Some Bad News
By StacyB
@Srbageldog (7716)
United States
November 3, 2017 11:20pm CST
My mom called me a little while ago. She just found out today that she has congestive heart failure. Obviously this news is very upsetting. She is being referred to a cardiologist for further testing to see how far along the disease has progressed.
What makes me mad is she's had the symptoms for a while now and her stupid doctor never looked into it. She kept being told she's fine, she's fine. Now all of a sudden she's not fine. A competent doctor would have regularly been sending her for lab work and monitoring her blood levels more closely, especially since she's diabetic and already at a higher risk for heart disease.
I told her to try not to stress too much about it, because stress is bad for your heart. And you can live with congestive heart failure. They can treat it, but it will probably require some lifestyle changes. Hopefully it's not too bad yet and can be managed easily and not require surgery or anything. But I know it's easier said than done. I would be in a blind panic if I found out I had congestive heart failure. I am in a panic finding out my mother has it. She is only 59 years old, and though I know you can live many years with congestive heart failure, I can't help but worry.
It seems like there has been nothing but bad news, health-wise, for my family this year. My dad is also having heart problems -- cardiomyopathy and A-Fib -- and I worry about him also. My parents aren't getting any younger, and I hate to think of losing them. They haven't always been the best parents, especially when I was growing up, but they are the only ones I have.
17 people like this
13 responses
@andriaperry (118793)
• Anniston, Alabama
4 Nov 17
Usually CHF is because the heart beats to slow to keep fluid pumped off the heart and lungs, treatment is strong water pills and maybe a pacemaker. The symptoms are flu like, congestion that wont go away and shortness of breath
My mother MIL had it many, many year ago.
5 people like this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
4 Nov 17
My grandpa (Mom's dad) also had it, but he didn't get it until he was older. A friend's mom has it and she had to have some valves in her heart replaced.
My mom is always congested, always having trouble breathing and always seems to be sick. Her ankles have been swollen for months and her sister actually suggested she might have CHF months ago, but my mom's doctor never said anything and just kept prescribing her water pills. She gets ulcers on her legs from time to time due to chronic venous reflux disease, and when she was down earlier this year because of that, that's when the swelling became noticeable. She also has a bloated belly, which I guess can be another symptom.
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
4 Nov 17
Thank you. Yes, I agree. He should have been paying attention to her health before it got to this point.
1 person likes this
@Ithink (10106)
• United States
7 Nov 17
I'm so sorry, I'm in my 50's and have an enlarged heart due to some other health issues, mainly severe anemia. It has also caused edema of the legs. I also have a heart arrhythmia and was born with a heart murmur. Yep I'm a mess. LOL! A positive outlook will go a long ways. I always try to look at the positive. Yep sometimes get depressed as this is not what I thought Id be as I was always healthy until about 4 years ago and then Wham! Just be there and try to keep positive.
1 person likes this
@Ithink (10106)
• United States
7 Nov 17
@Srbageldog Oh I think the doctor should have just said they would like to do more tests, instead of scaring everyone. Does she have high blood pressure? If so that might be the problem. But yes stress will make it worse so calm, steady and always think the best.
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
8 Nov 17
@Ithink Yes, she does have high blood pressure, and the day she had her blood drawn her blood pressure skyrocketed! So it could be from that. She seems rather calm about it -- she decided not to even tell my brothers until she knows for sure what's going on, so as not to worry them.
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
7 Nov 17
I am so sorry you are dealing with all that! It's scary how quickly your health can go downhill. I have been trying to keep positive for my mom and have been telling her not to worry. They don't even know for certain it is congestive heart failure yet. Her doctor can't diagnose that from one blood test, but that's what he told her and scared her. She went home and researched it herself so now she's just waiting to see the cardiologist and hear what he has to say. I guess having high blood pressure can cause the body to produce the protein that they detected in her blood work. It doesn't always mean heart failure. So, fingers crossed it is just from high blood pressure (which I know can also lead to heart disease/failure) and that it hasn't progressed to heart failure yet.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (502148)
• Italy
5 Nov 17
@Srbageldog You are right, that doctor is a quack. My mom also had a ulcers in her leg and the "specialist" who took care of her did nothing right to solve the problem. I found another doctor and she is now well.
