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Congestive Heart Failure - I probably haz it

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
Thanks. I didn't know you had a heart attack, I'm sorry to hear that. :( My nephew was in his late 30s and had one. He's doing fine now, lost a ton of weight. That's my first order of business I guess. I know my doc is going to shake his finger at me... again.

A rather minor one ... no stent needed. I had to lose weight as well, but most of it is back on now. A foot injury last December kind of caused that ... I was unable to exercise at all, and so bored I ate too much. Have lost about 5 lb in the last month or so, moving dirt helps. On the second truckload (12 cubic yards) now. But your news did cause me to check my BP, I get pretty slack cause it's always okay. 110 over 70.

It's always good to lose weight. For years I was 170, the active years. But when the activity decreased the food intake didn't.

Hopefully this is just a wake up call.
 

Mindmaster

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Lately, past month or two, maybe three, I've been swelling up more than usual. I always did have a bit of a water retention problem. My mother did too. Ok, I do eat pizza, occasional subs and cold cuts, some chips here and there. And I've gotten fat.
  1. I can't get my boots on without a long-handled shoehorn, and even then it's a tight fit.

  2. I get winded and no longer take the stairs.

  3. I get short of breath even just sitting.

  4. Lying in the recliner is a better sleep than lying flat.

  5. B.P. today was 140/106.

  6. I wake up at night feeling like I'm suffocating. I have to get up and walk around or even just stand and catch my breath.
Those are just the highlights. I thought this was all due to having gained weight and gotten out of shape. I was a power lifter until about 6 years ago when my back required a lumbar fusion. I was still taking 3-3.5 mph road walks and weight training. My diet was pretty good. Maybe around last December my diet and exercise took a jog to the left. I've put on about 30 lbs. I don't know how much of it is water, but I do have a "bear belly". Btw, I'll be 62 years old in 2 weeks.

So I go to Urgent Care because it's a near impossibility to get in to see my regular doctor. The UC doctor examines me, questions me and says he's reasonably sure it's CHF. He drew blood and will get the results in a few days. He gave me Lasix 20 mg and told me to see my own dr. and/or a cardiologist. My dr. gives me an appt. next week! I have the name of a cardiologist that I may just go to, bypassing my dr. He's only going to tell me to see a cardiologist.

I think I caught this early but I'm reading some pretty dismal outlooks for this disease: I don't fear death or dying, for myself... I'm Hindu and have great faith in my beliefs. Rather I worry for those I leave behind. I don't plan to give up, in fact I'll probably go kicking and howling if it ever comes to that. Maybe it won't.

Yeah, sadly according to CDC 58% of us are going to die to either heart disease or cancer. Certainly, we'll all die to something.

Weight loss, dietary improvements, and exercise will help but that being said there is no actual cure for either problem -- such will only minimize your suffering. That being said, never too late to start. But, yeah, losing that beer gut will help majorly if you can. So put a plan in action to control your diet and get some more activity going -- lay off the carbs increase proteins and health fats. (I lost about 100 pounds this way, I did it, so can you!)
 

Jainarayan

ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय
Staff member
Premium Member
But, yeah, losing that beer gut will help majorly if you can. So put a plan in action to control your diet and get some more activity going -- lay off the carbs increase proteins and health fats. (I lost about 100 pounds this way, I did it, so can you!)

I have no idea how this happened, how I let it happen. I was a runner, a mountain biker a weightlifter. I guess I got stupid I got fat dumb and happy. :cool: I have to take control back. This isn’t me.
 

Jainarayan

ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय
Staff member
Premium Member
A rather minor one ... no stent needed. I had to lose weight as well, but most of it is back on now. A foot injury last December kind of caused that ... I was unable to exercise at all, and so bored I ate too much. Have lost about 5 lb in the last month or so, moving dirt helps. On the second truckload (12 cubic yards) now. But your news did cause me to check my BP, I get pretty slack cause it's always okay. 110 over 70.

It's always good to lose weight. For years I was 170, the active years. But when the activity decreased the food intake didn't.

Hopefully this is just a wake up call.

I hope it’s only a wake up call too. I’m glad I inspired you to check your bp.

See, it’s always an even slight injury that makes everything go south. It happened to me in 2012 with my shoulder. After my back I knew I’d never squat or deadlift again, but I got back to other lifting routines.
 

Mindmaster

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
I have no idea how this happened, how I let it happen. I was a runner, a mountain biker a weightlifter. I guess I got stupid I got fat dumb and happy. :cool: I have to take control back. This isn’t me.

