For most patients, the decision to have heart surgery is accompanied
by feelings of fear, uncertainty and doubt.
However, Adam Pick, a thirty-seven year old analyst, from Los Angeles,
California, chose to transform his open-heart surgery experience into an
inspirational platform for patients and caregivers.
“When you think about it,” Pick stated in an interview, “Heart surgery is
a medical miracle that offers patients a second chance at life. I use my
blog to communicate that point.”
Three years after its launch, Adam’s Heart Valve Surgery Blog has become
one of the leading heart surgery websites on the planet. According to
Internet traffic reports, Pick’s blog, located at
http://www.heart-valve-surgery.com/heart-surgery-blog/ , will be visited
by more than one million patients, caregivers, nurses, cardiologists and
surgeons in 2009.
“When I started the blog, I had no idea what I was doing,” notes Pick,
who is married with a newborn son. “I just had a burning desire to help
future patients better understand the realities of heart valve surgery.”
Like many patients, Pick struggled with several issues during his
recovery from a complex aortic valve replacement operation. In his blog and
book, The Patient’s Guide To Heart Valve Surgery, Pick writes about the
physical and emotional pitfalls of cardiac surgery that can include sternum
pain, cardiac depression and pain pill addiction.
“The more I wrote about my experiences,” Pick stated, “The more I learned
that I wasn’t alone. There were patients all over the world with similar
issues, similar challenges and similar stories.”
Soon thereafter, Pick began featuring other patient success stories on
his website. To date, more than 100 inspirational patient stories are posted
at Pick’s blog.
“I really don’t believe I had anything to do with the blog’s success,”
Pick concluded, “My gut tells me it was the patient stories... Those stories
radiate empowerment, education, communication and, most importantly,
inspiration.”
Contact Us -
Heart Valve Surgery
Contact Person: Adam Pick
P.O. Box 1671, El Segundo, CA 90245
