i have been diagnoised with heart diesease and now heart failure, with medication and statins they are trying to get my cholestrol down, my arteries are signficantly narrow.
i am slightly over weight about 1.5 stone.
i am a vegetarian and do not drink or smoke, I work with my horses so do physical work, but this as rocked me, on reading up on it i have found articles saying you live a year after being diagnoised and i can not seem to get out of this depression i am in.
i feel so alone and frightened i live on my own and just dont feel ready to die.
i take medication for angina and high blood pressure and also using various enymes i have read about. is this the death sentence i feel it is ? it is like a large chopper on a frail string ready to break i constantly think about it most of the day and wake in the night, i was diagnoised 2 weeks ago the water tablets are helping with fluid and my weight is dropping can you live with this condition how long as most survviors had it.
Last edited by angeljanine; 02-24-2011 at 02:49 PM.
Reason: spelling
Angel, 20 months ago, I ended up in the hospital for a week. I left the hospital on oxygen 24/7 at 8LPM. I had Congestive Heart Failure. My condition has worsened with tachycardia and permanent atrial fibrillation. However I still get up in the morning ready to enjoy another day.
If I remember correctly the five year survival rate with Congestive Heart Failure is 20%. Take care of yourself and try not to stress. I believe you can be part of that 20% and then enjoy even more years.
We all have to come to terms that we will one day die. Get that one out of the way and the stress level goes way down and the enjoyment of life increases.
Forget those statistics, the big ones have been done years ago when the present medications did not exists.
The last one that I got, done on people with stable chronic HF, no ischemic and with low CRP indicates a survival rate of 80% at 6.5 years after follow up.
Links are not allowed in this board, but if you want to read the article, this is the reference: European Heart Journal (2005) 26, 2245–2250
"High-sensitivity C-reactive protein: potential adjunct
for risk stratification in patients with stable
congestive heart failure"
Your dx should be a good reason to ENJOY every day .... just in case you have a car accident tomorrow.
I was in the hospital with congestive heart failure about 15 years ago. I have atrial fibrillation and take a blood thinner to prevent clots.
My ejection fraction is in the range of 25%, low enough that I've been fitted with an Implanted Cardioversion Device (ICD) which monitors my heart rhythm and will shock me if I run into ventricular fibrillation. I had six artery coronary bypass surgery 30 years ago.
I'm trying to say that my heart is badly damaged and has been for many years. I could spend my days doing nothing but worrying about it. But I don't. I live a normal life, follow my cardiologist's suggestions, and figure that stress will do me in faster than anything else.
And my advice would be not to stress yourself with worry.
thank you for your replies it is just such a shock at the moment the doctor after the echo scan said i have mild heart failure so not sure if this is different from chf i do have a dry cough and thye are not sure if it is the ashma the heart or both. i have read a few books and they all seem to say about a low carb diet which i am following have done on and off for yrs but am determined now to stay with it, i have also read a lot about inflammtion that can cause it so hopefully hitting it on all levels.
i am only in my early 50's and have been so active it is just so frightening but coming on here as helped any advice re diet would be appreciated i dont any eat meat or cheese or fish but do eat eggs and vegetables am now trying to cut out starchy veg potatoes etc. i eat a lot of tomatoes are these ok?
thank you all for your replies
Last edited by angeljanine; 02-25-2011 at 01:42 AM.
