Congestive heart failure & enlarged heart

[Chaos Ranch]

Normally, I google something medical when I want to learn more about it. I don't feel like reading a bunch of medical jargan and trying to make sence of it. I want to know the truth, and I hoped that maybe some of you could inform me a little bit.

My mom just got out of the hospital. She has a lot of shortness of breath, she can't hardly do anything without huffing and puffing and her chest starts hurting her. Well the other day she swelled up really bad and couldn't even get her shoes on. She made it to her doctors office and he sent her straight over to the hospital where they ran a series of tests on her. She got out of the hospital yesterday and my dad calls me to tell me about it. When I questioned him on the test results he said the doctor told them that mom has congestive heart failure, and an enlarged heart. Then he said the doctor told her that if she makes sure to come in to every doctors appointment, and takes every bit of her medication as prescribed she should live 5 + years.

5 + years????? What does that mean? 5+ years is not acceptable. She is going to turn 59 at the end of this month. There had better be more than 5+ years. I love my mother dearly, and I better have more than 5+ years with her.

What would compel the doctor to say that? What is congestive heart failure, and what does an enlarged heart mean? Can she do anything to un-enlarge her heart? Does he honestly mean that she could only live 5 plus years? What's the plus mean ? Plus one or two? Plus 30???? Plus what? What would you throw such a vague number out there like that and not give a reason for the statistic? Please someone help me understand... I don't want my mom to just live 5 plus years. I want her, I need her to live much much longer than that.

 

[txminipinto]

Basically, congestive heart failure is the failure of the heart to pump blood properly. When this occurs, blood starts backing up. To compensate for this, fluid then leaks into other tissues which causes the "swelling". The heart, because it's ineffective in pumping, starts pumping fast to try and move more blood. By pumping faster, it actually moves less blood which causes the back up. Old and new blood also "mixes" in the chambers of the heart causing ineffective oxygenation of the tissues as well. Your mom was probably put on blood thinners to thin the blood to make it easier on the heart to pump. Be careful, blood thinners will make her bruise much more easily.

As far as prognosis, I'm sorry but he's probably right.

Your mother needs to take care of herself now. If she's over weight, she needs to loose it. She needs to eat right and exercise. Her doctor hopefully put her on a plan to extend her life as much as possible.

 

[Miniv]

Kim, It's scary.....I know. My dad had congestive heart failure. He passed in 1992 at age 78.

If it gives you some comfort, my dad lived closer to 10 years with it and he also had late onset diabetes. He was not one to do a lot of exercise nor was he really careful about his diet, but he took his meds. Oh, and while he was in his 60's he had Triple Bypass surgery.

Your mom's doctor probably gave her the shortest life expectancy according to the statistics. She is awfully young and if she takes her meds, watches her diet, and does even a minimum of exercise -- ie, walking, for example -- I bet she'll even out do my dad.......However, it does come down to your mom and what she wants to do, PLUS her attitude about it all.

 

[HGFarm]

My Mom passed away at 82 and CHF was one of the things she had. She was not a smoker or drinker, was very active in her life and had never had previous heart problems ever, until her last couple of years- and I had noticed the shortness of breath one day when we were out walking a distance, but didnt know why, just figured since she was 80 about then, it was ok to have that.

The doctor can tell you at 'what percent' her heart is functioning. This could be important in knowing where she is on the scale. Is it severe, or really bad, and just how bad. At the last, my Mom was at 15%. She developed pneumonia for the 2nd time, due to the fluid backing up I'm sure, and her inability to get around much by that time. She lived about another week. Her body was just failing.

Unfortunately the stats are not good - 50% of those diagnosed with CHF will not make it 5 years. About 20% live 8 to 12 years more. It depends on a persons overall health too. Are there underlying other health issues?

CHF is a chronic long term condition that can come on suddenly. Coronary artery disease and high blood pressure can contribute to CHF. A heart tumor, lung disease, various types of cardiomyopathy, diabetes, smoking, alcohol abuse and congenital heart disease can all contribute as well.

