Young diagnosis
Good evening,
My first post on here. I am 33yo female. I have a partner whom I’ve been with 17years and we have 3 young children. 3weeks ago I thought I was a perfectly healthy young woman. Never drink alcohol, never smoke, decent diet, fairly active. Roll on now and I am sitting with diagnosis of heart failure (non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy) and my whole life is upside down. I have just started medication- bisoporlol, ramipril and Dapa.
So far I feel incredibly weak and like I will never be my old self.
I guess my questions are-
Once the medication builds up will I get my strength back?
How do you cope working with this condition? I have a fast paced stressful job that I have worked my entire life to achieve.
Life expectancy? Will this medication let me meet my grandkids or am I ticking time bomb?
Is intimacy even a thing for those in heart failure?
Would love to connect with others.
Hi there and thanks for joining our community. We understand that the recent diagnosis of HF can be quite jarring (especially initially). How long ago were you diagnosed? New medications, including beta blockers can make you feel sluggish until your body becomes used to them.
On the left hand side of our home page is a drop down bar that has a section called Living with Heart Failure. This section has multiple drop downs that cover many of the areas that you have mentioned.
If you have a chance, spend some time on our site and ask all the questions that you have.
Lauren (team member)thank you for your response. I was diagnosed almost 2weeks ago so very early doors here.
I will have a really good look through the website as I can see there is lots of information on here. I love how simple it is also, not over complicated.We are so glad that you are here to learn about heart failure. Please keep us in the loop with your journey! -Lauren (team member)
Hi.
Welcome to our community. I see you received a response from my colleague Lauren above. I am sure you will find the articles she suggested helpful. I also have something to contribute here. First, I'm truly sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis,. And I want to commend you for reaching out for support. It is completely normal to have questions and concerns during this challenging time.
While I am not a cardiologist, I do know that the medications you've mentioned may take some time to show their full effects. And you might notice improvements in your strength as your body adjusts. If you continue to feel week or have concerns, it may be a good idea to talk to your doctor who can provide guidance for you.
Regarding your work situation: Balancing a fast-paced job with heart failure can be challenging. I do know that others in this community have mentioned discussing their health with their employers. And often this results in helpful accommodations. Is this something you would consider?
As far as life expectancy, I have seen people live many, many years after their diagnosis, as I discussed in this post (https://heart-failure.net/living/studies-life-expectancy). With your healthy lifestyle and by working closely with your doctor, there's every reason to believe in a good and long life ahead. What do you think? John. community moderator.thank you for your response.
Yes it all been quite a shock and it’s not something anyone ever speaks about so reaching out felt like the only option. I have a heart failure nurse whom I intend to work closely with so hopefully she can offer further advice regarding medication. With time hopefully illl find my new normal.
I will be speaking with my employer when my return to work time comes. Hopefully they can support with that.
Thank you for the link.You re welcome. And thank YOU for the update. You have come to the right place for support and information about heart failure. If you have any further questions please do feel free to post them anytime, and either I or one of my fellow moderators/ team members will get back with you. And that is good to hear that you have a heart failure nurse to talk to. As she is there by you and knows your specific medical situation, I am sure she should be able to offer any specific advice you are looking for. Please do keep us posted as to what you learn and how it is going for you. Wishing you all the best. John. community moderator.
Hello and welcome to our community! Trust me I know how you're feeling I was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy too. Getting a diagnosis like this is hard and scary and can make you feel alone. Every situation is different when it comes to medications. For me, the medications helped me up until I was diagnosed with advanced heart failure and had to get an LVAD. Fatigue is an unfortunate symptom of heart failure and it becomes really hard to keep up with activities of life. That being said everything is pretty much on a case-by-case basis when it comes to life expectancy. I haven't experienced problems with intimacy but that is not to say that some people do experience problems. I am linking some articles for you to look through at the bottom of this response. I am wishing you well and again welcome to our community! -Olivia
https://heart-failure.net/living/realistic-tips
https://heart-failure.net/living/intimacy-problems
https://heart-failure.net/living/coping-with-a-new-diagnosisthank you for your response. It’s really lovely to hear from people. Thank you for the link, this is really supportive. It’s a whole new world to enter and not one I ever thought I would be facing.
All the lovely reassurance on here is helping. Really need to just give this medication time to work and hopefully I’ll learn my new normal.You're welcome!
