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Advanced heart failure end stages advice pls

3 replies

whatisforteamum · 04/08/2022 20:38

Dm has battled stage 4 cancer twice so I've been on here before.
A few weeks ago I found her really breathless.
She is almost 80 so I did a coronavirus test which was neg.
She saw the GP who sent her by ambulance to hospital.she had a chest infection,leg infection and according to my db heart failure for a while.i seem to remember her having an ECG a yr ago.
Anyway she discharged herself from hospital after a week and family have been helping.
She has lost weight and has stopped eating only having the odd meal someone gives her.
For a larger lady with a huge appetite this is odd to younger family members.
How long does someone last once they essentially stop eating.
She says she has no appetite and has another ECG next week.
I've asked her to phone Gp but she is scared of getting taken to hospital.
Anyone have experience of heart failure her readings were v high the other week.

OP posts:
PritiPatelsMaker · 18/08/2022 08:36

her readings were v high the other week.

Not any experience but that does sound concerning, especially since she's discharged herself from the hospital.

One thing that is pretty obvious is that she can't continue not eating.

Have you LPOA for her @whatisforteamum? Does she get Attendance Allowance and has she had a Care Needs Assessment. Sounds like it could be time for carers to start coming in to give her a meal and a drink.

Lushmetender · 21/09/2022 09:54

My mum was 75 and started feeling unwell in October last year. We thought it was her usual chest infection but was admitted to hospital when her sodium levels got dangerously low. Turns out her valve had broken so blood was flowing from one of her atria direct into the ventricle. They thought had had an infected valve so pumped her with antibiotics but went onto having kidney failure. The decline was over 3 weeks or so. Eventually needing 1 on 1 care but her blood pressure gave out as they were trying to stabilise her for an operation. Heart failure can be long or short. Depends if your mum is responding to the drugs but if she has stage IV cancer too (my dad died in April of stage IV pancreatic cancer. Double whammy this year!) the drs will ensure she remains comfortable dependent on her needs.

Lushmetender · 21/09/2022 09:56

Lol re checking out the hospital. Sadly my mum said to my dad when in 1 to 1 care “take me home”. It is horrible that they don’t see their home again once at that stage.

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