Im newly diagnosed with heart failure from having a virus in February, as i am newly diagnosed i feel in limbo with how i am meant to be feeling and what I am to be doing. I was admitted to hospital for 5 days as my heart was working at 15% when it should be 55% and was discharged just before the COVID-19 took hold in the hospitals, so to no fault of the hospital, i feel I've not been given all the information i need to know about my diagnosis, so would be grateful for anyone that could give me any information and advice.
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Pedrothepuppy
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Like Thatwasunexpected, I don't have heart failure (I have other, multiple heart conditions well managed by meds and lifestyle) but also wanted to drop these links in for you - the BHF publications can be downloaded or ordered (free) for hard copy delivery that will be delayed owing to the pandemic causing difficulties for all online ordering just now:
Also helpful is the BHF Heart Helpline, the cardiac nurses can be reached Monday through Fridays 9am to 5pm on:
0300 330 3311
Expect delays - I understand the lines are quite busy. But the nurses have an outstanding reputation for being superbly helpful, so the wait to talk with one is well worth it.
Sorry to her about your diagnosis. It's a horrible shock when you're told you have Heart Failure. The first thing you hear is the word failure, Your heart hasn't failed, it just isn't able to pump as well as it should. The normal ejection fraction is 55% and anything before 40% is classed as heart failure. However, this is just a number that is used to diagnosis the condition, what the medics will be more interested in is how a patient feels. For this they look at the New York Heart Association classification system
The medication you will have been given will help massively to manage your condition. You should be offered cardio rehab, but with Covid-19 things are a bit up in the air at the moment.
You'll probably already been told about lifestyle changes, if you smoke , you should stop, limit alcohol, eat a good diet, the Mediterranean one is the recommended one, try to get your weight into a good BMI range, exercise, reduce stress. All this sounds like a lot to do, which it is, but it all adds up to a remedy to hopefully allow you to live a good life with your condition. There are a number of people on this forum who have live with the condition for many years and who are living good lives.
Either call your GP or your Cardiologists Secretary and just ask the questions. Better to write down the questions before you phone. If your Ejection Fraction has not improved you will be classed as Heart Failure the EF is the 15 % and 55% 55% being the 100% status. Do you know the EF when you was discharged and have they given you some Meds ?
Heart Failure is a lousy term and in most cases not as bad as it sounds honest lots of us have had it for Years and we lead pretty normal lives.
I was also diagnosed with heart failure, hole in the heart and a shunt in February and was being referred to a specialist when coronavirus kicked off, but I can’t now even get a phone consultation with my new specialist and my old consultant won’t discuss anything with me because I’ve now been transferred to a different hospital, so I totally feel your pain. It had been eating me up inside as haven’t had chance to discuss my diagnosis and also didn’t know what I should be doing in the mean time to make sure I keep my heart in as best condition that I can until I get to speak to my specialist- I’ve been told it may well be 12 weeks before he even looks at my file. However, I contacted the nurse at the British Heart Foundation and I have to say, I wish I had done it sooner rather than wasting my energy trying to get to speak to my consultant. I know she didn’t have access to my medical records but being able to talk to someone about what I had been diagnosed with and the side effects I was having from that condition was a massive help to me. She told me how to keep a check in my blood pressure, weight and pulse and what was normal and what would need attention. She talked me through the best way to exercise for me. I cannot tell you how helpful I found our chat and will be forever grateful. I still have questions but definitely feel more at ease - let’s face it we shouldn’t be stressing with our conditions. I wish you luck. 🌈
Hi I had a minor stroke 3 weeks ago and after being in hospital for two weeks and to be honest the only paitent that was able to mobilise to toilet and stay awake....left hospital without being spoken to and recieved my diagnosis of heart failure through the post! What a shock. Anyway I was called in to have a heart monitor fitted for 48 hrs which I did. That was a out 10 days ago but not hopeful I will get a further appointment anytime soon. I did smile as I live alone with my dogs...the letter said if I collapsed at home they would see me in the A&E department!
On a more positive note I am alive back home without Corona virus and am with my dogs. I have no idea about the jargon that was written on my release notes about heart failure etc. I was disappointed that as I was a out the only conscious paitent in a very large ward that the consultant for whatever reason did not speak to me prior to my release. Trying to stay positive 😊
Hi Pedro-all this is a lot to take in but you are not on your own-don't be afraid to ask as many questions as you want; the cardiac nurses are a fountain of information although with the corona thing I think its taking longer to answer. I was happily plodding along walking the local hills with doggo last year after recovering from a virus that my gps couldn't get to the bottom of . Then they did and I presented with asthma like symptoms before being taken in to my local A&E to be told I had experienced a mild heart attack;My aortic valve was in a bad way due to the virus and my mitral valve req some repair. This has just been done and they decided to mend the hole that had been present since birth. Im 3weeks since surgery so now attempting to pick up the pieces. But you go through so many emotions at this time and after the event as I am now I still get a bit weepy cos you just want to get back to normal. Theres plenty of help around here, try not to worry too much and stay well
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