Aug 22, 2007

Can't Stop Crying

"Among persons who are known to have congestive heart failure, 80% of men and 70% of women under age 65 die within eight years of their diagnosis with congestive heart disease"

This is the one sentence I keep seeing in every story, article, journal...

In 8 years, I will be 46. My daughter will be 16, my sons 24.

I am so not ready for this. At 60 maybe, but damn, before 40?

6 comments:

The Topiary Cow said...

Clucky, surely a lot of those people are elderly, have other severe problems going on...surely you, being young, and in good health except for this, will be able to withstand this for a long, long time.

Can you talk to the doctor about your long-range prognosis?

Moo?

Susan said...

70% leaves 30% who make it. Fight to be in that 30%. Medicine is getting better every day, they can do a lot more for CHF today than they could 8 years ago, imagine what they will be able to do 8 years from now. I work for the heart docs at UMC, they say the treatments are getting better. Hang in there and don't let it defeat you. As long as that stat isn't 100%, you've got a foothold.

mayberry said...

Hang in there girl. God is bigger than any sickness on this Earth and He still heals. I'll be praying for a healing in your life.

Stacey said...

Oh sweetheart, I hate this for you, it must be so scary.

Get off the damn internet. Dr. Internet has crappy bedside manner, and is very pessimistic. If you want to stop crying and start facing this head on, stop reading a thousand things that may or may not apply to you. I know that being in the field you already know too much, but researching it to the bone is really a bad, bad thing.

Hugs, hugs, lots and lots of hugs.

Christy said...

I agree with Stacey! What you need to do is get off the Medical Websites and go live life. That is all you can do. I saw on GMA the other morning that 65% of people misdiagnose their selves online. So it may not be as serious as you think. Just go take your children out to eat and find comfort in them. Meanwhile, I'll stay here and mix you a drink for when you return :)

Resister said...

My heart aches for you. Take very good care of yourself. You know as well as me that many people do well managing their CHF. You have more incentive than most. As TTC said, most of those stats are based on the elderly. Keep your chin up.

If there is anything I can do to help, just let me know.