…and this is where I paraphrase even more, for it isn’t a matter of fearing no evil but a matter of fearing nothing because I remember nothing at all about that momentous day.

So, hi again, y’all. I’ve been remiss in posting here; not had a post in five weeks because it was exactly one month ago today that I had what the doctors called a massive heart attack. Afterwards, I spent five days in the ICU heart section of our local hospital, five days in a regular hospital room and then five more days in what they call the Care Partners rehab center, being watched closely and tested for my ability to return to normal life. And here I am now, two weeks after coming home, picking up where I left off having took some time to recuperate a bit.

Lynndee has made several mentions in her last few posts about something happening, promising that it would be shared later, and now’s the time to share. On that Saturday a month ago, I was on the bed and Lynndee said I made some funny noises. I was trying to breath but couldn’t. Then she said I started turning pale. So she immediately called 911 and they told her she needed to start doing CPR. Though not trained in it, the operator talked her through it and she kept the oxygen going through my body for the ten minutes it took the EMT’s to get to our home. I later learned that the most important thing about that was the fact that my brain lost no oxygen which could have led to major brain damage. Once those EMT’s got here, they took over, got me to the hospital and then the fun began.

For four days I was kept alive by the miracles of modern medical technology. On the third day, the attempted what was called a sedation holiday, removing me from sedation and the respirator, but said I was still in an agitated state so they put me back under. But when they removed me on the fourth day, all was well and I came back into the real world. If you want to call that the real world, that is. But after one more day in ICU, I was moved to a regular room.

For the next five days before they moved me to the heart tower, they hovered over me doing all they could to help me get back to normal, monitoring all my functions and constantly checking me and medicating me. And then after five days in the heart tower learning recuperation methods and the changes I needed to make in my lifestyle, I was free to come home, exactly two weeks ago today.

Here I am, ready to leave the hospital. I look a little worse for the wear but I’m back at it, ready to rock and roll again!

I find it ironic, but I truly remember nothing about that day or the following four days. I recall no pain of having a heart attack or anything that followed those next four days. It’s all a total blank. Technically, since I was on life support, I was dead. A weird thought but no wonder I remember nothing. But since coming off life support, I’ve began creating a new set of memories of a new life. And yesterday, a wonderful memory was added: it was my birthday, one I could have missed if not for my wife’s quick actions, and she treated me to a wonderful night out for dinner at one of Asheville’s premier restaurants, the Corner Kitchen, a place where President Obama had lunch on his visit to Asheville. Did I ever pig out! It was absolutely a delicious treat.

But I can’t help but realize that I was blessed to have another birthday celebration, something I’ll never take for granted again. From here on out, I will look at every day as a gift to be enjoyed to the fullest. After going where I went, I’d be a fool not to look at life that way. So, here I am back, and hopefully, I’ll be here again next year sharing another birthday with y’all.