Eh, I was a completely active person in youth but all the crap I had to do at work took it out of me. (12 hour+ days... no time for other activities) Got heavy, lazy, and slower. Now, I'm lighter but still slow. Diabetic doesn't help the situation in my case. Anyway, a lot of heart problems are genetic nothing really you can do about it but some light working out will mitigate a lot of risks and is pretty easy to do. (You don't need to work out more than 3 days for 20 minutes to maintain health... More will tend to increase your problems.) I bought a bike, so I make an effort to ride it - I can usually have the energy to do that even on off days. But, truthfully, anything is better than nothing.
 

Jainarayan

ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय
Staff member
Premium Member
Sorry to read your news.
On reading about your BP I just took my BP and it is 162/108 and 2nd reading 155/102 so you're ahead of the game compared to me on that. My BP has been high since 2003 despite medication and now if it drops to anything near normal I get all light headed. So as far as I'm concerned BP is just a pair of numbers.

All I can do is to wish you well and hope that the quacks can sort you out OK. :)


A good way of handling all those IT reports and stuff is to ignore the whole friggin' lot.
After my heart attack in 2003 and with ridiculously high BP the statatistics reckoned I was toast. I just bought an electric bike to help with hills (or get me home if I got tired) and went roaming about each early morning ........ I still go cycling and swimming most mornings.

Ah..... do you like swimming? Is there a pool near you? That's one way of exercising when a bit overweight.

One other thing. Is there anything that you really really want now which you are able to acquire? Whatever it is, please do get it.

All the very best to you, and I'll keep an eye out for this thread.

Thanks. There is an aquatics place that I can look into. I like to walk and do mild hiking, may, I love to walk. I put on my headphones and start jamming. It’s a treat to see a 240 lb bear bopping down the road. I got bullied a lot as a kid. :D I can’t mountain bike anymore because I can’t get my leg over the saddle.
 

Jainarayan

ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय
Staff member
Premium Member
Eh, I was a completely active person in youth but all the crap I had to do at work took it out of me. (12 hour+ days... no time for other activities) Got heavy, lazy, and slower. Now, I'm lighter but still slow. Diabetic doesn't help the situation in my case. Anyway, a lot of heart problems are genetic nothing really you can do about it but some light working out will mitigate a lot of risks and is pretty easy to do. (You don't need to work out more than 3 days for 20 minutes to maintain health... More will tend to increase your problems.) I bought a bike, so I make an effort to ride it - I can usually have the energy to do that even on off days. But, truthfully, anything is better than nothing.

I don’t know if I mentioned it here or somewhere else that on my mothers side her father and her four brothers all died of heart disease. Her four brothers had multiple bypasses. My mother her mother and her two sisters all died of some form of cancer.

My father and his family lived to their 80s and 90s because they were just so nasty even the devil didn’t want them. At 81 my father was too old to divorce my mother and go to Mexico so he died. :D
 

Jainarayan

ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय
Staff member
Premium Member
Well, i’m lying here on a gurney in the ER answering reader mail so I hope I haven’t ignored anyone. My EKG is perfect. Waiting for more tests.
 

ManSinha

Well-Known Member
Lately, past month or two, maybe three, I've been swelling up more than usual. I always did have a bit of a water retention problem. My mother did too. Ok, I do eat pizza, occasional subs and cold cuts, some chips here and there. And I've gotten fat.
  1. I can't get my boots on without a long-handled shoehorn, and even then it's a tight fit.

  2. I get winded and no longer take the stairs.

  3. I get short of breath even just sitting.

  4. Lying in the recliner is a better sleep than lying flat.

  5. B.P. today was 140/106.

  6. I wake up at night feeling like I'm suffocating. I have to get up and walk around or even just stand and catch my breath.
Those are just the highlights. I thought this was all due to having gained weight and gotten out of shape. I was a power lifter until about 6 years ago when my back required a lumbar fusion. I was still taking 3-3.5 mph road walks and weight training. My diet was pretty good. Maybe around last December my diet and exercise took a jog to the left. I've put on about 30 lbs. I don't know how much of it is water, but I do have a "bear belly". Btw, I'll be 62 years old in 2 weeks.

So I go to Urgent Care because it's a near impossibility to get in to see my regular doctor. The UC doctor examines me, questions me and says he's reasonably sure it's CHF. He drew blood and will get the results in a few days. He gave me Lasix 20 mg and told me to see my own dr. and/or a cardiologist. My dr. gives me an appt. next week! I have the name of a cardiologist that I may just go to, bypassing my dr. He's only going to tell me to see a cardiologist.

I think I caught this early but I'm reading some pretty dismal outlooks for this disease: I don't fear death or dying, for myself... I'm Hindu and have great faith in my beliefs. Rather I worry for those I leave behind. I don't plan to give up, in fact I'll probably go kicking and howling if it ever comes to that. Maybe it won't.

