Prayers.....

[DianaB]

My daughter-in-law's mother, Patty, hasn't been feeling well for some time and she was finally talked into going to the doctor. The doctor sent her out to Wichita for some testing and they found out that she has a virus that is affecting her heart. She only has 50% of her heart that's working. The bad part is is that they don't know if the virus is still damaging her heart or if the virus is gone. Today they will be doing more tests on her.

Patty is a very dear friend and just one of the sweetest people that you will ever meet. She's a very wonderful grandmother to our grandchildren and they are all very close to her. Please keep Patty in your prayers.

[Janet]

Sad to read about your friend Diana. I'm glad she was finally talked into going to the Dr....afraid to think if she would have waited much longer. I will say a prayer for her and her family.

[gja1000]

Oh Diana, I'm so sorry to hear that. It sounds like the same thing Gary has - heart failure - Gary's heart only works about 40% and his too, was caused by a virus. The good news is that medications can strengthen the heart and sometimes this is reversable so that almost 100% of the heart starts working again. When they get her meds adjusted, she will probably feel better.

[Blueyes]

I'm sorry Diana! No wonder you needed your big bottle of vanilla today:o I hope they can find out what her problem is and help her feel better. I'll pray for you all.

[DianaB]

The doctors did a heart cath on Patty today and they found out that she had a blockage and that her heart was damaged worse than they thought. They are going to put a stint in for the blockage. I guess that her heart is really enlarged from the virus and is permanently damaged. The doctor said that he knew a 24 year old boy that had a heart damaged like Patty's. He's had about 10 years with his heart in bad condition and is now on a heart transplant list. I know that my son is really upset by all of this. Patty is a sweetheart and is just so very kind. She's always been so active. This is going to be hard for the whole family.

Feyn's going out to Wichita tomorrow and the kids will be coming here after school. I don't know if they'll be spending the night but I won't be surprised if they do. The kids are very close to Patty and are very upset by all of this.

[gja1000]

Diana, with heart damage that extensive and permanent, 10 years is the average life span. I know, because that is Gary's. He is 6 years post diagnosis - so sometimes we think about, 4 more years....... and it is really hard.

She can have a wonderful life between now and then - and maybe they will decide to put her on the transplant list too. How old is she? That will determine a lot if she is eligible for a transplant. Gary is 60 and he would be on the transplant list, but his lungs are very damaged from asthma and a previous fungal infection - so a new heart would not solve all his problems.

Again, with good doctors, good medications, proper exercise, rest, and a positive outlook, she can do many many things in the next few years. Her life will change for sure. She won't be as active as she was before, she'll have to rest more and ask for more help. It is really really hard.

Gary woke up one morning in heart failure, it wasn't gradual, boom! it was there. His career was in building houses - he was a carptenter - and suddenly he had trouble walking from the bed to the chair. But as you know he can do lots of things now, with lifestyle modifications. It takes time and it is very very frustrating and upsetting, but this condition can be dealt with and she can have a very positive quality of life.

I hope she continues to improve and i hope she has a doctor that is a cardiologist who specializes in heart failure. A cardiologist who specializes in heart failure will know better how to treat her than a regular cardiologist. Gary has been with his heart failure specialist for about 5 years and he has felt MUCH better under her care than the first year with a regular cardiologist.

It will be a long road, but it can be a good road!

[Marilyn]

Diana, so, so sad to hear this. She and all of you will be in my prayers.

[DianaB]

Diana, with heart damage that extensive and permanent, 10 years is the average life span. I know, because that is Gary's. He is 6 years post diagnosis - so sometimes we think about, 4 more years....... and it is really hard.

She can have a wonderful life between now and then - and maybe they will decide to put her on the transplant list too. How old is she? That will determine a lot if she is eligible for a transplant. Gary is 60 and he would be on the transplant list, but his lungs are very damaged from asthma and a previous fungal infection - so a new heart would not solve all his problems.

Again, with good doctors, good medications, proper exercise, rest, and a positive outlook, she can do many many things in the next few years. Her life will change for sure. She won't be as active as she was before, she'll have to rest more and ask for more help. It is really really hard.

