Dec 12
joshiep
joshiep , Posted on SUPPORT NETWORK Blog

Daughter With Heart Failure

Hi all. My daughter, who turned 21 last July, came down with viral cardiomyopathy last spring and ended up in the ER in mid June on a Monday. She was discharged the following Thursday but crashed that night and went back into the ER, then cardiac ICU the next day (Friday), where she stayed for about a week. On Sunday we were told about the prospect of a transplant, and on Monday the docs said they wanted to present her to the committee on Wednesday, but by Wednesday she had improved enough that they changed their minds. She improved enough for us to bring her home over the summer, and she was actually well enough to go back to school for the fall, with no issues. She just got a subcutaneous ICD last week. I was not able to be there for the surgery but her mom was there and spoke to her surgeon who said she probably won't be able to bear her own children and that she probably won't improve much from where she is. Most people recover in the first three months, he said. So I'm trying to figure out what all this means and what sort of life she is going to have. 
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4 Comments
  • mingo1
    mingo1,
    She is going to have a wonderful life. I had a heart attack and an ICD implant in 1993. I do almost everything I want to do and do not worry about my heart very much. It takes some time to get over the initial shock, but it does go on the back burner. The heart is an amazing organ and although I only have about one third of my heat left, I continued to coach little league baseball for 15 years, play soccer and golf with my kids, lay a huge patio with pavers and a ton of other things that one might not think they can do. I also was told that I might have to have a transplant and it worried my for a short time. But, the doctors and new procedures make it a simple operation and gives full life back to people. I am almost 69 now and getting a little old for a transplant. However, I live strong, pray and make sure that I have great times with my wife, children and grand kids. Remember that the ICD is there for a purpose and believe me that it is one great device. I even have a home monitoring unit that sends info to the maker of the device and tracks my heart all the time. I even got a call once that I need to hydrate more. It monitors just about everything and is free! I just really feel that the whole thing was just a bump in the road. Everything will get back to normal...believe me! Great holiday to all of you.
  • AHAASAKatie
    AHAASAKatie,
    I would like to encourage you to post in our heart failure community. I think you will find a great deal if discussion and assistance. http://supportnetwork.heart.org/heart-failure , please let me know if I can do anything else for you. Best Katie
  • joshiep
    joshiep,
    I was wondering if I was in the right spot. Thanks to you both.
  • dwaynec
    dwaynec,
    Have you tried Nitric Oxide therapy? The medical community is calling Nitric Oxide the miracle molecule! Along with lifestyle change it's helping people who suffer from cardio vascular disease. I do a health awareness webinar every Monday and Wednesday at 8 pm eastern to help fight CVD. Please feel free to join in on our next webinar this Monday or Wednesday by clicking this link: freeconferencecall.com/join/wealthpartners or you can dial in 712)770-4010 code 594427. Also check out "The Whole Heart Solution" by Dr. Joel Kahn MD. To Your Health!! Dwayne
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