The 10 Best Questions for Recovering From a Heart Attack by Dede Bonner

If you've had a heart attack or are at risk for a heart attack, Dede Bonner's book is a must for your bookshelf. Dede takes you beyond the brisk, often abrupt treatment from your doctors and gives you the details for how to take care of yourself through every aspect of treatment from your surgery, through your lifestyle changes and in building a healthy future. Dede gives you the most important questions to ask so that you can move beyond the fear and take control of your health and your future.

Having a heart attack can be one of the scariest moments of your life, but the recovery process can be even more daunting. What you do to recover and rebuild your life is crucial to your future health and Dede Bonner's book, The 10 Best Questions for Recovering From a Heart Attack helps you do just that. As Dede says, "A good mind knows the right answers, but a great mind knows the right questions," and in her book, she gives you the questions you should ask to sail through treatment and recovery.

We often hear the phrase, "Talk to you doctor," but what do you say and how do you find the courage to ask? Dede answers those questions in well-organized chapters, giving you the 10 most important questions to ask about each aspect of the recovery process: Talking to your doctor about your situation, how to choose the right treatments, how to change your lifestyle to make your heart healthier and how to build a future life after going through something so physically and emotionally traumatic. Each topic is broken down into more specialized areas, giving you detailed maps to guide you through every phase of your recovery.

What stands out about Dede's book is that it's helpful no matter where you are in your treatment or recovery. You may not need to read every chapter, but simply focus on the ones that help you the most. For each topic, whether it's about getting referrals to the right doctors or the type of surgery you may need, she gives you 10 specific questions to ask to get all the information you need. The questions she suggests are things many of us wouldn't think of, especially in the chaos following a heart attack. For example, after a heart attack, you'll want to ask the doctor what tests, treatments and medications you were given so you can get copies for your family doctor. She also gives explanations for some of the more confusing medical terms, why they're important and how to ask your doctor about them.

What also stands out is her attention to the post-recovery process. When you're physically healthy, your doctor may cut you loose with vague directions to lose weight or eat healthy, but what does that actually mean and where do you start? Dede explains exactly how to do it, covering all the lifestyle choices that may have contributed to the problem. She takes you through each lifestyle change you need to make such as changing your diet, dealing with stress, exercising and quitting smoking. She provides thorough and specific questions about everything from hiring a personal trainer to joining a gym.

Dede also offers tips for how to ask questions, critical knowledge if you're usually too intimidated to question anything the doctor says.

Overall, Dede Bonner's book is an excellent resource for anyone recovering from a heart attack, providing a comforting resource to turn to when you feel confused or overwhelmed. Dede helps you navigate the sometimes confusing world of medicine, giving you power over your own treatment and recovery.

Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the author. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.