Thanks to all my great friends on the creek!!

[John Keeton]

I am overwhelmed with all of the expressions of hope and prayers, and the wonderful comments in the various threads. It is humbling to say the least.

Eileen and I got home today about noon. We had several errands to run - her van was in the shop and needed picking up, prescriptions to fill, and we ended up having lunch with my sister that came in - hadn't seen her in several years.

I am generally exhausted and extremely sore in my groin area, but otherwise feel fine. It may be a day or two before I get fully active again on the creek - but, I can't stay away long!!

As I indicated to Steve, other than the first couple of weeks, I have no restrictions nor much in the way of recommended lifestyle changes. And, as I commented to some that sent PMs, aside from nearly dying, it is pretty much a non event at this point!


I was directed to take off work this week and will do so. But, I do hope to finish up a piece on which I was working prior to the heart attack. It will be titled The Widow Maker!!! Figured it is a fitting title!

There was a moment during the first frenzy at the local hospital when my pulse dropped to 30 and I was drifting away - I will never forget that feeling. The helicopter ride could have been more fun on a different day and for a different purpose, but it got me there quickly.

Thanks, again to all - the prayers were answered, and I am gracious beyond belief.

JK

[Sid Matheny]

Good to hear you are home and on the mend. Hang in there and take care.

Sid

[Steve Schlumpf]

Happy you are home! Relax and take some deep breaths... you made it!

[Russell Eaton]

Glad to hear you made it home ok. Get some rest and look forward to seeing the widowmaker. Fell better soon.

[Robert McGowen]

I am sure that there is a joke about a lawyer and heaven in there somewhere, but I will just say that I am glad you are geting back to your normal activities and life!
I hope you did not scare your wife too much.

[Jack Mincey]

John,
Great to hear your already back home and that everything looks good for the future. If your recovery is as quick as you learned to turn on the lathe everything will be back to normal in a blink of the eye.
Take Care,
Jack Mincey

[David DeCristoforo]

"I am sure that there is a joke about a lawyer and heaven..."

Many, to be sure. But the simple truth is, they don't want to become overpopulated by lawyers so they have adopted a policy of giving all lawyers the equivalent of several lives which helps to control the lawyer population in heaven (they argue incessantly and it can interfere with the singing and harp music). But whatever the reason, we are all glad to have you sticking around for a bit, John. It may not be hard to find a lawyer but it's a real pain trying to find a good moderator...

[Roland Martin]

Really great to hear you are home and doing well. Try not to scare the hell out of us like that again (like you tried in the first place):) You're a good man John, and we "need" you here on the Creek! Do what needs to be done for recouperation, it'll pay off in the end. Good Night:)

[Steve Mawson]

Answered prayer is very special, especially when it does not take very long. Super to hear of your fast progress.

[Ted Calver]

John,
Glad to have you back home and still kicking!! There was a lot of speculation that this whole 'widow maker' thing was the direct result of the stress of trying to keep the sawdust off that shop floor. I can't believe the doc didn't say something :) :)

[Roger Chandler]

Take it easy for a few, John, and ease back into things..........just to let your body recover a bit and acclimate to the stints. We will still keep you in our prayers!

[Richard Kennedy UK]

Nasty shock for you nasty shock for us! Glad to hear you are doing well take it easy but dont take too long I want to see this piece!

[Jon McElwain]

I'm glad you are back, I'm glad our prayers are answered, and I am happy for your family. You are much appreciated around here.

I cannot wait to see The Widow Maker!!

[Doug W Swanson]

John,
So glad you made it through this ordeal. My dad passed away from the Widow Maker 18 years ago so I can relate. Take care of yourself (and Eileen)....

[Allan Ferguson]

I would bet that it was a tense crew working on you in the hospital. I have been the nurse in plenty such situations. HR of thirty tends to crank up everyone else's HR big time. Get well and stay well.

[Richard Jones]

Glad you could stay with us............

Feel better!

Rich

[philip labre]

Glad to hear you are home and on the mend.

[Jim Adkins]

good to hear you're home John...just let the mrs. tend to your health and of course do as the Dr. says
and don't worry about a few shavings on the floor.....not that important!!

[bobby lynn]

Glad you are back and doing good.

[Dick Mahany]

John,

Rest, recover and you'll be as good as new. Looking forward to your next pieces in due time !

[Brian Brown]

So glad to hear that you are doing well. I had a friend and client who had the same event a couple of days before you did. Unfortunately his outcome was different. His funeral was yesterday. Count your blessings, and do everything you can to stay with us. We need the continued inspiration provided by your work.

Looking forward to seeing the Widow Maker. Will the name require any design changes in the final piece?

[Hayes Rutherford]

John, when what happened to you took place it reminds me of two things: One is that prayers work, and the second is when a person thinks they have everything under control, the man upstairs can slap you and remind you who is really in control!

[Curt Fuller]

You got a helicopter ride? Man you're the luckiest guy I know!