Gary woke up one morning in heart failure, it wasn't gradual, boom! it was there. His career was in building houses - he was a carptenter - and suddenly he had trouble walking from the bed to the chair. But as you know he can do lots of things now, with lifestyle modifications. It takes time and it is very very frustrating and upsetting, but this condition can be dealt with and she can have a very positive quality of life.

I hope she continues to improve and i hope she has a doctor that is a cardiologist who specializes in heart failure. A cardiologist who specializes in heart failure will know better how to treat her than a regular cardiologist. Gary has been with his heart failure specialist for about 5 years and he has felt MUCH better under her care than the first year with a regular cardiologist.

It will be a long road, but it can be a good road!

Gayle, have I told you how much I appreciate you? You are always so caring in your posts! I'll pass this information on to my son and DIL.

Patty is a very young 68 years old. She could always out work most of us!! This will be a big change for her and her family. I'm glad to hear that she will have some good years still ahead.

[gja1000]

Thanks Diana! I'm always glad when I can provide information that will help people - that's what nurses do. And being a nurse is not a job, it's a way of life. We just can't help ourselves!!! LOL! My personal experience with Gary helps a lot though, in this situation.

[Gina]

Diana I will say a prayer for Patty, I hope that alll goes well for her ... Gayle your a sweetheart.

[DianaB]

Feyn went out to Wichita today and he called to let us know that Patty did well with her stint and will be coming home tomorrow. I'll probably know more when I see Tammy.

[Janet]

Sounds good Diana. I'm glad she's able to come home so soon. Please keep us updated and let her know she is in our prayers.

[DianaB]

Gayle, I was wrong about Patty's output. When she got to the hospital she was a 8% and since they've done the stint she's at 20%. The doctors are hoping that with medicine to get her up to 40%. She's home but not able to do much at all. Tammy said that she's very bored. She's been such an active woman that I can image how bored she is. She goes back later this month to the doctor and it's going to be decided if she needs a pacemaker.

Please continue to remember Patty in your prayers. She is in such a fragil state that if she catches anything it could be really serious.

[gja1000]

Yes, those numbers are really low - but the docs are right, with meds, they will probably get higher and she will feel better. I know she doesn't feel like doing much at all with a 20, but I think she will improve and if not, she'll learn to live a very quiet lifestyle - which may be hard at first - but she can adjust! Gary felt awful the first year, but gradually began to feel better.

[DianaB]

Oh, I hope that it's not a year before she's better. When she goes in to see the doctor they'll tell her what kind of virus she has. Patty's always been in shape and exercised. It's just so hard to think that this could hit a person and change their life so much.

I have an ex-BIL that went to the hospital because he wasn't feeling well. He was about 43 years old or so. He was put in a room and not checked on at all. The next morning he was dead. His wife got a nice settlement from the hospital. It ended up he had a virus in his heart too.

My DIL, Tammy, said that it was because of this that her doctor even recognized her problem in the first place.

[gja1000]

I'm sorry to say that it might be a few months before she feels better. Right now her heart muscle is stretched out and her heart is very big and not pumping as much blood as it should. That's why she feels so tired and wrung out right now. Medications can help the heart to shrink back toward a more normal size, although it will never be back the way it was. The smaller it is (or more normal size) the better the heart pumps and the better you feel. It takes a few months for the heart to shrink back. Unfortunately, some hearts do not shrink back to a more normal size - and those are people who need transplants. But you have to take the medicine first to see what will happen. Also, the medicine lowers the blood pressure to reduce the work of the heart. When the pressure is lower, the heart doesn't have to work as hard to pump blood throughout the body. This is a good thing and will help the heart shrink back to a more normal size (although it will never be normal size again). But lower blood pressure makes you feel very tired - and so does the heart problem, so it is a double whammy. But a necessary whammy to eventually feel better. Also, tell her to eat when she takes her heart meds - unless she has been instructed to not eat with them. Eating helps to blunt the effect of the lower blood pressure which happens a couple of hours after you take them. And eating is not just a few bites, but should be taken with a meal, if possible.

It will not be easy, but in time, she will probably feel lots better than she does right now.