Reading Resources....by the Community, for the Community

Looking for a great book to read? Interested in reading books written by community members, for the community?

Check out these books and let us know what you think. We will be adding to this list as more survivors and caregivers become authors!

Aortic Dissection: The Patient Guide | Free Download With a heartfelt thanks to the team at Aortic Dissection UK & Ireland. Aortic Hope along with Think Aorta US are proud to present Aortic Dissection: The Patient Guide. This guide is free for download. We also offer one hardcopy per household with a donation to cover shipping. There is a bulk order form as well for the Medical Community to provide for their patients. ​Order Your Hardcopy Today | Limit 1 per household. Bulk Order Form | Medical Centers, Hospitals, Drs Offices Aortic Dissection: The Patient Guide Survey | Non-annonymous feedback will be entered for monthly prizes!

Dissected: Healing With Poetry...My Journey with Two Aortic Dissections by Maria Trinidad Herrera *2nd Edition 'Maria Trinidad Herrera had her first Aortic Dissection surgery in 2009. The fears and questions became overwhelming. The difficulty with the diagnosis and the lack of knowledge of some of the medical professionals worked against her. What could have been addressed with a stent or observation, if found on time, led to a complicated and dangerous emergency open-heart surgery that forever changed her life. The psychological traumas after the surgery became a daunting chore and led her to find a healing path. Poetry became her path … and fortified her spirit in her most vulnerable moments. You are not alone..."

Everyday Sinner: Undeserved Miracles from an Unconditional God by AG Helms "I laid there helplessly looking at my beautiful husband’s sobbing face as the surgeon said, “You need to decide who is priority… your wife or your child?” Life is such an amazing, wonderful journey, but at times it’s like a badly paved road… you’re traveling along, and BAM! Hello whiplash. Hello, insurance claim. Hello Route 44 Half and Half Tea with Lemon and the “good ice” you’ve waited all day for that’s dumped all over the floor. Our lives over the past two years have been more like a bumpy jungle safari trail in an old Jeep with three partially deflated tires. God and we beat infertility. God saved our baby and God saved me… a walking, talking, breathing hot mess… He had mercy on an everyday sinner like me. There are four cases in the world of pregnant women with Type A and Type B aortic dissections with an aortic aneurysm. Two of those four resulted in both the mother and child perishing. People say we are walking miracles, but we say our GOD is a God of miracles. It took me two years to write this book, emotionally and physically. It holds the most personal details of our journey. I pray that it gives you hope. I pray that it encourages you to speak to your mountain, whatever it may be, with boldness and confidence. I pray that it brings you closer to Jesus Christ. I pray that you turn the last page feeling loved because friend you are so very, very loved.."

How My Ordinary Became Extraordinary by Terri Benson "How My Ordinary Became Extraordinary invites you inside my harrowing journey through one of the worst heart conditions possible. After waking up to find my life fractured by my condition, I fought to reassemble the pieces into a normal life. But when climbing the stairs felt like hiking Everest and brushing my teeth became an actual accomplishment, it didn’t take long to feel discouraged.

This is the true story of my recovery from an aortic dissection and the people and mindsets that pulled me through it. Whether you are standing atop your personal mountain or still scaling the cliffs, this book is for you."

Life after Death, A true story of surviving an aortic aneurysm and dissection by Robert C. Fischer. Imagine rising on a normal day, unaware that you have a rare, deadly, underlying medical condition. Without warning, an excruciating pain crosses your chest. You barely make it from your living room to the operating room, but your body, somehow, manages to hang on, narrowly surviving what most do not. But surviving the initial incident is only the beginning, as complications arise. This is the true story of Robert, who, at age fifty-five, experienced one of the most traumatic events in his life – an aortic aneurysm and dissection. With less than a five-percent chance of survival, Robert was one of the lucky ones. You may remember hearing about aortic dissections. It was what killed TV sitcom actor John Ritter in 2003 at the age of fifty-four. Trying to make sense of his near-death incident, Robert spent many hours talking through what had happened to him with his wife, Carole. Those talks soon turned into journaling about all that he had to cope with. That journaling evolved into the writing of this book, as Robert wishes to bring awareness about this deadly condition. For those dealing with an aortic dissection, or for those interested in what life is like after such a terrifying ordeal, this book may offer you some insight.

Miracle Man: Beating the Odds; Cheating Death by Scott Pribyl "Do you know anyone facing, or has faced, major surgery, illness, disease, or other life-changing personal/financial situation? Does that person need hope, inspiration, spiritual grace, and the sheer will to keep going? Do you know people who want to need to lose weight quickly, yet permanently, with minimal exercise? The author, Scott Pribyl, survived an internal injury that is 90-95 percent fatal. In this book, he describes his seven-year rehabilitation and comeback. Pribyl also describes how he lost fifty pounds in two months."

The Last Breath and the First Beat by Daniele Rambelli

"Hello, fellow warriors of the Aortic Dissection community! My name is Daniele, and like many of you, I survived a life-changing aortic dissection. It was an experience that shook me to the core, not only physically but emotionally and mentally as well. I'm an operations manager and engineer, a proud father of three, and my life took a sharp turn when I faced the terrifying reality of an aortic dissection.

Through a long and difficult recovery process, I found strength, resilience, and an entirely new perspective on life. I realized that this journey wasn’t just about surviving—it was about transforming. I’ve turned my experience into a message of hope and healing, and I’ve written a book to share what I’ve learned with others who are facing, or have faced, this battle.

My book, "The Last Breath and the First Beat", is more than just my story—it's a resource for anyone who has gone through the life-altering experience of an aortic dissection.

In the book, I open up about the challenges I faced, from the initial shock of diagnosis to the long road of recovery, including how I learned to manage PTSD and the emotional scars that followed. My goal in writing this was simple: to help others, like you, find light in the darkest of times and discover a new path forward.

If you're looking for a companion in this journey, or just need a reminder that you’re not alone, I encourage you to check out my book. We are all survivors, and together, we can support one another through the highs and lows of recovery."

My Heart My Life by Michele Wegman

"This is my story of survival and beating the odds after suffering a massive aortic dissection that required an emergency open heart surgery to save my life and all the complications and other surgeries that ensued. The book is meant to be inspirational while learning to navigate life in the aftermath of aortic disease and aneurysms. Furthermore, this book is written for the love of golf and more specifically to demonstrate how golf mimics our daily life. It is also the best way I know to pay homage and express my gratitude to my incredible medical team keeping alive today!"