Heart Survivor

Recovery After Heart Surgery

In this first-person account, author Eric Douglas examines his own recovery from open-heart surgery and the road back to health and fitness as a Heart Survivor. In January 2016, Douglas failed a stress test and ultimately had quintuple bypass surgery. Looking back over the previous year, he recognized many times that he denied symptoms and ignored the possibility that his heart was in trouble. Following the surgery, Douglas made two promises: to be as public as he could about his own recovery process so others could learn from it; and to get back in shape so he could return to scuba diving. Douglas’ story is for anyone diagnosed with heart disease whether they are treating their condition with diet and medications, received stents to open arteries or have had open-heart surgery. To further illustrate the recovery process, Douglas surveyed more than 100 survivors to learn about their diagnoses, the changes they made in their own lives and how their own recoveries progressed.