INTRODUCTION


My Father had 2 bypass operations, and then died of a heart attack. He was 58, a vegetarian, cycled every evening and surfed on the weekends. A weak heart and stress were the cause. At 31, 3 months ago, I had open-heart surgery. I was super fit and healthy. I had had medicals, my cholesterol was normal, there seemed to be nothing to worry about. Then out of the blue I was diagnosed with a heart problem. A problem that was probably there since birth, but that was never diagnosed. 

I now feel I am a bit of an expert when it comes to dealing with the affects a heart op (or any major life changing experience) has on an individual and their family. I have not enjoyed any of these experiences, far from it. But, I have become a better, happier person because of them.

I have set up this site in order to help people through some of the scariest times of their lives. I was amazed at how little info there was, from a patient’s point of view, on this subject. Obviously, I am no expert when it comes to the medical side of things. I have done a fair amount of research though, and this has helped me to better understand both the human mind and body. 

What I have realized, is that although it is often the body that is being operated on, it is the mind that actually needs to be helped and enlightened. 

The power of positive thought! If the mind is strong, and positive, there is very little the body cannot overcome. Read the little story ITS YOUR CHOICE. I have faced these “experiences”, and tough as it was, I have tried to take the good from them, and use this to improve both my life and other people’s lives. I am no martyr or saint, and many, many people have gone through far more hectic experiences than I. Maybe because ive had so much time to think, I felt the urge to write down some of my thoughts and suggestions. And I hope these can help others who are facing similar circumstances. 

Please read my article, ALL HEART (Menshealth/June 2002) to get a feeling of what I went through. I have also included info on the different heart procedures, for those of you that would like a little more insight into the actual operations. Read all of this, as there may be info in some of the sections that may also apply to you and your procedure. I have tried to give a feel, from a patient’s point of view, as well as from the family side, in Being Diagnosed, Dealing with It and Recovery. I have also listed a couple of insane books, that really helped me both before and after my op. I highly recommend reading these. They are a mix of Spiritual guidance, factually based, and true life story books. If you are interested in purchasing any of these, please let me know by dropping me a mail.

This site is not professional, nor a money making exercise. I have just written down my thoughts and feelings about how to deal with life changing situations. I hope this helps you in anyway, and look forward to any responses and ways in which I can help you, your family or friends.

Regards,
Greg Bertish

web site hosted by Organic Wire