Ebook350 pages5 hours
An Arrow Through the Heart: One Woman's Story of Life, Love, and Surviving a Near-Fatal Heart Attack
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
2/5
()
About this ebook
In the words of Mehmet Oz, MD: “An Arrow Through the Heart is an epiphany for women who mistakenly believe that they are immune from the ravages of heart disease. Using her heart as a magnifying glass, Deborah Daw Heffernan provides readers with a window into their souls.”
This groundbreaking memoir was first mentioned on Oprah Winfrey’s life-saving 2002 show announcing cardiovascular disease as a leading cause of death among young women. That tragic fact is still true. With both depth and humor, Deborah Daw Heffernan recounts her first year of recovery from the massive heart attack that ambushed her in a gentle yoga class—during the prime of her life and despite her impeccable health history.
Ranging from high-stakes action in the OR at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston to quietly unfolding seasons on a lake in Maine, An Arrow Through the Heart is a moving and informative story of what it takes to find one’s own path to true healing. Ultimately, Heffernan combines allopathic and complementary medicine to create a sensible recovery strategy for our times. She touchingly describes her husband’s devotion and the toll that her cardiovascular disease takes on him, as well as how he, too, grew from the experience. Weaving their story with the lives of family and friends, Heffernan demonstrates how illness can be transformative for all involved.
Not only an empowering companion for cardiac patients, this medical classic is a guide to recovery from catastrophic change of any kind. Above all, it is a powerful testament to the unexpected joy that can come from leading a life of acknowledged impermanence. Updates include cardiovascular data for today’s reader, links to the author’s website and other resources, a new section on SCAD (spontaneous coronary artery dissection), and— spoiler alert—a heart transplant in 2006. All author’s proceeds are donated to cardiac causes.
Deborah Daw Heffernan is a graduate of Georgetown and Harvard Universities. She has worked as a teacher in Switzerland, an associate dean at Boston University, and a freelance writer. For fourteen years she was vice president of a leading Boston-based corporate training/consulting firm—until a near-fatal heart attack changed her life forever. She lives with her husband, Jack, on a small lake in Maine.
This groundbreaking memoir was first mentioned on Oprah Winfrey’s life-saving 2002 show announcing cardiovascular disease as a leading cause of death among young women. That tragic fact is still true. With both depth and humor, Deborah Daw Heffernan recounts her first year of recovery from the massive heart attack that ambushed her in a gentle yoga class—during the prime of her life and despite her impeccable health history.
Ranging from high-stakes action in the OR at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston to quietly unfolding seasons on a lake in Maine, An Arrow Through the Heart is a moving and informative story of what it takes to find one’s own path to true healing. Ultimately, Heffernan combines allopathic and complementary medicine to create a sensible recovery strategy for our times. She touchingly describes her husband’s devotion and the toll that her cardiovascular disease takes on him, as well as how he, too, grew from the experience. Weaving their story with the lives of family and friends, Heffernan demonstrates how illness can be transformative for all involved.
Not only an empowering companion for cardiac patients, this medical classic is a guide to recovery from catastrophic change of any kind. Above all, it is a powerful testament to the unexpected joy that can come from leading a life of acknowledged impermanence. Updates include cardiovascular data for today’s reader, links to the author’s website and other resources, a new section on SCAD (spontaneous coronary artery dissection), and— spoiler alert—a heart transplant in 2006. All author’s proceeds are donated to cardiac causes.
Deborah Daw Heffernan is a graduate of Georgetown and Harvard Universities. She has worked as a teacher in Switzerland, an associate dean at Boston University, and a freelance writer. For fourteen years she was vice president of a leading Boston-based corporate training/consulting firm—until a near-fatal heart attack changed her life forever. She lives with her husband, Jack, on a small lake in Maine.
