Atrial Fibrillation : My Heart, the Doctors, and Me

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Summary: The agony and the ecstacy
Review: Atrial fibrillation is an elusive and troubling condition that seems to defy effective treatment and baffles even those doctors who claim expertise. Mr. Butler describes his tortuous path to enligtenment and stability (no incidents in 1 year). I find that my passage closely mimics his: dealing with medications that either make the condition worse or make the patient feel worse, dealing with doctors with incomplete knowledge, and trying to sort out surgical and pharmacological options. Mr. Butler spells out the alternatives, guides us to the ways of finding doctors who are expert in this field, points to alternative medicines that are effective and helps us sort out treatment options. This book is written for the layman and is up to date and very informative. This is a must for those with the condition and a good read for those that want to know more.

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Summary: From Someone Who's Been There
Review: E.A. Butler's book is a great help to those of us with atrial fibrillation. Nothing is more authentic than an account written by someone who has "been there and done that". Particularly noteworthy is learning that most MD's are groping for answers on many aspects of the problem. Butler, to his credit, is not critical of the cardiologists who just don't have the empirical evidence on which to support clear answers to the many questions presented by A-Fib. Perhaps Butler can work on a sequel with more info for those of us full-timers with chronic A-Fib. To repeat, I highly recommend the book.

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Summary: From Someone Who's Been There
Review: I'm an A-Fibber who wishes there were a way to get a copy of this book into the hands of every one of us. I've already recommended it to others. I think Bill Butler did a great job of sharing with us an afflicted's view of the whole thing from symptons, through fears, frustrations with treatment and into his ways of dealing with and resolving episodes. His description, of how little the medical profession really knows about this condition and the tremendously varied treatments, is scary. The book gave me several ideas on controlling and reducing episodes and reinforced some of my own thoughts on the same. The greatest favor Bill gave me with this writing is a profound appreciation for my cardiologist. I always thought he was the greatest. Now I know that he is. Each year he says " Don, I just don't think you should be on any medication for this." Bill's book makes it sound like maybe most of us ought not to be on medication. After reading his book I'm sure glad I'm not taking any of that stuff.

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Summary: FINALLY- SOMETHING THAT MAKES SENSE!!!
Review: I've just completed reading My Heart, the Doctors and Me by E.A. Butler and am pleased to write this review. This book has been extremely helpful to me. While it covers the author's experiences with his own atrial fibrillation and is thoroughly researched, it also covers many, many other subjects concerning the heart. I believe every person who has any kind of palpitations, skipped beats, atrial or ventricular fibrillation should read this. My cardiologist originally alerted me to the availability of the book because he believes, as I do , that is a great assist to patients who have these problems. I also agree with International Heath News that is a " must read."

Rating:
Summary: FINALLY- SOMETHING THAT MAKES SENSE!!!
Review: I've just completed reading My Heart, the Doctors and Me by E.A. Butler and am pleased to write this review. This book has been extremely helpful to me. While it covers the author's experiences with his own atrial fibrillation and is thoroughly researched, it also covers many, many other subjects concerning the heart. I believe every person who has any kind of palpitations, skipped beats, atrial or ventricular fibrillation should read this. My cardiologist originally alerted me to the availability of the book because he believes, as I do , that is a great assist to patients who have these problems. I also agree with International Heath News that is a " must read."

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Summary: A Guide Through the A-Fib Maze
Review: No heart problem causes more hospital admissions than atrial fibrillation, which often leaves patients frightened as well as maddeningly confused by the conflicting medical advice they get. According to the American Heart Association, 2.2 million people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with this condition, which manifests itself as a sometimes erratic heartbeat, a flutter-like beat, or a racing heart. For those with a serious underlying coronary problem, "a-fib," as it's widely known, can trigger a stroke or sudden death. For others it may be little more than a nuisance, which nevertheless cannot be ignored. In this new book, author and international management consultant E. A. Butler clears away the confusion about this disease. He tells how, through a combination of diet, medications, and exercise, he has dramatically reduced his atrial fibrillation attacks from three a week to two a year. "Atrial Fibrillation - My Heart, The Doctors and me" has won praise from professionals. "I think Butler's book is a terrific piece of work," says Dr. Brian McGovern, Co-Director, Cardiac Arrhythmia Services at the Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School. Typically, as Butler relates, a diagnosis of atrial fibrillation is only the beginning of a frustrating journey in search of answers. In the five years since his first a-fib attack, the author has visited six doctors and three hospitals, read scores of publications and exhaustively searched the Internet, and gone through repeated changes in medication and adjustments in diet before being satisfied that he has the problem under control. Butler's book includes lists of publications and Web pages to help others get started on their own quest for answers.

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Summary: So What Else is New?
Review: The book covered just about what every A-fib patient has or will go through once diagnosed. It reads like a journal with dates and personal experiences but if one is looking for insight or guidance, it just isn't here. I think one could get the same information and arrive a similar conclusions by reading the heart disease summaries on the internet.