Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women worldwide. Yet most people are still unaware that heart disease is not just a man's problem. Carolyn Thomas, a heart attack survivor herself, is on a mission to educate women about their heart health. Based on her popular Heart Sisters blog, which has attracted more than 10 million views from readers in 190 countries, A Woman's Guide to Living with Heart Disease combines personal experience and medical knowledge to help women learn how to understand and manage a catastrophic diagnosis.
InA Woman's Guide to Living with Heart Disease, Thomas explains
how to recognize the early signs of a heart attack
why women often delay seeking treatmentand how to overcome that impulse
the link between pregnancy complications and future heart disease
why so many women with heart disease are misdiagnosedand how to help yourself get an accurate diagnosis
the importance of cardiac rehabilitation in lowering mortality risk
what to expect during your recovery from a heart attack
how the surreal process of coping with heart disease may affect your daily life
methods for treating heart diseaserelated depression without drugs
Equal parts memoir about a misdiagnosed heart attack, guide to the predictable stages of heart diseasefrom grief to resilienceand patient-friendly translation of important science-based findings on women's unique heart issues, this book is an essential read. Whether you're a freshly diagnosed patient, a woman who's been living with heart disease for years, or a practitioner who cares about women's health, A Woman's Guide to Living with Heart Disease will help you feel less alone and advocate for better health care.
Foreword, by Martha Gulati Preface Acknowledgments 1. The First Signs 2. Deadly Delay 3. Finally, a Correct Diagnosis 4. The New Country Called Heart Disease 5. Depressing News about Depression and Heart Disease 6. I'm What a Person with an Invisible Illness Looks Like 7. One-Downmanship 8. On Being a Good Patient 9. The New Normal 10. Making Peace with an Errant Organ Recommended Resources Notes Glossary Index
""Shining a light on what is often an ""invisible"" illness, Thomas shares the stories of women survivors as young as twenty-six and as old as sixty-three, some who had been experiencing symptoms for as long as two years before being correctly diagnosed and treated. Her book gives women the knowledge they need to become their own advocates in a health care system that continues to be weighted against them.""
