always hated it, but I actually hurt a little this week when I had to miss the open house at the kids' school.


I am noticing my age more now too. I just realize that I have been around for a while. I am not "OLD" per say but I am actually old enough to be a grandparent without TOO much of a stretch.
(For those of you who doubt....47....48 for all intents and purposes....at 23 I could have had a son, 46 when he has a daughter, & there you go....my fictitious granddaughter would be 2 years old; a toddler)


I crossed over to where I don't feel invincible anymore. Sort of a sad thing, but maybe a good thing. I am taking better care of myself. I am working with the kids to make sure they take care of THEMSELVES as best I can while letting them still be kids.


This blog has grown and changed. I have changed and hope I have grown.
Three weeks to reach a year. I'm looking forward to it.


Good night & God bless.

In Atlanta tonight and having trouble dropping off to sleep.

I paid some more of my dad's bills today; leftover medical bills, the last power bill, etc.

With each one, I am getting closer to being done with the task of being executor. With each one, I am getting closer to having my dad's time here on earth end.

While this blog is not about dad, his situation often makes me reflect on my own. How long would it have taken for my Mark to disappear? How hard would Ashley have had to work to clean up the trail I left behind?

...and how much more work would someone have had to do if I were not here to be dad's executor?

...and WHY have we not updated our wills now that our family is complete?

Lesson? Pay attention to the paperwork. Have it in order.

Bigger lesson, leave your mark now, love your family now, decide who you are and be that person forever.