Subscribe to Our Free Newsletter: Heart to Heart

More Praise for The Open Heart Companion

" The Open Heart Companion is a superb accomplishment and a very practical guide for patients requiring heart surgery. It is extremely well organized and very informative."
           — Joseph A. Dearani, MD, Cardiothoracic surgeon, Mayo Clinic

"This passionate and personal guide will help you both survive and thrive after open-heart surgery."
           — Mehmet C. Oz, MD, Vice Chairman, Cardiovascular Services,
                 Department of Surgery, Columbia University Medical Center

"This beautifully written, comprehensive and absolutely accurate account of how to go into, come out of, and recover from open heart surgery is a must for patients and physicians alike. I plan to keep a supply on hand for my own patients, confident that they will find it, as I did, immensely instructive and helpful." 
           — Marianne J. Legato, MD, author of The Female Heart:
                     The Truth about Women and Heart Disease

"A terrific resource for those undergoing open-heart surgery, both for the preparation and the recovery period.  Drawn from dozens of patient and caregiver interviews, the book is filled with specific exercises and insights to make the open-heart experience easier on the patient and loved ones."
            — Amy Verstappen, President,
                 Adult Congenital Heart Association (ACHA)

“Must reading for anyone who requires open-heart surgery. Written by a life coach who has been there herself, The Open Heart Companion will help you get the most out of this dramatic and life-changing experience.”
           — Christiane Northrup, MD, author of Mother-Daughter Wisdom
                      and Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom

“Where this book excels—and many hospitals fail—is in sharing insight on...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... Highly recommended for public and consumer libraries."
             — Library Journal, Howard Fuller, Stanford Health Library,
                      Palo Alto , CA

“The lessons herein are applicable to anyone with a challenging medical or surgical condition, not just those with heart disease. Because it outlines a series of plans for thoughtful and collaborative action, this book will be equally useful for patients and for those assisting in the care of a family member or friend…I am grateful to at last have a guide I can recommend not just to my patients and their families, but also to my medical and nursing colleagues as we strive to improve the care our patients receive.”
            — Kathleen Blake, MD, cardiologist at The New Mexico Heart
                Institute, from her Foreword to The Open Heart Companion

"The Open Heart Companion is just that — a book that acts as a loving, wise, and comforting partner who gently guides you through the stages of preparing for and successfully completing open-heart surgery.  A life-saving gift filled with invaluable resources, real-life stories and must-know information, this book is required reading for all patients and loved ones."
            — Cheryl Richardson, author of The Art of Extreme Self-Care