It's such a relief to know you're going to be OK. Welcome back.

[Ryan Baker]

John, glad to hear you are back home and doing well in record time. Rest up and welcome back!

[Greg Just]

Welcome back John. Glad everything worked out and you are well on the road to a full recovery. Looking forward to your beautiful turnings and your support here on SMC.

[ed hoxter]

john, i havn"t been on here for awhile. sorry to here of your health problems. hope everything is OK now. i went through the same kind of problems in 97. it gets better in a short time. i found that moderate exercise helped me more than anything else. good luck in the future. ed hoxter

[Nate Davey]

Nice to see you back John. Don't over do it.

[phil harold]

Glad to see you are on the mend

welcome back!

[charlie knighton]

cross over, and back, very nice John

[David E Keller]

I'm happy to hear you're home and feeling well. If you want to talk about a 'stress test', wait 'til you see the bill for that chopper ride... You could have bought a chopper for what they charge for those things! Enjoy each day and take your time returning to the shop!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

It's good to see you back John! Follow the doctor's orders.

[Richard Wolf]

Good to still have you around.

[Donny Lawson]

Glad to see you back. Take it easy a few days.

[James Combs]

What, I can't believe you weren't directed to make lifestyle changes after a massive heart attack? You didn't happen to tell the doctors that you are a lawyer did you? If you did that would explain it, and it's a wonder they bothered to fix you.:D:p

Oh and BTW, welcome back.

[Thom Sturgill]

Glad to hear you are home. take it easy and don't get stressed out. The doctors do so much better now by treating the blockage fast - most of the damage to my heart was done by the 10 day wait to 'stabilize' me when I had mine 15 years ago this month. Do what the doctors tell you and rest this week.

[Harry Robinette]

John
Glad you're OK, remember what the Doc said and watch that crotch thing mine took a week and a half before it was half way comfortable to walk.

[Bernie Weishapl]

John good to see ya back posting. Take it easy and take your time.

[Baxter Smith]

Glad you are home and doing well John! Sounds like quite a ride. Take care of yourself and enjoy each day. The Mrs. will appreciate it, not to mention more than a few of use here.

[daniel lane]

Another to say very glad that you're home and doing well, and I'll agree with Ken - follow the doc's orders!



daniel

[Dick Wilson]

"I am sure that there is a joke about a lawyer and heaven..."

it's a real pain trying to find a good moderator...

and a good friend

[Dick Wilson]

Welcome back John. You have been sorrily missed. This place has degenerated to the food fight level without your steady hand and smile. I, of course, have behaved myself admirably:D:D. Hey, take a day or so and look out the window and appreciate the view. Take care of yourself my friend cuz we do not need another scare.

[Shawn Pixley]

Glad to hear you're home and doing well! Come back to the creek soon (but not too soon).

[Joe Adams]

I'm glad to hear your recovery is progressing nicely. Having had my own health scare a few years back, I can assure you it changes your attitude going forward. No one says on their deathbed, "I wish I had worked more." Embrace life and enjoy all that it has to offer.

[Matt Owen]

Glad to hear you are doing better. You are a great part of this community and well loved. Can't wait to see The Widow Maker!

[Kathy Marshall]

Welcome back John! Glad to hear you're home and doing better! You were missed (guess this means you can never take a vacation that doesn't include internet access)! Take it easy and rest up, btw I know from personal experience that turning has great recuperative powers as well as being a great stress reducer, just don't overdo it.

[Prashun Patel]

Yr best work is ahead of you still.
Glad to have you back.
You've been so generous and inspiring, I hope we can someday meet.

[Mark Hubl]

Can't keep a good man down. Glad to hear you are home and have minimal discomfort. Take it easy, you get a pass on sweeping and vacuuming for the next couple of weeks. Look forward to seeing this frighteningly named new piece.

[Scott Hackler]

Welcome home John. Try to resist the shop for as long as possible and rest up. You can easily use this time for a LOT of sketches for future pieces. Glad your recovery is going great.

[John Beaver]

John, glad to hear you're home and well.

The number of posts regarding your incident speaks volumes about how respected and loved you are here. I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say that we definitely want you around for a while. Take good care of yourself so you can continue to moderate all of us.

Best wishes

John B.

[Alan Trout]

I am glad you are home and OK. Take it easy for a day or two and then get back to turning.

Alan

[John Keeton]

Thanks, all! Up early this morning at 5 am - the whole event kind of got me off schedule. Feeling well this morning, and the groin soreness is fading slowly. I look like I was beaten with a ball bat - black and blue is an understatement!

I will heed the advice of my friends and docs, and this week will be restful. I did stop by the office yesterday to do a couple of things. I may do that a couple of more times this week, but otherwise, I intend to enjoy the time off - and, that will include some lightweight shop time!

