Heart Failure Support Group
Heart failure is a condition that can result from any structural or functional cardiac disorder that impairs the ability of the heart to fill with or pump a sufficient amount of blood throughout the body. It is often undiagnosed due to a lack of a universally agreed definition and difficulties in diagnosis, particularly when the condition is considered "mild."
Dear Family, and Friends ~
I wanted to take this opportunity to discuss something that has been bothering me, and I felt needed to be addressed at length, so we may come to an understanding. My condition, specifically congestive heart failure (CHF).
For some reason, society equates looking good to physical well being. Even medical doctors, who know better slip into this trap, and equate appearance with well being. Unfortunately CHF seems to target the worlds beautiful people. While we may look deceptively good, causing others to believe all is well, the fact is we struggle daily with survival. Every day I wake up is a challenge.
Congestive Heart failure, or simply heart failure, is the inability of the heart muscle to pump properly and supply sufficient blood flow to meet the body's needs. Heart failure can cause a large variety of symptoms such as severe loss of energy, chest pain, shortness of breath, coughing, dizziness, confusion, swelling in areas such as the ankles and stomach, and exercise intolerance. This occurs most commonly when the body becomes congested with fluid.
Any physical exertion requires an increase in oxygen supply to organs and tissue to compensate and provide the energy necessary for those activities. Unfortunately with this disease, I struggle for adequate oxygen even with minimal exertion, and often struggle even while resting. What I once did with little thought or effort is now a monumental undertaking for me because of this condition. Physical activity frequently results in my being out of commission for several days afterward.
Shortness of Breath for me isnt the usual sensation one gets after physical exertion, but for me it is a sensation of drowning because fluid builds up. My entire body, organs, tissues, brain all scream for the desperately needed oxygen enriched blood that is being denied to it.
Congestive Heart Failure is debilitating, and gets progressively worse with time. Many of its victims die from this condition. Each day I awake, I live with the knowledge and fear that today may be the day. When I fight this battle and face the worst symptoms, I wonder is this it? But I go on, and try to make the most of the hand Ive been dealt.
Im not looking for sympathy, or to be treated like a baby, to be held and mothered constantly. I just want recognition that, while I naturally look really healthy, I am not. I have some limitations to what I can do physically. It impacts us all, but perhaps by working together, we can all make the most of what I can do, learn to adjust accordingly, and enjoy a modified life to its fullest. Please dont minimize my affliction. It is a serious, chronic condition from which I will not recover.
I wanted to take this opportunity to discuss something that has been bothering me, and I felt needed to be addressed at length, so we may come to an understanding. My condition, specifically congestive heart failure (CHF).
For some reason, society equates looking good to physical well being. Even medical doctors, who know better slip into this trap, and equate appearance with well being. Unfortunately CHF seems to target the worlds beautiful people. While we may look deceptively good, causing others to believe all is well, the fact is we struggle daily with survival. Every day I wake up is a challenge.
Congestive Heart failure, or simply heart failure, is the inability of the heart muscle to pump properly and supply sufficient blood flow to meet the body's needs. Heart failure can cause a large variety of symptoms such as severe loss of energy, chest pain, shortness of breath, coughing, dizziness, confusion, swelling in areas such as the ankles and stomach, and exercise intolerance. This occurs most commonly when the body becomes congested with fluid.
Any physical exertion requires an increase in oxygen supply to organs and tissue to compensate and provide the energy necessary for those activities. Unfortunately with this disease, I struggle for adequate oxygen even with minimal exertion, and often struggle even while resting. What I once did with little thought or effort is now a monumental undertaking for me because of this condition. Physical activity frequently results in my being out of commission for several days afterward.
Shortness of Breath for me isnt the usual sensation one gets after physical exertion, but for me it is a sensation of drowning because fluid builds up. My entire body, organs, tissues, brain all scream for the desperately needed oxygen enriched blood that is being denied to it.
Congestive Heart Failure is debilitating, and gets progressively worse with time. Many of its victims die from this condition. Each day I awake, I live with the knowledge and fear that today may be the day. When I fight this battle and face the worst symptoms, I wonder is this it? But I go on, and try to make the most of the hand Ive been dealt.
Im not looking for sympathy, or to be treated like a baby, to be held and mothered constantly. I just want recognition that, while I naturally look really healthy, I am not. I have some limitations to what I can do physically. It impacts us all, but perhaps by working together, we can all make the most of what I can do, learn to adjust accordingly, and enjoy a modified life to its fullest. Please dont minimize my affliction. It is a serious, chronic condition from which I will not recover.
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My 6mo twin DD's are EBF and just started rice cereal on the first. Everything has been going fine except this morning one of them had a diaper rash (lots of redness around her anus). I read this as one of the signs of an allergy. BUT I did just buy a different brand diaper yesterday (which they have used randomly before w/no issues). Do you think its the cereal or the diaper? Im ready to start...