In some cases, I understand that pacemakers or defibrillators might help.

She needs to be on medications....and there may be several for several reasons and the doctor can recommend a mild excercise program but it's not recommended to excercise on the days that the fluid is built up more, or when she doesnt feel well. No smoking and limit salt intake. Also watch the diet.

So if she eats a lot of fatty foods, salt, is over weight at all, smokes- there are many changes she can do to help lengthen her life span.

I am so sorry to hear your Mom has this at such a young age. Prayers for you and your family.

 

[Chaos Ranch]

Oh God,

My mom is over-weight, she smokes, and she does not exercise and she has a fairly high salt intake.

They have put her on several different medications. While she was in the hospital they said one of her lungs was half full of fluid. They gave her a pnumonia shot. She also has blood pressure problems too and she's a border-line diabetic.

I just don't understand what's happening. All of these things seems to have happened all at once. Last year she began with the breathing problems, and it's just gotten worse from there.

Today, to try and cheer her up and get her out of the house I took my little Peruvian stallion over to their house and gave him a bath, and then she and I groomed him until he dried off while my husband held him, and when we were done I took him out into the yard so she could take pictures of him for me so I can put him on some sales sites. She really enjoys grooming the horses, and helping me take pictures. It seemed like she had a lot of fun. I made sure she didn't pull around on him, or over-exhert herself.

I am going to get very involved with her doctor visits and her doctors orders. I am going to do all I can to help extend her life as long as possible. And if the day comes that we loose her, I will move my dad in with us. He's blind, so we will take care of him.

 

[Bess Kelly]

My mother will be 84 this month. She was recently diagnosed CHF and the upper chamber is working only about 30% of capacity. She's in real trouble. I had noticed her "looking" less than feeling healthy and really slowing down......last Fall. Had asked her about doctor visits, etc. and insisted that she make one which I would attend with her. Apptmt was for 9:30AM and at 4:30AM she had to be taken to hospital ER -- unable to breath. Fluid buildup. Dec 10. Brought her home with me from hospital and kept her until Jan 1, when she insisted on going home.

Assessment? She's been feeling less well, had issues with breathing, tired, etc. (heart not pumping, oxygen levels low, etc., etc.) BUT....she had felt she was getting up in yrs and this is how things were, not wanting to accept the facts that exsisted. While in hospital they performed a heart catherization as they thought blockage -- none. Just a very damaged heart. Now on 7 meds a day and not doing well. She needs to lose 60 pounds, needs to walk some but doesn't (unstable, bad knees, etc). She won't move in with me

and I am sad to say that it is a situation that I cannot get her to help to change! I cannot move "in town" for months, she won't accept moving.......frustration abounds.

Unless your mother will accept the fact that she needs to take the steps to help herself improve it will be am uphill battle. You cannot, alone, just wish the weight off, change her diet, get her to move around and take the care needed. Sadly I face these same issues!! I even made plans to convert my garage to another bedroom which I would move into to allow her to have mine (it already has the wider doors, X-large walk in shower, etc.). NO GO -- she didn't want to leave her neighbors.

She only sees them on trash day, or an occassion passing by. It's the mailman she doesn't want to leave -- they have delivery to the door, mine is at the road

Seriously, it's the highlight of her day!

I don't tell you this to be negative BUT to point out to you that as we age things and attitudes change. At 63 there are days I don't want to take a walk, either

. Unless there is daily support and encouragement to help HER WANT to make these changes, it will be difficult. When my mom was here she had less chance to defer to old ways. I cooked healthy meals and made sure she did have meals when she should (another thing she wasn't doing well!). Watched her meds and any effects they had, checked her BP morning and evening, etc. In my heart I know that my own mother would have a better outcome if she would come here for me to assist her.....cannot make her do that......cannot just walk from the farm work or my PT job either, for an extended time.

Praying that your mother is a more "willing" patient.

