I don't know if it matters or not, but my EF was between 10-20%. Can you ever get 100% back to normal?

I was really hoping this was an active message board. I could really use someone tonight after my doctors visit today... Thanks anyway.

Hi and welcome. I had a long, eloquent reply written and lost it so this version will be less so.

You've shared a lot so I'll try to address as much as I can.

First, stop hiding from your husband to cry. Let it out, he needs to know what you are experiencing. This is hardest on our loved ones as they have no clue what we are going through. Share with him openly and honestly it'll help you both.

CHF is not the end of the world, just another challenge on the road of life. Have no clue what that means but thought it sounded cool. Look you'll read a lot of negative doom and gloom stuff on the internet about this condition. Then there are the self anointed experts who heard from a friends friend and are experts in their own minds. Fact is I've been in final stage for 7 years 8 months and 29 days. As you can clearly see I'm still here annoying everyone. It's no picnic but not the end either.

Much of what is published on the internet is accurate if this were like 20 years ago. Fact is medicine is advancing rapidly in this area and treatment has changed the game dramatically. So take it for what it's worth.

Some tricks to keep the devil at bay:
1. Weigh yourself every morning. A gain of 3 pounds in a day, or 5 pounds in a week means it's fluid build up and you need to shed it. Call your cardiologist. They will tell you how to increase your diuretics (water pills or Lasix) to get rid of the fluid. It's important your Cardio instruct you on the proper way as there are things to consider.
2. Swelling of the feet, ankles, knees or stomach (known as edema) call the Cardiologist...see #1
3. Increased shortness of breath - Call your Dr
4. Inability to breath while lying down - Call your Dr
5. Seeing a theme here? Call your Cardio when you see changes and are concerned.
6. Watch your diet - the dr should have given you guidelines for a proper diet. Most important learn to monitor your sodium intake. Sodium causes water retention.
7. Exercise. If he/she hasn't already ask your Dr to refer you to a Cardiac rehab program.

There is no such EF as 100%. An normal heart ejects 55 - 75% of the blood out of the left Ventricle. The actual number is individual dependent. So you already see that while 20% sounds horrible, it's not nearly as bad when you realize normal is only 55%. That number...ignore it. Most of the tests used to determine that are subjective and different dr or technicians reading the same results can give totally different numbers. What is important...how you feel. No iff or buts.

I always say the key to this is attitude. I try to keep a positive outlook and even frequently make light of my travails for my friends and doctors. It helps me a lot to get through the bumps in the road.

Good luck to you and I hope this has helped in some way.

ROBO Pop.

RoboPop, I hope mo627 reads this. I'm somewhat in the same shoes as she, with the same questions. Your reply was very helpful and good to read. Thanks.

Hi mo627,
so sad to hear about your issues. I check the 'rolling' conversation on Living with congestive heart failure on Facebook because it is much faster. Sadly it doesn't have Robopop who is priceless but it has a lot of people so it moves along with advice help and supportive comments every day. Cheers Leanne

I recovered back to normal ejection fraction of 55-60% at age 55. I started at 19% with class IV heart failure in 2006. I could not walk 200 feet when discharged from the hospital. I did bicycle exercise and followed the recommendations of the Heart Failure Recovery Plan book. It contains clinical trial information on what works. You can get it free on Youtube, chapter by chapter.

It brought me peace to read your story (Mo627). I didn't know that there are other people out there with the same diagnosis and struggles as I. At first when I got diagnosed, I was angry. Reciting the "woe is me" and some days, I still do. But Ive learned that your body will react to what you tell your self. So try and be kind to your brain. It is not an easy road but it does get better. I too have a very supportive and awesome man by my side and that helps a great deal. Have a goal each day and try to obtain it. That helps me. It could even be a small goal and never keep your emotions to yourself. They weigh on the heart...trust me. I am here if you ever need to talk.