The other causes of generalized water retention are kidney disease or liver disease. IF it is congestive heart failure perhaps one of the most important pieces of investigation is to ensure that one is not getting "silent" heart attacks from a near blocked coronary vessel. They usually do some kind of stress test to check for that or suggest a look at your coronary arteries with a cath procedure.

Here is some info from a reputable source
 

Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
Lately, past month or two, maybe three, I've been swelling up more than usual. I always did have a bit of a water retention problem. My mother did too. Ok, I do eat pizza, occasional subs and cold cuts, some chips here and there. And I've gotten fat.
  1. I can't get my boots on without a long-handled shoehorn, and even then it's a tight fit.

  2. I get winded and no longer take the stairs.

  3. I get short of breath even just sitting.

  4. Lying in the recliner is a better sleep than lying flat.

  5. B.P. today was 140/106.

  6. I wake up at night feeling like I'm suffocating. I have to get up and walk around or even just stand and catch my breath.
Those are just the highlights. I thought this was all due to having gained weight and gotten out of shape. I was a power lifter until about 6 years ago when my back required a lumbar fusion. I was still taking 3-3.5 mph road walks and weight training. My diet was pretty good. Maybe around last December my diet and exercise took a jog to the left. I've put on about 30 lbs. I don't know how much of it is water, but I do have a "bear belly". Btw, I'll be 62 years old in 2 weeks.

So I go to Urgent Care because it's a near impossibility to get in to see my regular doctor. The UC doctor examines me, questions me and says he's reasonably sure it's CHF. He drew blood and will get the results in a few days. He gave me Lasix 20 mg and told me to see my own dr. and/or a cardiologist. My dr. gives me an appt. next week! I have the name of a cardiologist that I may just go to, bypassing my dr. He's only going to tell me to see a cardiologist.

I think I caught this early but I'm reading some pretty dismal outlooks for this disease: I don't fear death or dying, for myself... I'm Hindu and have great faith in my beliefs. Rather I worry for those I leave behind. I don't plan to give up, in fact I'll probably go kicking and howling if it ever comes to that. Maybe it won't.
Your not alone. My heart attack was in 2017.

Best of care to you.
 

Jainarayan

ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय
Staff member
Premium Member
The other causes of generalized water retention are kidney disease or liver disease. IF it is congestive heart failure perhaps one of the most important pieces of investigation is to ensure that one is not getting "silent" heart attacks from a near blocked coronary vessel. They usually do some kind of stress test to check for that or suggest a look at your coronary arteries with a cath procedure.

Here is some info from a reputable source

Thanks for the info, will read.

Oh yes btw, checking my kidney function too. They just took blood. One of the tests is cardiac enzymes. EKG is fine. :)
 

Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
Whew! Dodged that bullet.
No Doubt. My cardiologist told me that people who went through what I went through are usually far worse off.

I'm not completely unscathed as I'm still dependent on medication and my diagnosis of having coronary artery disease I think is for life.

For now anyways I'm not in too bad of shape. It's something I would hope for anyone under similar circumstances and always happy to hear of survivors who had gone through similar circumstances.
 

Jainarayan

ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय
Staff member
Premium Member
Well, I passed the stress test with flying colors, my bp and ekg are perfect. ECG looked ok. I just can’t breathe. So they’re still scratching their heads. But my TSH is 17. The cardiologist said oh that’s fine. Yeah, my butt is fine. The other doctor even said no, 0.5-5.0 is the range. So now we look at my thyroid dosage... again.

Btw, they raised the grade and speed of the treadmill so that I had to break into a run for a minute or so. So, I’m not quite ready for the pyre yet. :D

If I’m lucky and it’s not really cardio related I could go home today.
 

ManSinha

Well-Known Member
Well, I passed the stress test with flying colors, my bp and ekg are perfect. ECG looked ok. I just can’t breathe. So they’re still scratching their heads. But my TSH is 17. The cardiologist said oh that’s fine. Yeah, my butt is fine. The other doctor even said no, 0.5-5.0 is the range. So now we look at my thyroid dosage... again.

Btw, they raised the grade and speed of the treadmill so that I had to break into a run for a minute or so. So, I’m not quite ready for the pyre yet. :D

If I’m lucky and it’s not really cardio related I could go home today.


Ok so I make it a point not to give medical advice on fora - but - what is the ejection fraction (EF) on your echocardiogram? It is usually a percentage ranging from 15 to 70% (Presuming one was done) - it shows the functioning of the heart in real time - did you get one?
 
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