Boo
IS this normal? I have an Echo and stress test they will schedule after insurance approves.
Dr said he thinks i had a heart attack. Can they tell how long ago i had it? I'm thinking if i did, it was a silent one, because i don't remember feeling any symptoms, other than fatigue, and swelling and nausea, before my hospital stay in January.
Betsy
I had at least 5 silent heart attacks. They determined that based on the amount of damage to the heart muscle. Like you no symptoms. They check your enzyme levels and can estimate when you had the attack. This is why when you go into the hospital they do three blood tests separated by 3 hour periods.
Sorry, this isn't one of my better days, but if my flagging memory serves, it's your Creatinne levels they check. Over time, these do go back to normal levels. Still to answer your question, it's a guess. Educated but a guess as to when exactly you've had a heart attack unless it was within a few hours.
Hope this helps, sometimes when I read what I've written, even I get confused what I was thinking.
I am going for a stress test and echo, as soon as insurance gets off their butt to approve it!
I'm not on any additional meds for my chf YET. i'M STILL ON LASIX AND SPIRONDALECT? AND BP PILL FOR MY EDEMA.
Also on a few drugs that do make me drowsy, but i've been overly tired since home from hospital . i'm just trying to listen to my body and rest when i feel it's needed.thanks again,
Betsy
I don't know that a stress test really helps with diagnosing CHF--my husband didn't have the ability to even complete the stress test and the test was labeled a "fail"--he was told he "didn't even try."
The echo is the thing. Did you see a cardiologist in the hospital?
The reason my husband is doing so well today is because of the cocktail of medications that he takes morning and night--with specific instructions as to which ones to take when. He had spent a week at a university hospital and has a team of cardiologists working with him. His main medication, carvedilol, was tested at that university.
What is the BP medication you take?
As far as "looks" goes, he looked like a concentration camp victim when he was released from the hospital, but has regained some of the 40 lbs he lost through their program of wringing him dry of water retention--and fat and muscle that he was losing as he was retaining the water in the first place, mostly in the 6 months of illness before he was finally correctly diagnosed.
"It is known that heart muscle function tests using echocardiography are typically abnormal in patients with the usual forms of hypothyroidism."
http://www.thyroid.org/patient-thyroid-information/ct-for-patients/vol-5-issue-9/vol-5-issue-9-p-6-7/
"As expected, the echocardiography studies were abnormal in patients with hypothyroidism as compared to those with normal thyroid function. Echocardiography was also abnormal in the patients with pituitary disease and low T4. Interestingly, echocardiography was also abnormal in 14 of the remaining 25 patients who had normal T4 and TSH levels."
This is what I like best:
"All patients with abnormal echocardiographic studies were treated with thyroid hormone and the Free T4 levels were increased to a high level within the normal range. This therapy returned the echocardiography studies to normal in the majority of these patients."
So, after the lung study test for my COPD, and the part 2 of my sleep apnea test, my main focus is to go to aquatic therapy for my back, knees, and hips. I have spinal stenosis, and severe arthritis, and very hard for me to walk. I also have no endurance, and need to build that up. Waiting on Dr to write the script, because now I have the insurance to cover the aquatic therapy. So, i'm excited! Last time i went, i had to stop, because it was 20 bucks a visit, and i went 3x's per week! Too much money, for being on a low income.
Now i also have my follow up appointment with the Bariatric Surgeon for my gastric bypass. I plan on having that done, so i can lose the weight, and in turn take the weight off my joints and back.
I'm trying my best to get into the best shape i've ever been in, and live the last part of my life, as a healthy woman!
Boo
Doc is setting appt next month to see about putting a pacemaker in, i have no idea why haven't had my discussion with him.
At present if it doesn't make me feel better i am quickly getting to the point of being too tired to continue on. I am just plain ole tired and worn out at age 52. I want to work on my farm but can't and its depressing to not be able to go out and do things with my critters and garden and plant my garlic crop to sell, and all the things i love and want to do.
At any rate I do understand and empathize with you.
that is because we spend (well I know I do - nearly every day at work) lots of time trying to get through to others that the 'outside' does not equal the 'inside'. It is such a hard concept....you look good, you must be better....
I hate the pity looks, the disbelieving looks, the confused - 'well aint I dumb' looks, and the 'you are an idiot' looks that I get when I say that 'my outside does not match my inside'.
I did read your letter....modified to my less critical stage, to a family member and they really understood for the first time I think what an odd but so debilitating condition this is.
I am glad you put pen to paper and that when I need it I know I can find an explanation of HF that epitomises how it presents to the world.
cheers
Leanne