Wellness

[CrazyKittyLvr2]

My sister was diagnosed with CHF in the summer of 2018.  She takes a high dosees of  fluid pills.  On Saturday she was at my house and her left leg was huge and seeping fluid.  I keep telling her to see a cardiologist.  Her PCP has not sent her to one and heaven forbid she asks to see one.  She is so stubborn.

Yesterday she said she's been sick all week, can't eat, nausea, tired etc. She is also diabetic.

I am worried and aggrevated she won't see another Dr.  The word heart is in the name of the condition. See a heart Dr. for crying out loud.

Anyone else dealing with this?

[Jersey Born]

@CrazyKittyLvr2 , I am not dealing with this, but I have seen it, and when a leg or two swell badly, and with those additional symptoms, it might be best for your sister to get to an ER pronto.  A serious cardiac event might be imminent or already underway.

Not eating when diabetic can be a humongous problem, too.  How low is her sugar, how often does she test her sugar level, and how is her sugar level being managed, if she is on insulin and is not eating food?

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-attack/symptoms-causes/syc-20373106

Wishing your sister and you the best.  She needs to take these symptoms very seriously, because they are very serious.

[CelticCrafter]

My sister had it.  

She didn't like taking the diuretic because it made her pee too much so her leg would swell.  We would pratically have to sit on her and force the pill down her throat.  

[CrazyKittyLvr2]

@Jersey Born   I know it's serious.  I told her yesterday to get to an ER.  I got a list of reasons why she wouldn't go. Mainly the ER in the town is terrible and useless.  

She has a Dr.appt. at 3:00 today with her PCP.  I'm afraid they will just up her fluid pills and not worry about the underlying issue.  When she first started the fluid pills she lost 20 lbs. in a matter of a week or so.  It was all fluid.

She gets royally pi**ed at me for "nagging" her.

Both her daughters can't budge her either.

[I am still oxox]

PCP's are not trained to deal with cardiac issues, I am so surprised that she was not sent to a specialist

[CrazyKittyLvr2]

@I am still oxox    Her Dr. is terrible.  I told her months ago she needed a cardiologist.  She said Dr. is not convinced it is her heart.  Again, you have congestive HEART failure.

I don't pretend to understand his reasoning. 

The kicker is she is on everyone else about their health.  She got mad at me yesterday when I mentioned an ER. 

I would love for him to admit her but I know her, she would refuse.  I know she has to see a lot of Drs., diabetes Dr., eye Drs. (gets shots in her eye), arthritis Dr., etc.  But it's your freakin heart.

[Foxxee]

My father has it and is treated by a Cardiologist.  He is doing well.  I accompany him on every appointment and test.

He has edema in both legs and wears compression socks.  They help push water up the leg preventing it from settling in the legs.  They prevent edema and oozing in CHF.

Without removing that edema from her legs and feet, infections can set it, most commonly, cellulitis.  The body is unable to supply adequate oxygen to the cells, poor blood flow.  Gangrene can set in, as well, usually beginning on the toes.  This can be life threatening.

From what you describe, she has serious side effects and along with having diabetes should call a Cardiologist herself, immediately, or insist her doctor refer her...now.

Sorry, but I don't trust family doctors or internists for cardiac diseases.  

I hope she knows if she doesn't get proper treatment, she will die much sooner.

[chrystaltree]

 You are right, she should be seeing a Cardiologist.  Her pcp is not specialist and he cannot treat her chf.  It's possible that he is doing her more harm than good.  Which is what happened to my own mother.  For years, her gynecologist who she loved and had great faith in treated her hypertension.  It's a very long story, I won't go into it all but suffice it to say; while his intensions were good, he almost killed my mother.  Under his care, she had two silent heart attacks that he diangosed as angina.  They were mild but they still damaged her heart muscle.  She needed to be under the care of a cardiologist but his pride prevented him from referring her to one.  And then she had a heart attack and the ambulance took her to hospital with a major heart center, a world famous hospital where the truth of how he had mismanaged her care came out.  She had CHF after that but with good care and cardiac care team that included physical therapists and nutritionists; she lived a relatively healthy life for another 10 years.  It's hard because we can't make our loved ones do something they don't want to do but do what you can do to get her to cardiologist.  

[hckynut]

@CrazyKittyLvr2 

I think you sister doesn't understand exactly what CHF is about. I was diagnosed with CHF after my 2nd heart attack. To get my EF number higher I started working out as hard as was safe during my 36 Cardiac Rehab Classes. Each patient wears a Heart Monitor that is watched by a nurse during the whole exercise session.

After those 36 sessions my Cardiologist scheduled another Echocardiogram and my EF number moved up high enough to move me out of the Congestive Heart Failure category. I have since had 2 more Echocardiograms and my number is even better. I also had to limit my total fluid intake to 64oz. per day!  What one eats is also important, but I was pretty much eating that way for years. Limiting my fluid, especially water, was the hardest part for me.

If fluid is building up in her legs? Her heart is not pumping efficiently enough to move enough blood through her body. The more fluid, the harder the heart has to work. The harder the heart has to work?  I don't need to say more.

If she doesn't see a doctor by choice, chances are pretty good that she will not by choice. If her PCP didn't tell or refer her to a Cardiologist, that person would never be my doctor. Did he not see the results of her Echocardiogram and it's EF number?

Anyone diagnosed with CHF that ignores it, in my opinion, is a fool! What can you do? Nothing, that choice is your sister's only. Sorry, but I am stating facts along with my own bout with Congestive Heart Failure.

hckynut

[MalteseMomma]

My very dear BIL just  died on Tuesday from this . His body filled with water.He was hospitalized for a week  and died in his sleep in the hospital . I am going to his first day wake at 3pm today  and his funeral tomorrow.

Your DS had better get to her doctor.