Well...it is here...the end of 2016.


With the closing of 2016, we also come to the end of this blog; TheThankYouYear.


It may sound trite, but I want to say thank you to everyone who has read my posts, all 176 of them.
176....not the 365 that I had hoped for


8 loyal readers...not the following I'd hoped for, but more than enough to make me realize I had to keep writing. I knew I had to keep writing for myself and for you all, even after my father passed away in June.


As I am sure you all noticed, my posts got less frequent as we entered the later stages of the year. Well, that was a direct effect of the fact that I just didn't have anything interesting to say as we progressed through the year.


I have had a year to forget and a year to remember.
As you al already know, I lost my father soon after finding out he had pancreatic cancer. That was the worst thing that has ever happened to me...so far.




I have not only survived a heart attack, but made myself better for it. At the beginning of this blog, I could barely walk a mile without losing my breath. At the end, I could run 3 miles without thinking of it as a hard workout. I went from 170 pounds to 145. I no longer have high cholesterol.


I also learned how hard it is to reflect on your life every day. There are days that, upon reflection, really don't warrant spending the time to write about them. There are days that you can't wait to get to the computer and start writing. And, there are days that you just wish you could forget.


Through it all though, I have really had a good time writing for you. I can only hope that you enjoyed reading about me and my recovery.


While my recovery is not over (far from it), the life of this blog is. I called it TheThankYouYear for a reason. I really don't have much of interest to write about, and I don't have much opportunity to tell my story anymore....pretty much everyone has heard it.


SO, with nothing much to say, no words of wisdom to impart, it is time to say good bye, and thank you for being a part of my year-long show my appreciation to everyone who helped save my life, who helped Ashley get through those early days, who has been there for us since November 22, 2015.


So, one final time....THANK YOU.


That's all, except for.........




Good night & God bless.

Travels are complete, gifts are wrapped  (finally) and children are nestled all snug on the floor....

Okay, so it is not the traditional version of that poem, but you get the idea.

Sorry I have not posted in quite some time, but that is sort of a reflection of what has been going on lately; not much of note.

This will be my 2nd Christmas since the heart attack, and the first "normal" one. Last year, Ashley was afraid to let me stand for the mass, this year I could have run 3 miles during mass (maybe 5....it was a long service).

SO much has changed in the 365 days since we last celebrated the birth of Jesus, some good some not so much. But, in all not the worst year I could have had.

I've recently started making a more concerted effort to talk to my mom every few days. I think that is the best t h ing that has happened to me in the last little while.

She is a wonderful woman, a good mom and someone who, when the dementia is not taking over, is full of more love and caring that most. Yha5God for giving me this extra time on earth to remember that.

Well, time for my not-so-long winters nap.

Merry Christmas, ano, as always.....

Good night, and God bless.

Wow...I just got a really interesting Facebook post.




Anyone want to guess what it is? GO, ahead, y'all are pretty smart guess. I'll wait...




<<Jeopardy Theme>>






No, really, guess...


<<pregnant pause>>






Oh, alright, I'll tell you, but you are gonna kick yourselves for not guessing.


Today is the one year anniversary of this blog!
It has been one year since my first post went public.




I have been writing to you for exactly 1 year & I want to thank you all who are still with me for the privilege. It has truly been an honor to share my story with you all.


While I have not been as faithful as I had hoped in writing every night, I have tried to give you all a full understanding of the emotions and the rollercoaster ride that is the recovery from a heart attack.


It truly has been a wild ride a rollercoaster of emotions, weight gain & loss, and physical "confidence". There have been days I have felt like I could run a marathon and days I wondered if I was going to live to see the sun.


Even my readership has taken the ride, I have been as high as 100+ readers and as low as 5 on certain days.


There are only about 2 weeks left in the life of this little exercise. I hope that somewhere in between now and 12/31, I can come up with something interesting to say and give someone an inspiration to get better, go higher, be happier.


Talk to you all tomorrow.


Good night & God bless.

So....
....what does anyone want to talk about?


I'll be honest, I am starting to run out of things to talk about.
Things are pretty much becoming, well, plain...normal....ordinary.




My day is starting with getting kids ready for school, moving into working and trying to fit everything in, and ending with wondering how I will handle it all tomorrow.


Dare I say that, unless something bad happens, the condition of my heart doesn't figure into the day.




I wish I had some great philosophical comment to make, or some great teaching experiment. But...I do not.


Maybe that is the great philosophical comment...
After almost a year, I am finally starting to "move past" my heart attack.....


Let's hope that I can continue that process well after the end of this blog is just over 2 weeks.


Good night & God bless.

Wow gang, I am slipping....I am sorry.
You know how the holiday season can be though.


Today was a tough day. Just "one of those days" that seemed to start okay but quickly went downhill.


It ended with me causing a bunch of trouble getting my oldest to his Boy Scout event.
His Troop was performing at an Assisted Living facility & I was supposed to meet him at home to take him.

