Re: Heart failure--HELP! PLEASE RESPOND IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT HEART FAILURE

[Guest guest]

Donna, I don't know much about congestive heart failure, but am also fearing that I have the same

condition. I am being sent to a Cardiologist in the next few weeks to confirm it. When I find out some

more, I will post what information I get for everyone. Have you seen a specialist, yet? Have they

done any tests to confirm the diagnosis? Please follow up on it, insist on confirming tests, etc. Don't

accept a first opinion if you are unsure about the doctor's abilities in that area. Keep us posted on

what YOU find out, too. Loving hugs, MM

[Guest guest]

Donna -

Remember, while the internet is a wonderful tool and makes information readily available to us that there is no guarantee that just because you read it that it is true. And reading (internet, newspapers, library books or medical texts) are no substitute for testing by a trained professional when it comes to a diagnosis and treatment. The human mind can be interesting - it is not uncommon, for example, for medical students to come down with symptoms of diseases they are studying not because they are actually ill but their studies give them an overly vivid imagination.

Now, on to your heart failure concern.... From what I know (which isn't much) it seems to me "congestive heart failure" is often used as an umbrella term for a lot of conditions. I would think the prognosis would depend on the root cause and what could be done.

FWIW, my mother's death certificate reads that she died of "congestive heart failure" and renal failure - I either don't remember or never knew the technical cause of her heart problems. I do know she was treated for high blood pressure for a good 30 years and supposedly this either caused or exacerbated the kidney problems (actually, looking at things now I suspect she may well have had lupus as well). But I *can* tell you she had a pacemaker implanted which reduced the problems she had (i.e., drastically reduced the number of "mini-strokes" she was having) and lived nearly 20 years after the diagnosis - long enough that they had to go in and replace the batteries in the pacemaker.

Sue

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[Guest guest]

Donna,

My Grandmother was diagnosed with congestive heart failure while in her sixties. She did die from it at the age of 94! The meds out there really can help you live longer. Grandma got along just fine for those last 30 years. The last few years of her life she slowed down quite a bit but that had mostly to do with her age and her bones.

Elaine

Re: Heart failure--HELP! PLEASE RESPOND IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT HEART FAILURE

Donna, I don't know much about congestive heart failure, but am also fearing that I have the samecondition. I am being sent to a Cardiologist in the next few weeks to confirm it. When I find out somemore, I will post what information I get for everyone. Have you seen a specialist, yet? Have theydone any tests to confirm the diagnosis? Please follow up on it, insist on confirming tests, etc. Don'taccept a first opinion if you are unsure about the doctor's abilities in that area. Keep us posted onwhat YOU find out, too. Loving hugs, MM "The LUPIES Store" Come check out our store...http://www.cafepress.com/thelupies"The LUPIES Web Page"http://www.itzarion.com/lupusgroup.html"The LUPIES online photo albums!" Check out what your fellow Lupies look like...http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?username=lupies