Saying hi

[Caravan-lover]

Hi, I’ve just join, I was diagnosed with unknown cause chronic heart failure & dilated cardiomyopathy June 2020. This was a very big shock to the whole family. My EF on diagnosis was <30% & they “squeezed “ 7kg of retained fluid, I was medicated & in hospital 7days. With the excellent heart failure team & my consultant by Oct my EF had increased to 33%, now with the addition of the Entestro & dapagaflozine , I have been told that my heart was back to pumping normally with an EF of 55%.

Does anyone have any good advice for going forward ?

[080311]

Hello Caravan-lover

Welcome to the forum and the world that is the Hearties family. Like you I had fluid but was in hospital for 7 weeks and they took off 67lb off but was then moved to the specialist heart hospital where I had Aortic valve replaced and bypass, this was 4 years ago and here I am living my life.

A healthy diet lots of us follow the Mediterranean diet recommended by BHF, take exercise walking at the very least, and take our medication.

Now you are part of the Hearties family if you have any questions just post and someone will be along to try and help.

Congratulations on getting your EF back up.

Best wishes Pauline

[GracieOS]

Hiya, I too have gone from an EF in low to mid 30s back into the normal range. Took a while and a lot of tweaking of meds. I just try and stay active, regular moderate exercise, watch my diet and take my meds. Not sure what else I can do really. Good luck x

[Shar28]

Hi, have you discovered cardiomyopathy uk? It’s a charity with a fantastic website and brilliant nurses, like BHF but specialising in cardiomyopathy. Here’s the link cardiomyopathy.org

The best advice my husband was given after being diagnosed with DCM by the doctors on the cardiology ward was twofold.

Firstly, life’s for living, so live it, just with a degree of sensibility (ie take your meds properly, don’t be silly about stuff and stick to your own limits)

Secondly, don’t do too much, but do enough!

So, he still rides his motorbikes, enjoys a drink now and then and pushes himself too hard sometimes then suffers for it for a few days feeling exhausted but he’s good at moderating himself most of the time. His EF has improved from 10-15% on diagnosis to 41% last summer.

All the best to you and your loved ones.

[Caravan-lover in reply to Shar28]

Hi thank you for you reply, if I could be rude how old is you husband, I had just turned 54 on diagnosis. Best wishes to you all

🥰

[Shar28]

Morning, not rude at all! He was 54 when he was diagnosed and that was 4 years ago.