90 year old mom - Heart Disorders Message Board

grammaed · 12-02-2006, 01:54 PM

Mom is 90 years old with a history of high blood pressure. She's had 2 pacemakers in her life time and 3 months ago had a battery replaced. it seems she's been going downhill ever since. I beleive she is in the last stages of conjestive heart failure. Since August of 2006, she's had edema and is on 80 grams of lasix and she still retains fluid. Her feet, ankles, legs and now her abdoman is VERY hard a swollen. She has shortness of breath and barely gets around. Her legs are beginning to have discoloration and slight bubling like the water in her legs will burst soon. I am trying to prepare myself for the worse and was wondering if anyone knows how long a person can survive when in the last stages? Some people have told me that her feet may turn cold and blueish and move up to the legs, knee, etc.
I have family members in different parts of the country and when the end is near I would like them to all be here if they could.
I guess what I'm asking is, at this stage, does she have weeks, months or year ?????

Lenin · 12-03-2006, 06:33 AM

Severe dropsy like your mom has that has become resistant to doses of Lasix already usually signifies pretty massive organ failure, kidney, heart, liver.
My mom went the same way and since she had a DNR order, at the point where any fluid input merely went into inflating her dying body they stopped giving her any fluids.

I think your mom MAY have a month...a week or two is more likely if they don't take "heroic methods" and ventilate and dyalize her...which would only postpone the inevitable. Of course, making this call is a guesstimate on my part.

She will quietly slip into a coma probably a couple days before her death and that is the time to call the relatives. If they want to see her conscious though, they'd best buy plane tickets VERY soon.

There is no law that says that when 80 mg. of furosemide doesn't work that 160 or 320 mg. won't. They should up her Lasix dose. I hope she's not in pain!
It's tough to watch...I know firsthand.

I don't want to go that way. My ideal way is at a great French restaurant, after several glasses of claret and a wonderful Bouef Bourguinonne, to grab my chest and fall face down into my Crepe Suzettes...case closed.

grammaed · 12-04-2006, 05:08 PM

I can't seem to reply to your message, I've tried 3 times. Lets see if this goes through.

Lenin · 12-05-2006, 06:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lackosweets

I can't seem to reply to your message, I've tried 3 times. Lets see if this goes through.

Yep, reply went through but that's all it said!

grammaed · 12-06-2006, 05:50 PM

Looks like I had no problem signing in tonight ???

Thank you for your reply. I especially liked your last paragraph, it put a smile on my face. I wouldn't mind going that way either.

Dr. has mom on metolazone along with the lasix. It seemed to help some but not much. She tells me she isn't in any pain. The only pain she's experiencing is some discomfort in the upper part of the abdomen. I thought it may be her liver., but it's not. It could be because she's isn't walking much and is not able to digest her food properly. She still has a great appetite, she eat's more than I.
She's had a chest x-ray, blood work and a CT Scan done. The CtScan showed a 3 inch mass on her ovaries.
Your right! it's tough to watch.