in addition to pneumonia, yesterday I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. I’m 75 years old and need to make major changes in many areas: Mental, Emotional,Spiritual and Physical I can’t do it alone and glad this group is here. i see this as a wake up call and am open to hearing your experience, strength and hope about dealing with CHF. Thanks.
One month later: Thanks to everyone who sent such wonderfully heartfelt messages Am going to listen to “world and imaginary stories” from friends
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LilyAnnepuppy
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Sorry to hear you had pneumonia I had that to which took me in intensive care and then a year later had my first heart attack followed by two more and then a triple Bypass
The last thing you needed to hear was that now you congestive heart failure but with medication and changes to your lifestyle you can go on for plenty more years yet and I am sure you will especially as you already know the changes that are going to help you
Set little goals with each change you want to make and slowly build on them I know you can do it and will look out for you posting how you are getting on x
My mum had heart failure for many years and lived to be just shy of 93. She never exercised in her life, ate what she wanted (which was a good diet overall) and enjoyed her family and friends. She never fretted over her health. So my advice is to listen to professional advice and, as I was told as have the “widow maker “, go live your life. Good luck and good living.
Hello, I'm sorry to hear about your diagnosis. But please take heart, my father is 82 he has had "heart failure" for years now. He walks miles, swims, and eats fish and chips and pies too often for my liking. He has also started going to Bible study classes , reading and many new hobbies. I think the words "heart failure" are rather frightening. However, if managed you can still enjoy many things, even things which others your age can't even do!!!Take heart
I was also 75 when I was told that I had heart failure two years ago.. I guess it’s the name, ‘heart failure’. It sounds so final, I suppose.
That said, the medic who diagnosed my HF said that “It’s not as serious as it sounds.” Obviously, I was somewhat sceptical. However as my cardiologist told me, when he first entered the profession some thirty years ago, life expectancy for HF patients wasn’t good, maybe two years. In the intervening years, the treatment of the condition has progressed by leaps and bounds. Many people living with HF, are on a drug regime called ‘The Four Pillars’ (Not a Motown group from the 1960s!). This regime works really well though, it may take a little time to get on to it. aI’m not going to mention specific drug names because they vary.
I was also fortunate that BHF fund a team of nurses locally called, oddly enough The HF Team and, one of the team saw me through the initial months after my diagnosis. Further, we have a gym, based at a local hospital which, many of us hearties use. We do ‘cardio’ exercises in a safe, supervised environment. I also do, less frenetic exercise such as Tai Chi. The latter is good for the breathing, as well as being relaxing.
Yes, I occasionally get breathless but, I cope with that and know my limitations. I like to say that I don’t’suffer with HF, I live with it.
My mum developed heart failure in her 20s after toxaemia during pregnancy damaged her heart. Back in the 1940s there was no treatment and she was simply told she couldn't ever have a general anaesthetic. In fact she had a hip replacement at 65 by epidural. She was never given any treatment for the heart failure at a ll and just had a normal life, walking her dogs and smoking woodbines! She died at 69. Without the woodbines I'm sure she'd have had much longer. Modern treatment can do much to improve things.
The poster Straightman mentioned a cardiologist saying thirty years ago life expectancy was low. In 1956 my grandmother died of it aged 68 a couple of months after diagnosis. Moving on, my mother was diagnosed aged 78 - the same age that I am now - and lived a further 13 years. The only treatment given was betablockers, as far as I remember. What a change in that time! We might grumble about waiting times and what have you - but when you can get the care it’s good. Not as good as other countries though!
I was diagnosed with CHF at 52 yrs old and that was 10 years ago and still going strong, just a little slower, LOL. With all the new meds/protocols through the years and life style changes most of us can live normal life spans. Listen to your Dr and live your life, take care.
My mother had a few major heart attacks in her 70s and the result was a 30% function. She , despite her huge wake up call, did not change her diet , it was a highly processed food diet, She spent most of her remaining life being sedentary. Despite what we thought would happen , she survived to 91 years of age. She did lose a lot of weight, same bad diet, by eating less often and that put her type 2 diabetes into remission. I am sure that helped. I am not condoning her do nothing approach but wanted to share her story. We were sure she could not survive at 30% heart function but she did. I think had she made better choices she would have enjoyed her remaining years with greater energy and in a lot less discomfort, despite her reduced heart function.
I am sorry to hear about you're experience and you will obviously know about the changes you have to make and consulted by dietician, cardiologist, psychologist, physiotherapist etc .
I think a lot of people hear various things about having to calm down after going through any kind of heart related problems ,but don't really know how hard it is or can become just like a lot of things it is a definite wake up call especially if it as bad.
Similar story only had sepsis and very close call acute events with CHF after misdiagnosis for nearly 2 month and was more or less saved by a last minute appointment on a Friday night which a locum GP spotted what was wrong and sent me straight to Hospital , and if i had waited till the Monday to be seen I Would not be typing this just now as I had the mentioned acute event where the fluid build up had pressed my lung to like a half moon shape x ray that it could not inflate and i had an enlarged heart because it was like 150 bpm for over a week which I was unaware as I was out and had a pump inserted to help my heart I had to be moved to the transplant ward of the Amazing Golden Jubilee in Glasgow which was another step to try and lower my heart rate by a various of different trial and getting the correct heart tablets that slowly got it down I can remember that pump at the bottom of my bed seemed like forever but was actually only a few months .
I was told that I definitely had to change a lot of things not being able to go back to the job I loved doing was one of the things that I could not accept at first and slowly got easier but it is still hard but think of the responsibilities and thought ok i cant but was very hard so understand if you have to change you're lifestyle and can only say it has to be a given and you have to take the advice of the hospital through various specialists .
I hope you are OK and you are getting better and the advice on these sites are all good and from people who are going through similar experiences Stay safe.
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