A Woman's Guide to Living with Heart Disease

Book excerpt: The daily challenges of living—and coping—with a chronic and progressive invisible illness. 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. In A 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 treatment—and how to overcome that impulse • the link between pregnancy complications and future heart disease • why so many women with heart disease are misdiagnosed—and 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 disease–related depression without drugs Equal parts memoir about a misdiagnosed heart attack, guide to the predictable stages of heart disease—from grief to resilience—and 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.