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."
Hello I am new to this site. I'm 34 have been diagnosed with heart failure for less then a year. My son tells his teachers that I have less then five years to live. Lol...Kids got to love them. I looked up a support group because I was watching seven pounds the movie with will Smith. There's a girl who has heart failure long story short he kills his self and donates have heart. My question is with all of these CHF commercials and it just seems like when I'm not thinking about dieing. Another heart failure commercial or movie or someone famous has died. Like it's getting harder and harder to deal with. I'm on 50mg of Zoloft trying to stay strong. Does anyone else feel alone even though you have a partner? I try not to cry around my partner and my son. But I cry at night when everyone is sleep and I'm up cuz I have a really hard time sleeping. In need of support.
First and foremost, I can't make any guarantees, but if you follow your treatment regime, exercise, eat right, there's no reason you shouldn't expect to lead a long productive life, no matter what nonsense you might read online. I have been in end stage heart failure for ten years next week. I know others who have survived even longer.
As for the constant barrage of ads etc. That's typical when a new treatment or drug comes to market for any disease, we get hammered with ads hoping we'll bug our doctors to give us this miracle treatment and make the manufacturer wealthy. Don't know what to tell you, but you are definitely not alone in being PO at the barrage.
Sadly the media has confused everyone with their pronouncements of cause of recent high profile deaths. Most are electrical problems known as sudden cardiac arrest, where the heart stops unexpectedly. This is not a heart failure issue. Heart failure as you know is due to your heart muscle not pumping properly and causing low output (Ejection Fraction). As a result our output does not meet our bodies needs. Still you usually have no idea what type life they led so don't equate their death to yourself.
There are support groups such as Mended Hearts where you can get peer to peer support from others in the same situation. Mended Hearts is a US organization that has chapters all over the nation or you can go online with them. Also there is a new support group togetherinhf.com that deals strictly with heart failure patients only. I would really encourage you to talk to you partner and other loved one and let them know how you are feeling. Good luck
Thanks!