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
5 Nov 17
@LadyDuck I am glad your mom is well. Those ulcers seem so painful. My mom is in agony when she gets them and she cannot work when she has them. I hope she finds a new doctor to actually treat her problems instead of ignoring them.
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
5 Nov 17
Thank you. I hope so too. Her doctor is a quack. I have been telling her for years to find a new one. For instance, she has chronic venous reflux disease and gets ulcers on her legs from it. They can fix that by closing the bad veins down (that's the procedures I just had done in September.) But her doctor will never refer her to a vein specialist! That is the first thing he should be doing, not sending her to a podiatrist or dermatologist or wherever he sends her. They can do nothing for her. He is very incompetent. My dad had a tumor on his back he complained about for a long time before the doctor finally sent him to get some imaging tests, but then he sent him for an ultrasound of the wrong body part, and then an MRI of his spine instead of where the tumor was located. So my dad ended up going through all these unnecessary tests and if it had been cancer it would have spread by the time he got sent to a surgeon to have it removed.
The sad thing is, this doctor has a good reputation and my parents have better insurance! So they should be receiving better care, but they are not. Sometimes I think they receive worse healthcare than I do, and I have crappy insurance. It is not right that I was able to get the veins in my legs fixed while my mom cannot.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (97912)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
4 Nov 17
I understand what you mean. Take deep breath and just be there for your mom. It won't be easy but you can hope for the best there can be. I will put in a prayer for your mom. I took at look online and you can see if this link might help as well.
Congestive heart failure results from a weak heart that is losing its ability to pump blood efficiently; however, it's only a symptom of an underlying problem.
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
4 Nov 17
Thank you so much. I appreciate it. I am trying not to get too worried yet. We need to wait and see what the cardiologist says, since so far she has only had a blood test. Maybe it won't be so bad. Fingers crossed, anyway.
1 person likes this
@Courtlynn (67089)
• United States
4 Nov 17
So sorry Stacy!
I hope its early detection so no surgery is needed.
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
4 Nov 17
I agree, she should file a complaint. That doctor never takes anything seriously. I just found out not that long ago that my dad has cardiomyopathy and the stupid doctor hasn't even been monitoring it or sending him to a cardiologist or or anything! (My parents see the same doctor.) Now he has A-Fib so they're taking it more seriously, but it wasn't even the doctor who caught it, it was the anesthesiologist who told him he had it right before he had surgery a couple months ago. They both need to file a complaint...and find a new doctor!
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
5 Nov 17
Thank you, me too. My dad has already lost three siblings in the last decade -- they all seem to be dying in their 60s. His dad's side of the family didn't live to be very old I guess, but his mom's side lived to be close to 100. My mom's family tends to live to be around 80.
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
4 Nov 17
I'm sorry to hear that, but you did the right thing by telling her not to stress about it too much. I hope she will get a better idea on how to manage it after the cardiologist appointment.
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
4 Nov 17
Thank you. Hopefully they've detected it early and management won't be too difficult.
1 person likes this
@responsiveme (22923)
• India
5 Nov 17
Don't worry too much.medicine has improved so much and with that and a few life style changes she should be fine
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
5 Nov 17
Thank you. That is what I keep telling myself.
1 person likes this
@BloggerDi (3121)
• United States
4 Nov 17
I'm sorry that you and your parents are going through this kind of stress. Your Mom and Dad are fortunate to have a concerned daughter like you who appreciates and loves them so much.
1 person likes this
@rubyriaz007 (4187)
• India
6 Nov 17
Don't worry, she will get well soon. Everything will be fine. Always think positive.
1 person likes this