 

[FairytailGlennMinis]

Okay, you guys are freaking me out!! My husband had a massive heart attack the end of last July and we found out then that it was his second (we never knew about the first one!!) and was diagnosed with CHF. This was all a week before his 38th birthday. With blood thinners, lasix to keep the fluid off his heart and lungs (a total of 10 meds a day!) and he went from the high 20s percent range of heart function to about 40%. We have to be VERY careful about sodium since that makes you hold more fluid, but he has been doing great--no one would EVER know there was anything wrong with him now. The doctor was telling us that if he keeps taking meds and taking care of himself that he should have a pretty normal life expectancy. Diet has been a HUGE thing to figure out, but I think we are doing pretty well and the doctor is thrilled since he didn't think we would ever get back up to this level of heart function! Never EVER give up! I am not sure I could live with that 5 year prognosis...after all, there are SO many things that can affect it!

 

[Bess Kelly]

Fortunately your husband has AGE in his favor. Attitude, physical ability and less history of wrong eating, sedentary lifestyle all contribute to his being able to improve. Your situation has the elements of success, given the meds, diet, lifestyle changes are there.

Our mothers, however, do not have this good fortune. My mom has arthritis and has never tried to do any passive exercise beyond walking thru the house to vacuum, or mow a small yard, she's overweight...she's had foot and knee surgery in past and is not "straight", so balance poor and on and on. Her mom has other health issues, also.

Please keep up the good work you and hubby have been doing!! And congratulations on it. The light exercise is very important to keep muscles working (yes, the heart one

) and diet is paramount not only from sodium but nutrition, in general. If he is on thinners they should have told you to limit the high vitamin K things (greens, brussel sprouts, etc). And some drugs and potassium are considerations as they take the fluid pills -- some BP meds have other issues. Truly, you have many years together so long as you continue with your research and actively maintaining your health.

YOU are on the right path. We are trying to convince "mature" parents to GET there.

 

[HGFarm]

My sister was carrying a lot of extra weight and was borderline diabetic, her cholesterol was high I am shocked she did not have a stroke- I have never heard of anyone with it that high... she has lost quite a few pounds and all her tests have now come back NORMAL.

The body works like a well oiled machine and if one thing goes out of whack, it affects something else, which triggers other things and so on down the line until it just starts to deteriorate! If even ONE chemical in your body is out of balance, it affects a LOT of other things.

CHF is NOT something to take lightly- it is serious business, with no cure- just a hope to extend what is left of one's life as normally as possible.

Yes, your Mom is going to have to be a willing patient and KNOW that if she does not lose weight, stop smoking and watch her diet, she is literally killing herself a day at a time. Sorry to be so blunt, but that is the way I am- just straight forward.

Since my Other Half has the lymphoma so bad, we have totally changed our eating habits. He also had an irregular heart beat that was WAY out of whack, and his body was filling with fluids horribly- I have never seen such swelling in my life, on top of the fluids the tumors were making! He weighed almost 400 lbs (he is a big boy- 6' 4" or 5") but he lost 60 lbs of FLUID and is still working on his weight, etc.... His normal weight is about 290. He is down to about 320 now, but the chemo is making him sick to his stomache pretty badly now.

Any salt we use is sea salt, otherwise we use other things to season food now. Mrs Dash has a TON of different seasoning mixes and there are other brands too that are really good. We have not really been eating ANY processed foods, including margarine (which is the next best thing above plastic if you ask me) and have gone back to eating REAL food- all fresh veggies and fruits with our meat, and we usually skip desert. NO sugar is the most vital thing and neither of us drink soda pop. We use stevia as a sugar replacement if needed and I cannot tell the difference! Any fruit juice is the kind that says NO SUGAR ADDED on the front, and is real juice- and again, I think it's better than the other kind and the juice drinks are gross to me- nothing more than sugar water really. No nutrients. We really don't have desert either, unless we have a bowl of yummy fresh strawberries or something like that.. and they are so good.

We feel better now than we have in a long time.....

