Press Room: The Open Heart Companion: Preparation and Guidance for Open-Heart Surgery Recovery

"Her Own Surgery Prepared Her For Book" — Feature article by David Collins in the Eldorado section of The Santa Fe New Mexican

"Maggie Lichtenberg didn't believe her doctors when they told her it would take six to eight weeks for her to recover from open-heart surgery. Her congenital heart problem didn't cause the debilitating symptoms one might expect from a heart disease.

" 'I did not consider myself sick. I thought it was just a little structural fix-me-up,' she said. It turned out her doctors were right. . . . " Click here to see the full article.

The book that finally addresses open-heart surgery’s challenging four to eight week recovery period -- The Open Heart Companion: Preparation and Guidance for Open-Heart Surgery Recovery by Maggie Lichtenberg, PCC, published June 13, 2006 by Open Heart Publishing, Santa Fe, New Mexico – has been chosen a finalist in the health category for the 2006 ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Award.

Winners will be announced at a special program at BookExpo America at the Javits Center in New York City, June 1, 2007.

USABOOKNEWS.COM ANNOUNCES WINNERS AND
FINALISTS OF THE “BEST BOOKS 2006” BOOK AWARDS

LOS ANGELES – USABookNews.com, the premiere online magazine and review website for mainstream and independent publishing houses, announced the winners and finalists of its “BEST BOOKS 2006” BOOK AWARDS (BBA) on November 1, 2006. 408 winners and finalists were announced in over 120 categories covering print, audio, e-books and interactive CD-ROMs. Awards were presented for titles published in 2006 and late 2005.

The Open Heart Companion: Preparation and Guidance for Open-Heart Surgery Recovery has placed as a "Finalist" in the "Health: Medical Reference" category.

Open Heart Surgery’s Challenging Four to Eight Week Recovery Period is Finally Addressed in This Highly Informative Book

Open heart surgery and the recovery can be difficult without planning ahead. Recovery tips and a book on how to survive that challenging time are provided. Maggie Lichtenberg is a heart surgery thriver who offers hope for all those who face heart surgery and the recovery that follows.

Santa Fe, New Mexico (PRWEB) March 31, 2006 -- Every year in the US alone, 709,000 open-heart patients (current AHA figures) plod through an arduous convalescence. Yet rarely are heart patients told what to really expect during the stressful open-heart surgery recovery period at home.

Maggie Lichtenberg, a recent open-heart surgery thriver, former publishing company executive, professional speaker, and coach (PCC), decided this needed to change. Through dozens of interviews and weaving in her own personal battle with heart disease, she wrote The Open Heart Companion: Preparation and Guidance for Open-Heart Surgery Recovery (Pub Date June 13, 2006, ISBN: 0-9776063-0-9). This one of a kind recovery guide reinforces the wisdom that knowledge is power, and knowing what to expect during open-heart surgery recovery -- and preparing for it – is a life-affirming process.

For those facing heart surgery, this book includes tips on recovery. A few include:

1. Organize a “home team” before, or just home from, your surgery. Dole out assignments to friends and family – dinner nightly, buddy system, running errands, housekeeping, chauffeuring – so your primary caregiver is supported along with you.

2. Arrange for spiritual and psychological support before, during, and especially after the operation from people who will be willing to check in on you regularly about your state of mind and soul.
3. Take a positive approach to avert intermittent depression during recovery – combat lethargy, force yourself to get exercise despite your fatigue, explore meditation, go into prayer, exchange supportive phone calls with another heart patient, ask for help. Another seven tips are found in Chapter 10 of The Open Heart Companion.

This is the first book written with the focus primarily on the recuperation period with the goal of reducing fear and stress -- and maximizing support options -- by simply planning ahead. Not only does the book empower patient and loved ones before the open-heart surgery date; it also provides supportive guidelines, plan-ahead exercises, bibliographic resources, checklists, glossary, and index for the challenging “recovery gap” between hospital discharge and readiness for a cardiac rehab program.

As Kathleen Blake, MD, President, New Mexico Heart Institute, states in the Foreword, “Because The Open Heart Companion outlines a series of plans for thoughtful and collaborative action, it will be equally useful for those assisting in the care of a family member or friend.”

If you know someone facing heart surgery, stop by our site at http://www.openheartcoach.com today for the support you need. In addition to the book, Lichtenberg offers an informative newsletter, a Recovery Organizer, coaching, and a monthly phone support group.

Lichtenberg, Maggie. The Open Heart Companion: Preparation and Guidance for Open-Heart Surgery Recovery . Open Heart. Jun. 2006. 208p. index. ISBN 0-9776063-0-9 [ISBN 978-0-9776063-0-6]. pap. $20. HEALTH

"The breastbone is divided, then the protective sack around the heart is cut open. The heart lies naked, most often stilled as its functions are turned over to a heart-lung machine for several hours while arteries are reconfigured or valves repaired or replaced." In this guidebook to open-heart surgery, recent patient Lichtenberg discusses her path to finding resources that helped her through her own ordeal. She provides practical information on preparing for your hospital visit and what to expect during your stay. Where this book excels-and many hospitals fail-is in sharing insight on what you can expect in the transition from hospital to home and how to best manage the four- to eight-week period of home recovery. Lichtenberg offers excellent guidelines and checklists for people at various stages of surgery that will help them organize their entire experience and think about surgery as more than just time spent in the operating room. This book does an excellent job of encompassing patient-center concepts and helping readers become knowledgeable about hospital processes and procedures that can often cause stress and discomfort. Highly recommended for public and consumer libraries. -

FOREWORD FOOTNOTES Health. THE OPEN HEART COMPANION: PREPARATION AND GUIDANCE FOR OPEN-HEART SURGERY RECOVERY by Maggie Lichtenberg (Open Heart Publishing, 208 pages, softcover, $20.00, 0-9776063-0-9): a guide to the recuperation process for the 709,000 Americans who undergo surgery each year; with tips on talking to doctors, choosing a hospital, and reducing fear and stress.

"HEART TO HEART: Eldorado Author Coaches Open-Heart Patients Through Surgery, Recovery" — This full-page feature article on The Open Heart Companion: Preparation and Guidance for Open-Heart Surgery Recovery (just published) and on author Maggie Lichtenberg appeared in the "Health and Science" section of The Santa Fe New Mexican on June 10, 2006. Click here to see the article.

The Open Heart Companion: Preparation and Guidance for Open-Heart Surgery Recovery was chosen by Independent Publisher magazine as one of its Highlighted Titles in May 2006.