Long story short (the details of the mess up are not relevant), He got to the event, but I was RUNNING to make sure I caught the performance.


Two things ran through m head as I was entering the building.
1. Geez I PRAY that I am not late.
2. This is WAY too stressful for me right now.


For the first time tonight, there was no feeling of, "well at least I was HERE to mess things up."
Nope....pure and simple, all I could think about was not being that dad; the one who JUST misses his son performing. The one whose work "gets in the way".


At just over a year out, the heart attack became a non-issue.


Is that good, or bad?
I don't know. I am not sure. All I know is, I felt like CRAP knowing that I almost messed up my son's night.....and that is all that mattered.


It was just for that brief second as I was at my highest point of worry that my son was looking for me only to not be able to see me, that I worried about my heart; that I was thinking that it was enough to "just be alive for this."


I guess that means things are getting back to "normal"....whatever that means.


Good night & God bless.

It is 10:30.
I am sitting in front of a slowly smoldering fire.
My kids are snuggled in front of the fire.


It is 10:30.
I am happy.


Today was an interesting day at rehab; it was the holiday party.
THIS is the table of goodies we had available to us for the party:

You will notice that there is a whole lot of good food. You will notice there is NOT a whole lot "good FOR you" food.


Well, I did my best to be "good." While I did have 1 or 2 things not good for me, I mostly ate fresh veggies and fruit. If fact, if you see a fruit tray in the picture, it is the one I brought.


I was very glad to see what was on that table. What I saw was not all good, nutritious food....
....and the rehab staff was OKAY with it being there. Knowing that will help me feel better about myself if I ever "fall off the wagon." It is nice to know that even the cardiac rehab staff admits it is okay to splurge every-once-in-a-while.


THANK GOD!


That is about it for tonight; I am in a good place...and...I found out that those days when I felt terrible for eating some goodies, I didn't need to be TOO hard on myself. It happens; sometimes even WITH approval from the medical staff.


So, if you are out there reading...don't let a single day of "breaking the rules" get you down.




Good night & God bless.

I walked into the rehab facility today & my weight lifting machine was gone.


Well, CRAP!
Can't believe it, but they took away my weight lifting equipment!


What are they thinking?!?!? That was there for ME...MEMEMEMEME!!!!!!




What?




Wait, really?




Oh, okay then...




Whew! As it turns out they are REPLACING the weight lifting equipment; MY weight lifting equipment (isn't it nice of me to allow the rest of the hospital patients to use my equipment?).


Next week there is supposed to be some shiny new stuff sitting where the old stuff was. I hope so for their sake, or there will be QUITE the tantrum.


Till then, I'll need to make due with some dumbbells, or make a special trip to the YMCA each day.


I can't wait to see the new stuf. Of course, the only bad part is....
....I didn't even get to say good-bye to the old stuff.


"Good bye old friend."


Have a great night y'all.


Good night & God bless.

Well, well, well, I bet you all thought I had given up a few weeks short of finishing the year didn't you?


Well, after a weekend and a couple of nights of children demanding that I lay with them, I finally have a chance to get back to TheThankYouYear.


I needed to look back at some of my older posts and it brought back some memories. Some are pretty cool, and some are pretty scary.


In looking back, I noticed that I am coming up on another 1 year anniversary. Can you remember what it is? It will be on December 16/17. It is sort of a two part celebration.


Anyone that wants to guess, send me a message.


Today wasn't anything special, but yesterday was cool because I did some resistance training for the first time in WEEKS. I had to cut back some of the weight, but that is a pretty normal occurrence when you skip lifting days.


What was cool, was that I had no concern for my cardiac health. I cut back on the weight because I didn't want to damage any of the muscles I was using to lift the weights. But...my heart never really entered the conversation.


I was really happy when I realized that fact.
I am really happy with where I have been able to bring my physical health over this last year.


Thanks for coming along on this ride with me.


Good night & God bless.

Today has been a pretty regular day. Worked out at rehab, worked and then got to hang with my kids.
The nice part about today is I set my treadmill at 6 MPH for the whole 30 minutes.


What is nice about that workout is that I set the treadmill at 6 MPH because I wanted to take it easy today. I have been pushing and pushing to keep doing better each week and today, I just needed a bit of a break.


SO, with a treadmill set at 6 MPH for 30 minutes, that means I ran....


...let's see....


...6x30.....


....carry the two.....


....YES! You got it, that means I did 3 miles (okay a LITTLE less since I warmed up the first couple of minutes) in 30 minutes and considered it a "break day".


That makes me feel really good. It makes all the work seem like it did something.
I still feel a little afraid that I am not really working hard enough, and that I should be even FURTHER along. But, I guess when it is all said and done, the fact that I can run 3 miles and call it taking a break, I shouldn't feel too bad.


I hope I am giving you all something worth reading still.
Remember, this blog has about 5 weeks left before I shut it down. If you want to read about anything particular, drop me a comment here & I'll do my best to fulfill your request.


Good night & God bless.

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.