Category Archives: Death

Up and over: the trip back down…

Posted on April 3, 2008 by mashland

It’s been a good run.  A darn good run!  Other than my open heart “remodeling” on the second day of the new year, I have gone a year without ambulances or hospitals!  Whew!  Last summer I rode my vintage red … Continue reading →

Posted in Death, Heart Failure, Mike Ashland, Politics | 6 Comments

Bummerness inside my head

Posted on August 2, 2007 by mashland

So my church has this event called Tom’s Trek. Tom is for Fr. Tom, our pastor, and the Trek part refers to a hike around the Timberline Trail on Mt. Hood. The trek is about 42 miles, altitude 6,000 to … Continue reading →

Posted in Altitude Risk, Blood Clot, Death, Heart Failure, Mike Ashland | 10 Comments

Shoot! Don’t let me die to THAT song!

Posted on July 19, 2007 by mashland

Okay, it’s been a while. My soul patch has grown out and my hair is now blond/white. Later about that. Mostly these last weeks and months have been about living each day to absolute fullness. Some days that involves more … Continue reading →

Posted in Death, Heart Failure, Heart Surgery, Mike Ashland | 5 Comments

Music to my Soul

Posted on May 26, 2007 by mashland

Every once in a while I Google myself just to see what’s out there. I see this blog has been picked up by a lot of health sites. So be it. If you have heart failure, I guess I’m your … Continue reading →

Posted in Death, Heart Failure, Heart Surgery, Mike Ashland, Music | 3 Comments

Schmaltz, and not the fat

Posted on May 22, 2007 by mashland

I am an undeniable sentimentalist. I cry watching Extreme Home Makeover and almost every American Idol or Dancing with the Stars. Music, dance, art…they cut through everything else and I am left dangling and wide open. This last year has … Continue reading →

Posted in Death, Heart Failure, Heart Surgery, Mike Ashland | 5 Comments

Small farm animals return…

Posted on April 25, 2007 by mashland

Despite discovering a heart blood clot and the failure of my surgery to raise my Ejection Fraction, I have still enjoyed almost 4 months without chest pains and the terror they breed. Unfortunately a rather large donkey came out of … Continue reading →

Posted in Death, Heart Failure, Heart Surgery, Mike Ashland | 5 Comments

No Run for You!

Posted on April 4, 2007 by mashland

I’ve had a day with my new “status.” Got up at 6 and went in to Legacy for Cardiac Rehabilitation. I sat down to get my heart monitor hooked up and, while they were wiping me with alcohol swabs I … Continue reading →

Posted in Death, Heart Failure, Heart Surgery, Mike Ashland | 5 Comments

Not good news.

Posted on April 3, 2007 by mashland

Yesterday was three months, to the day, from my open-heart surgery. My heart was remodeled by a team of fabulous surgeons in the hopes that I could get 2 to 5 more years out of this heart. Add 10 years … Continue reading →

Posted in Death, Heart Failure, Heart Surgery, Mike Ashland | 6 Comments

I had a dream…

Posted on February 13, 2007 by mashland

This morning I awakened as the sun was just lighting the sky. I sat up, fully awake, and felt ready to go outside and dig up the front yard, or stack wood, or ride a bike to work. But I … Continue reading →

Posted in Death, Heart Failure, Heart Surgery, Mike Ashland | 10 Comments

Phoenix rising…

Posted on January 30, 2007 by mashland

Last year my daughter Jenny ran her first road race, the Portland Shamrock Run. That morning my defibrillator vest went off. I was in very bad shape and only weeks into facing my new mortality. But Pat and I were … Continue reading →

Posted in Death, Heart Failure, Heart Surgery, Mike Ashland | 6 Comments