This book is for people who are about to have heart bypass surgery, those who have just been through the ordeal, and those who are to care for a bypass patient. Based on the experience of fourteen informants, the book tells of life before the operation, the decision to have heart bypass surgery, preparation for hospital life, and recovery afterwards. It blends the patient's widely differing experiences with the surgeon's expectations, advice and technical demands, and the work of nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and other paramedical experts in the recovery from heart surgery. Most people are shocked the the thought that they must have heart bypass surgery. While some feel resigned to their fate, others put on a heroic front; sadness engulfs a few, others are relieved to know what their ailment is, and some become angry. Most want to know why. As a rule, the cost of surgery and hospitalisation is not important to them. They want to know if they are going to survive. Although there are signs and warnings of heart trouble, it seems that rarely do most people have much time to prepare for a heart bypass operation, and to make decisions about which surgeons and hospitals to employ. The bypass operation itself is major surgery. It is such a shocking surgical procedure that as one of the younger informants said, you wouldn't want to know about it, but curiously enough the operation is not as frightening as you might think. Why? The decision to operate is swift, clear, and out of your hands; as one woman informant observed years later, Whatever goes on, it's better than the alternative! This book helps patients prepare for the operation and for the recovery by sharing the experiences of others, and by outlining the professional help and personal care that are readily available when required.