How to cope with bad news and overcome fear
After growing progressively ill in the Fall of 2022, I passed out and fell in my bathroom on December 28th, 2022. I was transported to the ER by ambulance. The doctor was concerned that I had hit my head when I fell and admitted me overnight for monitoring. That overnight stay stretched into a nine day stay in the hospital because I went into AFlutter and my bloodwork was alarming. After I was discharged from the hospital on January 5th, 2023, I was sent to a clinic for primary care. Doctors at the clinic were the first to diagnose me with heart failure, kidney failure, and liver failure. The fear gripped me in a dream while I was still in the hospital and continues even now. I feel so vulnerable. I feel like my life is over. I've even started planning for my funeral and burial as if my death is fast approaching. How do I cope with such overwhelming news and the fear that comes with it?
CommunityMemberab458e First I want to say WELCOME to our community. Sorry that you have had to experience all of this. I just want you to know you are not alone here in this community, as other members here have expressed similar feelings after their diagnosis. It is very normal to feel vulnerable, especially after being discharged from a long hospital stay and/or getting a new diagnosis such as what has happened in your case. I do know that, in our current medical environment, there are some really good treatment options for treating all of the conditions that you have mentioned here. Did your doctor talk to you about treatment options? Did your doctor talk to you about what options are available to you moving forward? Having another sit down with your physician can go a long way to easing your mind and helping you how best to approach your situation. Is this something you would consider? John. heart-failure.net community moderator
Hi John! Thank you so much for the warm welcome and the suggestion to reach out to my medical team. I was in shock at first, but I'm beginning to ask more questions. Hospitalists stopped several medications that were harmful to me because of my new diagnoses. Then, since my discharge, family doctors have added new medications like Entecavir, Jardiance, Entresto, and Lasix. I'll see my cardiologist about the heart failure next week and will make a list of questions for him. I've read that there are different types and stages of heart failure, so I plan to ask questions about those. Thank you again for your kindness. I plan to stay active here. It helps so much to connect with people who understand. You are welcome. And Thank YOU for the update. Sounds like your doctors are doing a good job of managing your care. Glad to hear that you have an upcoming appointment with your cardiologist. It sounds like you have a great plan for how to approach that. And please do give us an update after talking to your cardiologist. You are always welcome here in our heart-failure.net community. If you have any questions, or there is anything else we can help you with, please feel free to ask anytime. Good luck! John. heart-failure.net community moderator.
CommunityMemberab458e Thank you for sharing your story in our heart-failure group. It’s totally understandable to feel vulnerable, overwhelmed, distraught, and even more. However, take one day at a time. In 2018, I had heart, liver, and kidney failure due to my congenital heart disease in a rapid decline. When I first found out that I may need a heart, liver, and possibly kidney transplant to survive, I was absolutely devastated. I hit rock bottom with a vast array of emotions going through me, but with the help of my family, friends, and online congenital heart support groups, I underwent a transplant. On the days I was frustrated, angry, or depressed, I would take walks and listen to music to motivate me. It definitely was easy going through a plethora of tests, changes of medications, and being admitted to the hospital frequently before I was even evaluated by the transplant teams. Definitely understand what you are going through, so feel free to reach out anytime to ask questions here. Hopefully, you and your cardiologist, nephrologist, and hepatologist have discussed the options best suited for you. Take care. And again feel free to message us anytime. Leslie (Community Moderator)
Hi Leslie! Your response has been so encouraging. Thank you for sharing your experience. It's good to hear from someone wh has struggled as I've been struggling with the new diagnoses. I'm in stage 3b of chronic kidney disease. Medications are improving my labwork for liver disease and kidney disease. But there's more to be re: the heart failure. I'll see my cardiologist next week and gather more information. In the meantime, I enjoy my support dog named Gracie, I listen to music, I've joined this support group, and I'm building a medical team to inform and support me in this as I move forward. Thank you again for sharing your experience and encouraging me. I’m glad to hear that medications have made some impact on your health and that you joined this support group. Continue to keep motivated by spending time with your support dog, family, and friends. They will help you through the process to keep your spirits up when you have good and bad days. Feel free to reach out anytime. Leslie (Community Moderator)