Let's all put this behind us, and take forward all the great lessons learned! Live each day as if it were your last - it may well be! Try to make a positive difference in the lives of all you touch, and remember always the source of our blessings! To say the sunrise this morning was beautiful would be a gross understatement!!:)

Thanks, again, to all that prayed and wished well for my recovery! Let's get back to woodturning!:D

[Tim Rinehart]

Truly and sincerely...welcome back John.

[Paul Heely]

Welcome back John. Glad to hear that you'll be fully recovered in no time.

[Robert Henrickson]

I'm very glad to hear that you're home and feeling better! Best wishes on your recovery.

[Mike Cruz]

John, welcome home. Being such a kind man, I've always thought you heart was in the right place. But if your groin is hurting, maybe I'm mistaken...;)

[Doug Morgan]

John,
My father died in the hospital after several months of issues. To many to explain but in the end he passed away from a heart attack. I worked for the company that supplied the cath labs at the hospital and I was well aware of the difficulties he faced (as well as you). I am so glad that you survived the widow maker. The heart is an amazing organ and some people find that their heart actually will devise a way to have blood flow to keep the heart alive even after the widow maker is blocked. You are doing great here and I wish you all the best. Take at easy and work your way back.

PS I had an ablation to open an electrical path that was causing my heart to race at 130 bpm. I understand how sore your groin is! LOL

[Larry Pickering]

Glad your back, all things happen for a reason, maybe your experience will prompt some one to change their life style, like a friends death did for me. My avatar shows me wearing a 2x t-shirt, down from a 4x.

[Jim Burr]

Nothing like a brush with the Reaper to give us pause and appreciate stuff in general a lot more. Glad your back!

[Bob Borzelleri]

I just dropped in to see what folks thought of the Carter hollowing tool and the first things I saw were triple exclamation points after John's name. Like David, I figured John had just won an award for a creative bowl or platter or the like. Well John , I am very glad to hear that the crisis has now passed and that you are looking to put this all behind you. There's a lot to be said for living during a time period where it is possible to recover from events such as this....Bob

[Pete Jordan]

I am happy for your safe return!

[Michael E. Thompson]

Glad you back and OK. Its a good day.

[Noah Barfield]

Welcome back Steve! I am glad that you are OK and on your way towards recovering!

[Bill Bolen]

Glad to have you back John and I don't mean just to the board! After my stint went in years ago I noticed a surge in my energy levels. Great side benefit. Hope you get the same rush!:rolleyes:

[Rob Cunningham]

John
Glad to see you're back home and doing well. Take it easy for a while and listen to the doctors.

[ray hampton]

I were glad that you were at home until you mentioned that you got up at 5:30, NO WAIT ,is this PM--welcome home

[Jim Underwood]

I'm so glad you're ok and on the mend. That was a bit too close eh?

Take care of yourself!

[Jake Helmboldt]

Well, I can't offer anything that hasn't been said already, but I'm glad it was just one of those "reminder" cardiac events. Too much good work left in ya.

[Don McLeod]

Welcome back John, I've been there, done that so I have some idea of what you went through. Take your doctor's advice, ease up on the stress and enjoy the good life. Looking forward to seeing the "widowmaker".

[Ken Whitney]

Glad to see you are back at it. It sounds like you are ready for a little turning therapy:)

[John Keeton]

You guys are great!! Trust me - my priorities have changed considerably and things that seemed horribly important before - not so much now. Of course, keeping the shop clean still ranks way up there!!:) Speaking of.......I do have some free time today.......

[Rick Gibson]

Glad your on the mend John. Take care of yourself.

[George Gyulatyan]

John, great to hear you're out of the hospital and back on your feet again. Glad you're doing better. I wish you full recovery. Take it easy and enjoy!

[Jim Leslie]

Welcome back John!

[Hilel Salomon]

Great to read your post. Take good care of yourself.

Hilel

[John Keeton]

Thanks, again, to each of you. I posted kind of an update in the thread Steve started - things are going great!

[John Fabre]

I'm a little late here, glad to see you back John. How's your wife doing through all this?

[John Keeton]

Thanks, John. Ms. Keeton is a unique woman, and I know I am blessed that she is in my life. She is a trooper, and has done quite well. I have not required any "nurse maiding" so that part has been easy - the emotional aspects have been a bit more challenging for both of us!

But, I am back to doing all my normal stuff, and life is good!!!

[Keith Westfall]

Boy, you go away for a month and big changes!! John glad to hear that all is fine. Hopefully many more spinney days ahead...

[John Keeton]

Keith, thanks and good to hear from you! But, I have learned it doesn't take a month for a major change in a person's life - about 2 seconds is pretty much enough!;):D

[Don Morris]

John, We had a Celebration of Life party here to celebrate a 10 year post cancer survival for 2 family members. Those who have survived a life threatening event like you will appreciate what Bridget told me as the way she leads her life after breast cancer: "Eat dessert first, don't sweat the small stuff, and If it's not life threatening, there is no small stuff." Just be glad you're able to read this!