Is there a time period for these stages? My 86 yr old father was diagnosed with congestive heart failure about 5 years ago . We are not sure what stage he is in or what to expect. Can anyone give me some information on this or tell me where to find some. I have checked online, but I didn't see anything about stages or a timelilne.
He also has dementia, so sometimes getting a straight answer from him about how he is feeling or if something is wrong, is tricky.
Can anyone give any info??
Thank you.
My father-in-law has not been "officially" diagnosed with CHF. He has had four different by-pass surgeries and three angioplasties. When he was at Cleveland Clinic for a new heart valve, they asked if anyone had diagnosed him with CHF, but didn’t confirm it there either. That was over five years ago and he is still going. Other physicians have asked the same question, but none has said it definitively. If he doesn’t take a mountain of medications swells up like a balloon. Also has beginning stages of dementia. Due to incontinence issues created by the medications, he is often not too pleasant to be around. He can't smell it and gets testy if we tell him he needs to go change. Refuses to wear protection no matter how it is presented to him. We never refer to them as adult diapers, although, that is how everyone perceives them. What is it with old people? I would think they want to preserve some semblance of dignity, but maybe the mind just doesn’t care any longer. However, my mother was 95 with severe dementia when she died and through the fog she ALWAYS wanted to be clean. I deeply appreciated and respected that about her, even if it wasn’t always easy.
My father-in-law lives with us. He can't go too far without being out of breath. He basically does sitting activities and, sadly, since the death of his wife, they include drinking. Breaks your heart. Along with being very frustrating on numerous levels, especially when the doctors don’t back us when we try to discourage its use with the medications. I too have wondered how much longer he can keep going. He is 86 and out lived his wife who died from dementia three years ago and my mother died last December at 95.........all have lived with us. We are becoming very knowledgeable in areas we never wanted to experience.
I hope someone out there can shed light on the CHF timeline. I know each person is an individual, but am finding there is a pattern to most of the illnesses.
Thank you in advance for you input and thanks for reading. This is a fantastic site and deeply appreciated by all of us who go through the trials and love while caring for loved ones.
I am sorry you had such a terrible experience with Cleveland Clinic, Purple. The doctor we had was the top in the world and after extensive research, that is why we elected to go there for Dad’s mitral valve. We were extremely happy with the doctor and his team. However, I have to admit, the nursing care after the surgery was deplorable. I am a nurse and have never seen such shoddy quality of patient (lack of) care. When being transferred his chest tube separated because they were not watching and it wrapped around the wheel of the wheelchair. When he started complaining because it was pulling and hurt, I saw the problem and told them to STOP!! What really corked my cookies was they just reconnected it without cleaning the ends of the tubing that had been dragging on the floor and wrapped in the wheel. We were expected to bathe him as no one ever came in to help. And when they did, they were grumpy and never smiled. It was unreal! Those were just a few incidents, there were numerous others. But, he recovered and is doing fine, so I guess..... We had taken my sister-in-law to Mayo's for 13 surgeries battling ovarian cancer and they were FANTASTIC!! Truly cared about the patients and families comfort. Everyone smiled and had a kind word, not just a number like we were at Cleveland. Think I would choose Mayo over Cleveland. Sorry Cleveland.
I am not sticking to the “timeline” information, but it all is part of the care. IMHO. And interesting to hear what others have experienced as they travel down the road.
My mother is a-fib and I know it is a hard thing to handle seeing a loved one suffer.
Wishing you the best.
the cardiologist suggested he try having the dialysis take off another kilo, which they did today. i dont know what to expect of his situation.
Your situation is much different than ours so I can’t tell you much that may be of help to you and what you are dealing with or suggest viable options. When I said they wouldn't do further cardioversions on my FIL it was because they were not holding and he would just keep going back into atrialfib, so no point in doing it over and over. He is on 17 different pills every day, including Bumex, Amniodarone, Coumadin, and a ton more. His feet and ankles look like watermelons from fluid retention caused by poor circulation after using leg veins for by-pass surgeries. He is in mid-stage dementia and getting him to do what he is supposed to is an exercise in futility. We try to curtail his salt and fluid intake and get him to keep his feet elevated, but he drinks fluids all day and gets up in the middle of the night to get more ginger ale. We have salt substitute and he loads that on his food to the point of snow-covered mountaintops. We put his feet up and two seconds later, he has them down. This is our fourth series of wound clinic sessions because he won't do what he is told or wear the pressure stockings, so his legs split from the fluid pressure. We keep thinking he has CHF, but no official diagnosis and after all the angioplasties, by-pass surgeries and new heart valve, they tell us his heart is fine. Could have fooled me, but hey.
Your husband is young and it sounds like he is mentally acute, so his medical plan will be much different and more aggressive that that of my FIL. I take it your husband has other problems than just the diabetes. Is he also suffering from CHF and possibly COPD?
I wish I could be more help, but I don’t know the care plan or complete medical picture you are dealing with. I am sorry, but that is about all I have to offer relating to the cardioversion and why we aren’t having it done anymore. Seems like in the deep recesses of my mind, the doctor said he could do it 5 times, but I have heard there is no limit. However, after the second, they usually suggest and look to alternative treatments.
I wish you and your husband hope and health in all you are going through. This must be a lot for you to shoulder. I pray that the extra fluid they removed gave him relief and he feels much better. May the doctors find the answers so you will have a long and joyous life together.
Hugs!
today he was helping bring in the groceries and his oxy went to 69 and he had blue lips. i told him he needed to be in the hospital and he still refuses.
1.Class I is patients with a weakened heart but without limitation or symptoms.
2.Class II is only limitation at heavier workloads.
3.Class III is limitation at everyday activity.
4.Class IV is severe symptoms at rest or with any degree of effort.
The prognosis of heart failure patients is very closely associated with the functional class.
he had a defib put in in april and it has gone off 2 times he is very hard headed
and also a diabetic
So, in my experience there are ups and downs. For my mom it was most important for for her to be able to do as much as possible in between... and to enjoy life. It was also important for her to be able to see and be with family and friends.
Please try not to worry as much as I did. My mom told me not to worry. We had 3-5 good years together and the only thing I struggled with is worry and the unknown. If you can hug your dad and tell him you love him every day, that will work miracles. Be kind and try to be helpful, but also take good care of you. He will want to know that you are OK. No one could tell me what would happen with my mom. She passed away in her sleep a few weeks ago. We had a wonderful evening. She was warm and comfortable and surrounded with love.
I am wishing you comfort and hoping you can be actively involved, but not worried. Also, many people her suggested that hospice would be very helpful and informative to us.
have been diagnosed with congestive heart failure coronary artery disease chronic obstructive pulmonary disease type2 diabetes along with high blood pressure.had a consultation with the cardiologist a few weeks ago.i asked what happens now a bypass operation.her reply was for me it is to late,and I will remain on meds until they fail to work.then palliative care.fine.but what is my prognosis anser because I have so many problems she is unable to give me a prognosis.i said that is strange as heart failure goes hand in hand with my other problems so surely you must have an idea her reply was no.i am a 60 year old male.diagnosed approx. 1 year ago but now I have continuous fatigue muscle wastage and general pain to muscle areas in my arms and legs.chest pain and breathing difficulties .all this while I am at rest.i reall y need an approx. prognosis as we live abroad and I really need to put things in order for my family etc.but still falls on deaf ears with doc and cardiologist.can anyone help
rgds rob