Congestive Heart Failure

By terrihut

Last Updated:

1 min read

A week before Christmas 2022, I was in the hospital with congestive heart failure. The doctor basically gave me a death sentence. He had horrible bedside manners. I know I will live with this for the rest of my life, but it's not going to kill me right away. I have a life to live!

I started watching what I eat and worked with a trainer for two months or so to strengthen my heart. I had an echocardiogram yesterday (04/18/2023), and with all my hard work, my heart is pumping so much better now.

Do you have a heart failure story? Click the button below to share with our community!

Share your story

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The Heart-Failure.net team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

Join the conversation

Please read our rules before commenting.

Leslie Castro Member
Last Updated:
Glad to hear that you had good results from your echocardiogram. Sorry to hear that you had a poor experience with a cardiologist with horrible bedside manners. As far as congestive heart failure, I’ve been in and out of heart failure a handful of times throughout my life. Continue to remain positive and thank you for sharing your thoughts. Welcome to the heart failure community. Leslie (Community Moderator)
terrihut Member
Last Updated:
Thank you Leslie for the kind words, now I am hassling with the insurance company because they are denying my heart medication. 
1. Leslie Castro Member
 Last Updated:
 <inline-mention username="terrihut" user-id="6982749"/> I definitely understand about battling with insurance companies with being to receive pertinent medication and or having medical procedures that help improve one’s medical health. Hope you are able to receive the medications you need without much hassle from the insurance company. Leslie (Community Moderator)
Catherine simpson Member
Last Updated:
Heart faliure myself 2020.finding it difficult to get information .Hope you are doing okay.
Catherine simpson Member
Last Updated:
Hi Leslie,What do you mean in and out of heart faliure.I dont understand that part of heart faliure .
1. Leslie Castro Member
 Last Updated:
 <inline-mention username="Catherine simpson" user-id="8656820"/> I was born with congenital heart disease. I was in immediate heart failure at that time. After my first surgery at 4 months old, I was no longer considered to be in heart failure until my health began to decline at the age of 11. I was then considered to be in heart failure again until I had experimental open heart surgery at 12 years old. I remained heart healthy and out of heart failure until I was 30 and my health began declining again. In 2005, I underwent another experimental open heart surgery and I was heart healthy until 2017, when my health took a turn for the worse and needed to be evaluated for a heart and liver transplant. In 2019, I received a heart transplant at the age of 46. Granted most people don’t multiply times throughout their lives, but my case was a bit different because I had a preexisting condition since birth, which led to my many bouts of heart failure and surgeries to main a healthy life. Currently, I’m heart healthy, but at any time I could be considered to be in heart failure again for a number of reasons such as major arrhythmias, strokes, leaky valves or even hardening of my new heart. Hope this explains my reasoning of being in out of heart failure. Hope you are doing well and feel free to ask me any more questions about my journey through heart failure. Leslie (Community Moderator)
2. Kimberly Connell Member
 Last Updated:
 <inline-mention username="Leslie Castro" user-id="4183146"/> So Powerful! Kimberly (Heart-failure.net Team)
Catherine simpson Member
Last Updated:
<inline-mention username="Leslie Castro" user-id="4183146"/> @
Catherine simpson Member
Last Updated:
Hi Leslie ,Thanks for telling me your story .it explains a lot .
1. Leslie Castro Member
 Last Updated:
 <inline-mention username="Catherine simpson" user-id="8656820"/> Your welcome. Feel free to ask any questions about heart failure. I’m more than willing to answer any questions to the best of my knowledge or link you to articles on the subject area you are asking about. Leslie (Community Moderator)