Written in plain English by a board-certified cardiologist and a clinical psychologist who specializes in heart disease, this is a practical "what-to-expect" guide that will help readers cope with their confusion, fear, and lack of information, as well as decode what doctors really mean when they describe certain cardiac procedures, treatments, and medications. The authors clearly explain these issues so that anyone who is at risk of heart disease, or who already has it, will have a deeper understanding of what a heart attack is, how to deal with the hospital experience, and how to interact more effectively with their doctors. In addition, the book offers insights into often-neglected aspects of the disease such as the role a patient's spouse and family play in recovery and what women should be aware of in the diagnostic phase of their treatment. Finally, the authors supply workable motivational tools--an effective treatment model anyone can understand and use--to help make important lifestyle changes in order to get better, stay better, and avoid invasive and expensive procedures in the future.