My dad was diagnosed with congestive heart failure about a week ago and my mom and I are very scared about his future. He is pretty young, 52 years old and a diabetic. Doctors told him he has an enlarged heart and was put in diuretics to get rid of the fluids around his heart and lungs. He was released from the hospital 4 days after and had been improving since then. He is able to walk, just at a slower pace than normal people are. He tell me he does not feel out of breath anymore but i don't know if to believe him or not. If he begins to take care of himself and follow a strict no sodium diet will he be able to live a normal life?Sunday, January 1, 2012
Help! My Dad Has Congestive Heart Failure!?
My dad was diagnosed with congestive heart failure about a week ago and my mom and I are very scared about his future. He is pretty young, 52 years old and a diabetic. Doctors told him he has an enlarged heart and was put in diuretics to get rid of the fluids around his heart and lungs. He was released from the hospital 4 days after and had been improving since then. He is able to walk, just at a slower pace than normal people are. He tell me he does not feel out of breath anymore but i don't know if to believe him or not. If he begins to take care of himself and follow a strict no sodium diet will he be able to live a normal life?
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Samantha - Absolutely he can have a normal life! I see SO SO many hundreds of patients with CHF (congestive heart failure) and if you want your dad to and he wants to live as normally as possible he needs to follow his doctor's plan of care properly. That includes sticking with the diuretics and eating the low sodium diet he should do well. It is important to keep the diuretics going normally to ensure that he keeps all of those fluids in his body regulated. Also, talk to your dad about weighing himself every day before breakfast. If he gains more than 3 lbs in one day he should call his doctor because fluid may be building back up. Hope this helps!
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