Best,
Gigi

Robopop is right on! My recent experience:
Visit with my EP over a month ago revealed a number of things. The good news was my pacemaker recorded zero A-Fib events the previous six months. The bad news? My LV ejection fraction had dropped to 20% compared to 30% measured 6 months earlier. EP (who had performed a pacemaker optimization on me in March of 2015) didn't have much to offer regarding what I could do about the lowered ejection fraction. However, he made a referral for me to see a heart failure cardiologist at another clinic. My first visit with this Doc had this chatter: After reviewing my history and grilling me for nearly an hour, he stated he wanted to perform another pacemaker optimization. My wife asked, "Are you an EP?"
He replied "No!..... But I KNOW how to read an echocardiogram better than any E.P!" (Echocardiography is his specialty.) Two weeks later, He had me in the Echo lab for a PM optimization. The sonographer seemed more competent than others I've had. He and the Doc. were definitely on the same wavelength. Device Tech was there also. As the "fine tuning" progressed, things were NOT looking better. Then, he and his crew made another change, and VIOLA! The sonographer and the Doc emitted an "ALL RIGHT!" at the same moment. Major improvement. Doc stated the volume of blood pumped out of my left ventricle has been increased 25% compared to the earlier setting. At a clinic meeting with him last week, I asked "Does that mean I have a LVEF of greater than 30%?" His reply, "Can't say yet. I'll schedule you for an echo next month, and we'll see!" --- He's been wanting me to record all changes in my life since the echo. SOB? ---- never. Exercise routine? 5-8 miles daily. Swollen ankles? --- Never. I wish I had found him sooner! -- And just yesterday:

While putting in my 6.5 miles total today, I was on the second floor walking track (after putting in 5 miles on the downstairs treadmill) when Sargent Leslie (She runs the Pilates & Zumba & other excercise classes) pulled me into the class of approx 20 individuals that just began this afternoon. She stood me in front of everyone and stated, "16 months ago, this gent was using a walker and could barely move! ( I had a nasty case of Hyponatremia along with HF). We all thought he would be like that for the rest of his days, and yet look at him! He puts in an average of 6 - 7 miles every day!

This is what a dedicated exercise program can do for anyone, and his Docs can only say, 'We can't explain why you're doing so well, but whatever it is, DON'T STOP!'"

BTW: A great read:
http://www.mensjourn...-hands-20141128

I just joined, thanks for posting. Your questions and the replies are so helpful, I feel at home already. My EF was 17%, last time they checked it was 50 so I feel lucky and blessed. I hope you're having mostly good days. I had my heart event a year ago today, CHF and a heart attack. I recommend cardiac rehab if you're allowed. Good luck!

do not worry and be brave , CHF is not end of the world , try to lose ur weight and watch ur diet
best regards

http://www.ishdriskfactor.com/

Thank you for discussing your condition and I hope that you are feeling better. It is amazing just how we need minerals and vitamins for our heart to function. I know that I definitely needed sodium, potassium, and phosperus, when I was in the hospital. So, the doctors and nurses ordered me this sweet pink drink which was really good and I drank it. Then, a few hours later, they were doing a blood test in order to see how I did. My numbers came up over time and I was extremely happy because over the next few weeks, I was able to go into day hospital treatment and then stay at a hotel at night which made me very happy for about three to four weeks. Then, the happy day came when the doctor said that I could go home for good. Hang in there and just keep doing what the doctor tells you. I wish you the best.

I was diagnosed a year ago with a 20% EF I brought that up to 40% in a year with an implanted ICD and defibrillator I was feeling great just this last May I started having some distance it's very hard to be strong for your family we don't get much emotional support from our physicians sometimes we can learn more from each other

Sorry that word distance was supposed to be dyspnea

I had CHF back in 2006 and now I had left heart failure in May 2016 and I am still here. Take meds and pray a lot. Faith gets you through the hard times, ask the Lord to give you strength and heal you.