Mother been diagnosed with Heart Failure

[patchouli]

Re: Mother been diagnosed with Heart Failure

oh no... I'm so sorry... I am sending healing vibes to her and hope she recovers and I am sending strength to you too...

Do you have any other family that can assist you? I'm an only child so everything in the world falls on my shoulders... I hope you have some help, you don't want to end up poorly from stress...

[Pixie]

Re: Mother been diagnosed with Heart Failure

Sorry to hear that SXGuy

Will she get sick pay from work? I think you need to be looking at her claiming ESA and PIP.

[SXGuy]

Re: Mother been diagnosed with Heart Failure

Sorry have to reply and dash, haven't read the new posts.

Rushed my mum in to hospital Monday Morning, shes had a TIA.Lost her speech, and cant read or write, the words are correct but are not forming sentances correctly.
Was to late to get rid of the blood clot so that part of the brain is now dead.
They want to wait 48 hours to see if she regains her speech but failing that she will need speech rehab.
Have to do her work for her with help from my wife, trying to sort out bills that need paying anc clients that need to come in for their work to be done.
Wont have much time to visit the forum for a while, but will have to hold off her creditors if she gets any nasty letters.
Thanks for the support so far guys, will keep you updated when I can.

[patchouli]

Re: Mother been diagnosed with Heart Failure

My Mother has had horrendous heart problems and TIA's since giving up smoking.. is it because of that? I don't know..... she gave up aged 42 and had her first TIA aged 50.. she also put on a LOT of weight.. from being 8 stone since she was 30 to suddenly being 14 stone and more... might have been that?

I'm sorry your Mother is poorly... My Mother is currently having cardio nuclear therapy at Southend University Hospital .. I have no idea what that is but she says she feels much healthier but her skin and digestive system is suffering... But she can't praise them enough!

be careful what 'alternative' remedies she takes.. we are also a natural health family and were shocked to find something as innocent as Grapefruit juice can be detrimental to the effects of certain medications... If she drinks / eats this then google it and her meds... Another that springs to mind is St Johns Wort... this also reacts badly to certain meds...

((( hug ))) I hope the medics find something to help her.... be strong! xx

[Pixie]

Re: Mother been diagnosed with Heart Failure

Sorry to hear this SXGuy and wish your mum will be feeling a lot better soon

[Undercover Elsa]

Re: Mother been diagnosed with Heart Failure

So sorry to hear this too SXguy. Heart failure usually comes on relatively slowly over a period of time as a result of the muscle having to work harder to pump against increased pressure, for example high blood pressure or congested lungs due to longstanding conditions such as severe COPD. It's sometimes called congestive heart failure for that reason.
As you've figured, much will depend on the cardiologist's report on the definitive cause, but lets hope that because it came on quite rapidly due to the pneumonia causing sudden lung congestion, they may be able to treat it very effectively once that and any blood pressure problems are controlled.
I'm a smoker and I do believe that, in a paradoxical way, the deadly chemicals may actually help kill off bacteria. It's always a danger period straight after stopping, when the chemicals are gone but the cilia (small fibres that waft mucous upwards from the lungs, which are damaged by smoking) haven't regenerated enough to clear the airways, hence pneumonia can result if they're exposed to infection.
Sending hugs and wishing your mum a speedy recovery x

[SXGuy]

Re: Mother been diagnosed with Heart Failure

Sorry to hear about your Mum SX....

This happened to my mates mum she smoked 40 a day for 50 years....Then started to become ill after she stopped....

Yep. Heath Nurse said she sees it a lot. Funny how they don't tell people this when quitting! she prob wouldn't have, had she known.

[Deepie]

Re: Mother been diagnosed with Heart Failure

Sorry to hear about your Mum SX....

This happened to my mates mum she smoked 40 a day for 50 years....Then started to become ill after she stopped....

[cookie2112]

Re: Mother been diagnosed with Heart Failure

Sorry to hear about your mum SXGuy, sorry I don't have any personal knowledge to pass on, wonder if there might be anything useful on the British Health Foundation websitehttp://www.bhf.org.uk/

[SXGuy]

Re: Mother been diagnosed with Heart Failure

Thanks IF

Still trying to get my head around it to be honest.

Just seems like it happened over 1 week, started off with a really really bad upset stomach which lasted 3 weeks, then she felt breathless (fluid on lungs) and after 5 weeks, her feet have swollen.

May have been caused by a stomache bug putting strain on the heart, as she did have it really bad, but during this time, the drs checked her over, measured her blood pressure and couldnt find anything wrong, 3 blood tests later and a ECG, and now they say she has heart failure, i just dont get why it wasnt found weeks ago.

Her Heart rate is 100, should be around 60 to 70, doesnt have an irregular heart beat though.
Guess ill know more after a talk with the cardiologist as to the cause and the severity.
I do know that with drugs people can live over 10 years before symptoms get worst and the health team have said that she will be back to her old self once they can assess the dosage levels for her medication, but i dont want to leave it there, a heart is a musle and like any, needs time to heal and get better. I have found a natural herb called Arjuna, which has apparently worked miracles in studies that have been done, plus CoQ10, so will need to ask cardiologist whether she can supplement with these without adverse effects on her treatment.

[IF]

Re: Mother been diagnosed with Heart Failure

I am sorry to hear about your Mum SXGuy and sending you both big hugs

[SXGuy]

Hi guys. My mother has recently been diagnosed with Heart Failure.

Unsure of why yet, as she's due to see a cardiologist on 10th March and to have a echo graph to determine the cause, however she has been put on water pills and ACE inhibitors. Beta blockers will be introduced in the next few weeks.

Heath team as classed her as having Class 2 heart failure, mild symptoms.

All start around 6 weeks ago when my mother gave up smoking after 57 years. She has a severe viral infection and shortly after, found it hard to breath and walk far. Breathlessness got worse over a 1 week period.
After various blood tests and an ECG, its been confirmed as heart failure.

Is there anyone on this forum that lives with heart failure and can advise as to the best method of improvement in function, and perhaps anyone who knows anything about using Arjuna to help with strengthening the heart, blood flow and reduce heart rate and blood pressure?

Also, is there anything she should now be entitled to in terms of benefits? She is still planning to work however at the moment, i cant see her getting back into it as much as she once did until treatment and dosage has been determined.
obviously at the moment she cant walk very far, and i need to take her various places for the foreseeable future, so would i be entitled to a blue badge on behalf of my mother?

And of course theres also the issue re her debts which we are still fighting (UE diaries), not sure how to move forward with this if she does find shes unable to work.