Perhaps you can involve your Mom more in a subtle way.... have her be more active with the horses since she seems to really like that and keep her busy. Also, perhaps take her some seasonings other than salt and tell her you brought her some because you tried it and they are so good, so you thought she might like them (and dont mention there's no salt or why you REALLY brought them). If she suggests eating something fattening, suggest you are in the mood for something else, and go a wiser food route.... Some folks just are not going to change things, especially if you ask or even demand they do, but if they are 'hanging out with the crowd' that makes better health choices, it begins to wear off or they might just go along without realizing there ARE other means of good eating!?

You know, instead of saying 'Mom you can't or shouldnt eat that', just suggest something else! Or things like - tell her you found a new recipe for a salad or something, that is healthy, that she can add to her list of things to eat. If the changes come slowly, that is ok... at least it is happening!

 

[backwoodsnanny]

I just felt the need to weigh in on this post. My mom sadly is gone but not to CHF exactly though her heart was only functioning at 15% at her death. I would like to address the changes you are all talking about and what I went through with my own mom. My mom and probably yours as well grew up in an era where they did not want to be a burden to anyone. If

your mom is as independent as my mom was changes come very hard. When age becomes an issue and believe me it does for everyone it is particularly difficult for the strongest of people. The more independent and fiesty they have been the harder these changes to let others look out for them is. I think it is just a continuation of the spirit that you have admired when your parents were younger. When it became necessary for my mom to come live with us it was almost like deflating a baloon she lost her spirit and it was only months from then that I lost her. Though we know it is best for them to come be with us to help take care of their declining health sometimes it isnt what is best for them. A fact none of us can ignore is that we are all going to die and at whatever age quality of life also becomes important and Im talking about our parents quality of life not ours. My mom left the town where she had lived her whole life to come stay with me. I really think in hindsight it was the beginning of the end and would handle it differently if I had it to do over again. She also only saw her mailman and plowman and sometimes her neighbor. But that said she also was in touch with several ladies via phone on a daily basis and went to a gathering once a week. When she came here she lost all of that and only had family around and our lifestyle was busier and different than what she had been accustomed to. She was only here from September until Thanksgiving when she went to visit my brother-in-law and had a fall that required hospitalization. she never came home again. She passed in January of 2001 and I feel if she had been allowed to stay at home though she still might have passed she would have died happy so before you become frustrated with what seems like an unwillingness to take care remember change can be as devastating as health issues to the person it is happening to. I know the frustration I have been there but that said I do feel she might have had a few more months if left alone. As for the CHR my mother-in-law and my brother-in-law both had CHF one lived 28 years with it by doing what was needed in terms of diet and exercise and medication the other had other issues but still lived for 14 years after the first diagnosis. I think the 5 year window is IF nothing changes and was stated to impress on your mom how important the drs recommendations are. Prayers for all of you who are dealing with this its NOT an easy road.

 

[HGFarm]

I have to totally agree with backwoodsnanny here... my Mom was the same. Til the very end, she refused to stay with any of the kids. Not wanting to be a burdon on anyone- sheesh. She did not want to leave her home she had had, but could no longer stay by herself and someone staying there through an agency did NOT work out well (groceries stolen, damage to the house, missing items, etc...)

We finally convinced her to move closer to a wonderful place designed for folks that needed the things she did, but it was VERY tough and hard on us all and it was very scary for her as well- she was terrified.

Your note regarding one of your relatives living almost 30 years with CHF is awesome, and does show that with dedication and some life changes, good things can occur. But the person has to really want to change their life and work hard at it - it is not easy to change eating habits, stop smoking and do many other things that are needed to survive.

Just remember though that you cannot force someone to change, and if they are not willing to, no amount of suggestions or even nagging will work. So try to be encouraging and do suggest things, but the person themselves must decide how seriously they want to take it, and make a total effort to do something about it. Unfortunately many wait until it is too late.. thinking they will skate by, or will cheat on things, or they'll start to eat better or excercise tomorrow, and then when the condition is much worse, it is too late to try to help themselves. I have seen folks do this with conditions besides CHF....