Related to An Arrow Through the Heart
Related ebooks
Close to the Bone: Life-Threatening Illness as a Soul Journey Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Healing Muse: A Journal of Literary & Visual Arts Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPrisoners without Bars: A Caregivers Tale Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Unrestricted: How I Stepped Off the Tightrope, Learned to Say No, and Silenced Anorexia Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSupersurvivors: The Surprising Link Between Suffering and Success Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Cancer in the Lives of Older Americans: Blessings and Battles Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsUsing the Power of Hope to Cope with Dying: The Four Stages of Hope Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLast Wish: Stories to Inspire a Peaceful Passing (Updated Edition with New Hospice Story) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Choice: Embrace the Possible Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Every Deep-Drawn Breath: A Critical Care Doctor on Healing, Recovery, and Transforming Medicine in the ICU Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Feeling of Fullness: Insights of a Divinely Guided Journey Beyond Breast Cancer Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGrief Diaries: Surviving Loss by Cancer Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFrom Death to Life: How One Organ Donor Saved the Lives of Two Friends Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Most Clarifying Battle: The Spirit and Cancer Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTo Gently Leave This Life: The Right To Die Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Promise of Tomorrow: Embracing Life When Facing Illness Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Navigating the Pandemic: Stories of Hope and Resilience Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTorn Asunder: Putting Back the Pieces: a Memoir Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Little Touch of Cancer and How It Made Me Well Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIn the Shadow of Tyranny:: A Search for Healing and Hope Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsChicken Soup for the Soul: The Cancer Book: 101 Stories of Courage, Support and Love Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGrief Connects Us: A Neurogsurgeon's Lessons on Love, Loss, and Compassion Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Art of Dying: Facing Your Own Death Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLanguage of Healing: Daily Comfort for Women Living with Breast Cancer Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEchoes of Heroes Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsStay, Breathe with Me: The Gift of Compassionate Medicine Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Cure for Emma: One Mother's Journey to Oz Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJan's Story: Love Lost to the Long Goodbye of Alzheimer's Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Human Side of Cancer: Living with Hope, Coping with Uncertainty Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Write Prescription: Telling Your Story to Live With and Beyond Illness Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Wellness For You
Sex Hacks: Over 100 Tricks, Shortcuts, and Secrets to Set Your Sex Life on Fire Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Big Book of 30-Day Challenges: 60 Habit-Forming Programs to Live an Infinitely Better Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Illustrated Easy Way to Stop Drinking: Free At Last! Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Lost Book of Simple Herbal Remedies: Discover over 100 herbal Medicine for all kinds of Ailment Inspired By Barbara O'Neill Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The How Not to Diet Cookbook: 100+ Recipes for Healthy, Permanent Weight Loss Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Diabetes Code: Prevent and Reverse Type 2 Diabetes Naturally Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Holistic Herbal: A Safe and Practical Guide to Making and Using Herbal Remedies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bigger Leaner Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Male Body Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5In the FLO: Unlock Your Hormonal Advantage and Revolutionize Your Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Thinner Leaner Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Female Body Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Secret Language of Your Body: The Essential Guide to Health and Wellness Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How Not to Diet: The Groundbreaking Science of Healthy, Permanent Weight Loss Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Forks Over Knives Plan: How to Transition to the Life-Saving, Whole-Food, Plant-Based Diet Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The 40-Day Sugar Fast: Where Physical Detox Meets Spiritual Transformation Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5When the Body Says No Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Summary of Lindsay C. Gibson's Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Glucose Revolution: The Life-Changing Power of Balancing Your Blood Sugar Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Reviews for An Arrow Through the Heart
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
2/5
1 rating0 reviews
Book preview
An Arrow Through the Heart - Deborah Daw Heffernan
Hd book_preview_excerpt.html }[ƕVYd!ɺ)H+>DZErX.y A<2*g+Js;ImL&">=~?~OϟNs[OUc؆:Ҝc8)n>cՌB;0ĪnǺkcuj*SRzCu=V綞1
nc՜?sw}ݧeC;LN1ʛ5q\j!'.wjVcg,cC>qw8;@:T]{bc.<838W]!
ӄ'`SuiSJ4^_rJfWcVbKCuNۮ83)էPG,iLVO| 8vv:ņ'~|~tJ\5:MT/]1`nJp~'x[\8r{_6_/e맡qCJgtśAP>V_<|S}W;mD8v2XM퀛
lcb}TuOrcNC}]zOynе
b?|?cnA'_bC6ꩃ 8N\oUuj^aZ0j45~}v;2O5u^vIq!x*Mq1SQGGh%X!??G-_Gsr8m?UhXdӗ;uE\A1W/(y ŎZų^k& G;*~O),֣-ae|xf:x`Usצ(L%XeYRrPs1U*J=y$`:f^|Gw6e76}Xapn^LS[[Mx3:7ܞ߾Iagy{C%;Ʒ}éz1^6R~YCa|lܳ}#$AڍcLA∷Kuv]6NPWOpT(8
W_%:HuJVCLqz@k&]lvl`lstx
"r p0[/$mWKGM:K`H9{ t c#\4.(ζ=
R!,y4KB0w@J0~7i|GWɊ͗Q]
ޢwShj|'/8BNt$G<Rybw.S/Ƕ;2<8R}+Рa gЌ@v۫b eB%ma\aTF@[_q
TN5uKsak^mG};_FO24JOx#SǛFU6g3pס' Y*I儳aO{>`6\&Հ&I!qsX=|ZeD^ t(l#