Surviving with Heart: Taking Charge of Your Heart Care

Surviving with Heart: Taking Charge of Your Heart Care is a very readable book chock full of information written by Darrell Trout, a survivor of heart disease and Ellen Welch, caretaker to her father following his quadruple bypass surgery. Grounded in the realities of Healthcare in the 21st Century with all the technological advances and the practical realities of the healthcare delivery system (e.g., the shortage of nurses and ancillary staff) this is a must read for all healthcare consumers and their families. Well researched and delivered, this book provides up to date and understandable information about the latest technology, procedures, and their empirically based value. Specific tips are given regarding how to choose your healthcare provider and how to prepare yourself for each medical encounter. It is a call to action for patients and their families to be involved participants in healthcare, to not do so could be deadly. This is a serious book that balances realism, empowerment, optimism and a good measure of humor. Basics of anatomy and physiology are given in an interesting way, along with numerous facts related to health and wellness. Quotes from literary and historical sources, along with numerous personal stories by the authors and other survivors and caretakers, bring the hard facts home. As a family and health psychologist and a nurse practitioner, I was pleased to see the integration of the psychological and family aspects of cardiac health. Seligman's work on the importance of optimism is cited, along with very good guidelines related to family members taking care of themselves and the myriad of emotions that are likely to get triggered along the way. This is a user-friendly book that can be read cover to cover or as a reference book, depending upon the readiness and current need of the reader. Both survivor's and caretakers are likely to resonate with Surviving with Heart in terms of being understood and that others have walked their journey. Very practical suggestions are provided related to sex, exercise, nutrition, stress management and shifting to a heart healthy lifestyle. Since heart disease often presents differently in women, a section is devoted to this area. I have recommended this book to psychology, nursing, and physician colleagues as well as to clients and friends. For healthcare providers who enjoy partnering with their patients in their care, this is a book well worth recommending.

I found the book to be user friendly. The authors explain medical terminology very well and give you devices for remembering what you've absorbed. It's comprehensive but one can take a few pages at a time to see the whole picture eventually. You can also go directly to any chapter that interests you the most and it will be clear even without reading the preceding chapters first.

I found the book to be very user friendly. The authors explain medical terminology very well and give you devices for remembering what you've absorbed. It's comprehensive but one can take a few pages at a time to see the whole picture eventually. You can also go directly to any chapter that interests you the most, and it will be clear eventually without reading the preceding chapters first.

I found the book to be very user friendly. The authors explain medical terminology very well and give you devices for remembering what you've absorbed. It's comprehensive but one can take a few pages at a time to see the whole picture eventually. You can also go to any chapter that interests you the most and it will be clear, even without reading the preceding chapters first.

Surviving with Heart is not just for the heart patient, their family, and their caregiver. Anyone faced with a life changing illness or simply wanting to improve his or her health will be able to take charge using the guidance offered here. This is down to earth information and advice artfully interspersed with clinical information and statistics in a readable format that is far from dull and boring. By offering practical suggestions, recipes, and techniques using a variety of resources including the "real life" experiences of patients and those who are their caregivers, the reader finds himself repeating throughout the book, "I can do this".