This is the incredible true story of how Dave Poppenga survived one life-threatening condition after another, supported by his will to live and the miracle workers of modern medicine. When Sandra Poppenga learned that her husband was in the hospital, she traveled to be by his side as he battled a succession of near-fatal conditions and complications including endocarditis and staph infection. Acting as her husband's advocate to hospital staff and medical professionals, she stayed by his side during his 50-day stay in the ICU, helping to coordinate his medical care and prioritize the procedures he would undergo. Told from Sandra's perspective, Next Step: A Predicted Death Defeated by Love demonstrates how even critical medical conditions can be overcome by the power of modern medicine and the skilled physicians and other medical professionals who do their best to help patients survive in the face of daunting odds. Sandra recounts how the doctors warned that his prognosis was extremely grim-equivalent to being on death's door-on more than one occasion. In the end, Dave's fierce will to live and the skilled medical care he received enabled him to overcome the immediate threat to his life. While the three-year recovery process that then ensued was long and grueling, Dave was encouraged by the presence of Sandra, who was there to help him each step of the way. In addition to being a gripping story of survival against the odds, Next Step: A Predicted Death Defeated by Love shines a light on the value of patient advocacy. By speaking on her intubated husband's behalf with the medical professionals caring for him, Sandra helped ensure he received the best care possible. Both a modern medical thriller and a testament to the ability of determined advocacy to help improve a loved one's chances of recovery, this is a book you won't be able to put down once you start reading.
