The Basics of Heart Health Management at Home (ePub)

Have you had a heart attack, heart surgery, a cardiac arrest or been given a heart health diagnosis?

You've likely been physically mended and discharged from the hospital, you may still be going through treatment and you are probably overwhelmed by all the lifestyle changes you've been told to make to reduce your risk factors and prevent another heart attack or future cardiac surgery.

You may be experiencing shock, fear, confusion and feeling alone. You no longer trust yourself or your body. It's hard to remember all the things that you've been told to do. Wanting answers to questions that you didn't know you would have. All this leads to feelings of stress and anxiety which should be minimalised to ensure your cardiac rehabilitation.

From this book, you'll get comfort from learning that you are not alone with how you feel or what you have been through. You'll hear from others what to expect in the early days of your recovery at home, understand how your family may be feeling and some tips for them about how they can help you.

It will help you understand your medications, what they are, how they work and how to build them into your everyday life. There are suggestions and ideas of how to get the best from your appointments such as keeping notes and how to prepare for them. There's also a section to help you understand the terminology about your heart health condition and cardiac treatments.

There are activities that will help you to overcome anxiety and learn to relax. Ideas to help you sleep better and be able to make sense of your thoughts and feelings. Techniques to manage pain and angina. You will gain confidence to be able to make changes in your life including preparing to stop smoking.

Also included are 8 files. They are for you to use without writing in the book. There is a guided relaxation that you can access and listen to as many times as you like. You will find easy URL links to the following within the book:

1. Angina journal and word bank to capture information about your attacks for your doctor.
2. Appointment journal to a record of thoughts, feelings and questions you may want to ask so you don't forget in between appointments.
3. Appointment notes to help you prepare for your meeting so nothing is missed and you prioritise your most important issues.
4. A guided relaxation file, it will give you the chance to experience calm, space and relax your mind and body. Take a break and ease the stress from heart attack and surgery recovery.
5. Medication chart to keep track in the early days as it can be quite overwhelming when you arrive home after surgery with a bag full of medicines you've never heard of before.
6. Pain journal to help you with wound healing after heart surgery or stenting, keeping track helps you manage better and prepares you for conversations with medical teams.
7. Sleep journal as your sleep can often be disrupted after heart surgery, cardiac arrest or surgery. The journal helps you keep a record so you can see any patterns or share them with your general practitioner.
8. Wellbeing journal as keeping a journal helps you stay focused and move forwards. It doesn't have to be very long, just enough to keep you aware of how you are improving daily.

My book is not medical. It is not about diet or cardiac rehabilitation exercise. It is about the emotional and practical side of everyday life after a heart attack or heart surgery. It is about positive psychology and empowerment through survivorship to thriving in your new life. It is to complement your cardiologist, medical specialist, nutritionist, and physical rehab teams.

Learn the art of living your life happy after a heart attack, heart surgery and heart disease!