Gone in a Heartbeat: A Physician's Search for True Healing

This book is incredible! I’ve been a nurse for 45 years, and this story of hope and healing should be required reading for all health professionals.As a person with Lyme and coinfections, I love how Dr. Spector addresses the complex CDC testing issue: don't ignore the patient, their symptoms and use common sense. Even the CDC says that Lyme is a clinical diagnosis, so patients should not have to move mountains to find a doctor to appropriately treat late diagnosis Lyme disease. Health care providers are being forced to spend less and less time with patients, and relying more and more on test results, which can’t give them a clear clinical picture of what is going on.I loved his poems, interspersed throughout the book, that describe the miracles and love that were occurring all around him. The search for meaning, when faced with chronic illness opens doors to our spiritual nature. Someone described aspects of this book as “quirky”. That comment reminds me of the quote by Nietzsche “And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music”. Dr. Spector heard the music of his soul and communicates it in a very powerful and uplifting way.I’m going to buy several more copies, one for a friend that starts medical school in September. Another will be for the medical center director where I took my husband to the ER, when my son was inpatient recovering from surgery. The ER physician would not wait three minutes for me to return from my son’s room to let me be present when he tactlessly told my husband he had cancer. A third copy will go to my ‘fired’ medical group practice that diagnosed me with lymphoma, based on a CT scan, and overlooked the fever of 103 that I ran for 7 days while on antibiotics, never considering an infectious source for my illness. I count my blessings that I had a MVA when I had heart block from Lyme carditis, and needed bone surgery, requiring IV antibiotics, reversing my heart block early in the course of my infection. Thankfully, we’ve found very skilled and caring physicians, and received excellent care for cancer and Lyme.Dr. Spector’s memoir stresses: never give up hope, follow your intuition and be here now. Learning through his experience is a lot easier than learning it through a broken heart.

Prof. Neil Spector lifts the veil on a dirty medical secret hiding in plain sight: Millions of Americans have been victimized, some even killed by a small handful of insurance lobbyists posing as scientists who deny that Chronic Lyme Disease (CLD) exists. Prof. Spector can say this with certainty, because not only has he exhaustively examined the science (and pseudo-science), but he himself was brought to the brink of death by undiagnosed CLD. Despite Prof. Spector's academic chops, this is a surprisingly grounded, interesting and personal book, unburdened by boring medical lectures and parts read like a thriller, especially when his doctor tells him he will die in three days if they don't find a new heart to give him. Check out Spector's TED talk and interviews on youtube to get an idea (though the book is much better), then read the book. You won't be disappointed!

I bought this book after speaking with my physician about my Lyme Diagnosis. I was diagnosed by a specialist, after wondering if I had other medical problems. I was very surprised to receive a diagnosis of Lyme, after being told previously I did not have it. My physician agreed with the results and told me about this book, written by a colleague. I thought it would be wise to understand how Lyme Disease can affect the heart. As others correctly note, thist is not a general book on Lyme Disease. I think it is important to understand what can happen to one's heart, to be aware of the possible symptoms, and to be sure that appropriate care is obtained, early on to prevent the need for a heart transplant. I thought it was interesting a quick, easy read.If a future edition is written, it might be helpful to add some general information on Lyme. I know that is available elsewhere, however, it might be helpful to incorporate that into this book, for the sake of those who would like it.

As a former heart transplant nurse and a Chronic Lyme patient myself I loved this book. I think the world has to wake up to very real epidemic that is upon us with Lyme disease currently going undiagnosed and misunderstood by mainstream medicine. I wonder now how many of my "idiopathic" dilated cardiomyopathy patients actually had Lyme disease. There are no accurate tests to diagnose this disease so unfortunately far too many lives have been lost. Bravo to Dr. Neil Spector for writing this incredible book! The CDC has to wake up to this problem!

I have chronic neurological Lyme disease after a bite in Germany in May 1994, 3 days later I ended up in hospital in France with pneumonia which nearly killed me. Ever since I have been trying to find the cause of my illness and in 2013 I had a positive for Lyme disease from Igenex in the USA, sadly here in England they won't accept overseas results, so sadly I am still been told it's all in my head. If I accept cbt I will get help but I don't have a psychological illness it is physical but they don't get it here.Great book kept me contained from the beginning, so glad you are on the mend

I loved this book. As a fellow Lyme sufferer who too has written a memoir about a traumatic decline in health (albeit before receiving my Lyme diagnosis) I could identify with Neil on so many levels. I read this shortly after Neil’s passing and wish him to rest in peace. My heart felt condolences go out to Denise and Celeste. L V Hannah, author of Keep Listening.

amazing book - thankyou.

Very interesting and honest account by a physician of how important it is to follow your gut instincts when it comes to your own health. Well written. I would like to read more books writting by Dr. Spector. Families and friends of Lyme and the co-infections that go with Lyme, should read this book.

An excellent read! Well written and informative. Would be worthwhile for anyone dealing with mysterious heart issues but, more importantly, would be very beneficial to ALL those in the medical field.