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The heart muscle has weakened. Because the heart doesn't pump well anymore water tends to build up in the lungs. My neighbor had to have it pumped out every so often. Water pills are usually given to help with water retention. There is no cure other than maybe a heart transplant and he is too old for that.
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My father was D'X'ed in 2000; lived until 2018 with periodic episodes and hospitalizations.    Occasionally Lasix was prescribed.    Eventually we just got used to it.

There was one near death experience but it was a multi-complexed situation with several other co-morbidities.   Healing took several months, but he eventually was back to his regular routine, driving and working on his projects.

He also walked regularly and kept his weight down, too low for my thinking.
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A person can live a long time with CHF; my mother is 93 at the end of the month and was diagnosed with it about 4 years ago. She's short of breath and has swelling in her ankles sometimes, etc., but she's doing okay. Here is a website that explains CHF and the stages quite well:

https://www.emedicinehealth.com/congestive_heart_failure/article_em.htm#what_are_congestive_heart_failure_symptoms_and_warning_signs

Best of luck!
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petedaugter Jan 2020
Thank you for the link and for the reply.
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My dad has had it for years now and is the late stage now, which can still last a long time. For years it wasn’t such a big deal, gradually it got worse. Currently he’s chronically short of breath and has no energy to do anything. He goes into the hospital every few months to have fluid that’s built up around his heart removed which provides some temporary relief. He takes several meds for it, to prevent clots, to remove fluid, and to improve heart function. None of them are a fix, just a help
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petedaugter Jan 2020
Thank you. That seems to be the common consensus.
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Thank you for the reply.
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Grandma was eventually diagnosed with it a few years back. I say eventually since the symptoms were pretty clear for years, but a variety of doctors didn't make the call. Once I took her into the ER since her feet ballooned up over a few hours and looked like they were going to pop. The ER doctor kind of made fun of me for bringing her in just for that. That ER doc is an idiot.

Grandma was put on "water pills" to treat it. They worked really well. As long as she was on them, she had no symptoms. Before that she would weeze like she was drowning. Her pulse ox was also really low. Like 90 dipping into the 80's. Since then I've weened her off the water pills. It took a few off and then back on attempts. But she hasn't had one in almost a year. She no longer has any signs of CHF. No fluid buildup. No weezing. Her pulse ox is now 95+.
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Moms feet and legs swelled up.

She got some kind of inflammation of the skin. not sure why... I thing water pills helped that. My recollection was that it means the skin will break down.

The heart cannot pump the blood throughout the system very well. so sometimes, they will put a wrap around the lower legs/feet that will help pump the blood back up. raising the legs above her head to help redirect the flow of blood.

small exercising may help. cut back on salt a bit.
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