If you have a heart bypass or heart valve procedure in your future you should find this book fascinating. While there are a lot of books that explain what a heart bypass is, there are not too many that will explain what you feel or what the overall the experience is like from the patient's perspective. That is best to hear from a patient who has gone through it. If you have a loved one who will be undergoing heart surgery you will want to read this book because the information will be valuable and helpful to understanding what your family member is going through. If neither of those situations applies you may want to exit here; but before you go, here is a takeaway: heart disease happens. You may want to read this just to gain an appreciation of the importance of getting to your doctor or to the hospital if you have any type of symptom that could even possibly be heart related. Yes, you have heard immediate treatment could save your life but here is a message that might do a better job of gaining the attention of health fanatics. A heart attack can cause severe un-repairable damage to heart tissue. Getting treatment early enough may temporarily stabilize your condition and prevent long-term affliction. When you become ill, not just with an artery blockage but with any kind of traumatic illness or accident; your perspective changes. The details of that condition and treatment grow in focus, while everything else shrinks in focus. You have most likely known people that talk about their procedures weeks, months, and even years later. This should be an indication to you of how your mentality can shift from an external perspective to a totally internal driven perspective. When you are feeble you are vulnerable; no exceptions. It is very hard for a person who has always been healthy to understand what it's like to be weak and dependent on others. If you can let go of your mindset for just a minute though, and think ahead about your circumstances should you become seriously ill, you might want to rethink some of the decisions you have made up to now. You should be aware that I am not a medical professional. I was a patient who had a bypass operation and experienced many things I had never experienced before; nor ever expected to experience. It wasn't pleasant but I made it. Would it have been any easier if I had read a book like this before my surgery? I think so, because, I would have understood that: -There is a difference between pain and weakness / fragility. -The discomfort is short-term for most people. -A devastated body can recover given sufficient time. Sean Kirk Adams