CHF and 91

I am 83 and with CHF plus a leaky mitral valve. (small leak, they say.) My doctors will not go in to repair it because of my age and the potential consequences to my mental function. I can buy that... I remember my mom and how she insisted on heart surgery in her 80s, and they had to go back in and replace an artery while still in post-op. She was never the same but lived several more years, requiring constant supervision by family.

Thanks @dickey. I hear you.

tadueo

Hi and Im not in my 90's yet and probably a youngster at 65. But just want to share a perspective of what Quality of Life is. I remember prior to my Heart transplant I was on diuretics also and depending on my weight just like your chart it was a daily decision to take the additional pill or not. I had CHF and my EF hovered in the 40's so fluid retention was a daily battle. Add to that my heart arrythmias and being shocked by my pacemaker I was getting tired of it all.

Just a couple of years before the discussion turned to Heart transplant, I had a really bads episode. I was shocked a total of 8 times before they got enough medication in me to slow them down. During that time I was praying to God to just take me home. The stress of it all was really getting to me. I was only 56 at the time and still had children in Highschool.
Well long story short I made it thru that period but was still dealing with the weak heart. In my case I was ready to call it quits when the Heart transplant came up. I continued to get worse and 6 years ago is when my doctor who was out of ideas sent me to be evaluated. The reason Im telling this story is I had decided at that point if I died on the table oh well Here, I come Lord. I had come to a point that unless things changed, I preferred to set up a DNR rather than live that way. So its always a decision as to what you like your life to look like and it a decision, we all have to make at some point, I guess.

I hope that you are able to decide what will be best for you.

Thank you for your comments, @danab. I really appreciate them.
I haven't made the final decision as yet but the professional's all agree that at my age I'd be lucky to come out of the anesthetic. Maybe I'm pushing the envelope being a veteran of the Korean conflict and a few local wars
with my wife and all the friends I grew up with already passed and not a lot of people see 90.
I have to say I was impressed by my card telling me that I was the "healthiest of all his patients in my age group".
Although that was a surprise when you consider that I have CHF, A-fib, skin cancer (10 ops.), pulmonary edema, etc., etc., etc.
I would miss my children and grandchildren. (They vote nay on my having the heart op.)
(Interesting results from a major clinical study: Of those having CHF 26% are dead after 19 months, 50% after 5
years and 67% after 10 years.)
I'll be 101 in 10 years.
Back to my canvas.
tadueo

Best to you. I tell my heart everyday, you are a good heart and you are doing a good job for me. Keep it up old gal we have good to do yet in this world.

You've got the right attitude!