1. < Heart & Blood Health

Congestive Heart Failure in young people

Posted by brian Jeronimus @brian_j, Dec 14, 2016

My daughter, Heather, passed from Congestive Heart Failure at the age of 25. This was a total shock as she was very healthy and no examinations have ever revealed this possibility. She did have a kidney infection in Dec 2015 and went for diagnosis twice when she had the symptoms. Both times the doctors just passed it off as anxiety. She died in Feb 2015 at Tampa General. The surgeon tried to install VADs on both sides of her heart. When he came to us in the waiting room he said he never saw anything like the scars inside her heart.

I would like to know if anyone else has a story like this. We can only surmize that Heather must have had a dormant virus that was activated by something she took or was exposed to. I wished now we would have had an autopsy done but there may still be no way of finding out how she contracted this evil in her heart.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Heart & Blood Health Support Group.

lioness | @lioness | Oct 3, 2018
In reply to @hopeful33250 "I understand, @bangel. There are new medications and treatments coming out all the time. As you..." + (show)
@hopeful33250

I understand, @bangel. There are new medications and treatments coming out all the time. As you are young, you might see some of those for heart failure and be able to use them.
I'm so pleased to know how well you are doing!

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@bangel hi. I had a triple by pass in 1996 doing what your doing is great congts My husband had CHF and a couple more Thi ngs he did was no hills or stairs and water exercise slowly only doing what he could I did same Dr put me in aqua therapy Just had a nucluolar stress test awhile back everything is a.o.k

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bangel | @bangel | Oct 3, 2018

@lioness @hopeful33250 , thanks a lot for your words of encouragement. So there's hope for us after all? Where do you see stem cell therapy in the next 10 years?

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1 reply
lioness | @lioness | Oct 3, 2018
In reply to @bangel "@lioness @hopeful33250 , thanks a lot for your words of encouragement. So there's hope for us..." + (show)
@bangel

@lioness @hopeful33250 , thanks a lot for your words of encouragement. So there's hope for us after all? Where do you see stem cell therapy in the next 10 years?

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@bange. Its so new I that I have an opinion I think more research needs to be done and wait for patients response My niece as sec.worked for a little while and is impressed with it

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Kanaaz Pereira, Connect Moderator | @kanaazpereira | Dec 4, 2018

I'd like to invite you to join us today, Tuesday, December 4th at 12 p.m. CT for a video Q&A with Dr. Joseph Dearani, Chair, Cardiovascular Surgery, and Dr. Juan Crestanello, cardiovascular surgeon, about heart valve disease and surgical options.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/webinar/video-qa-about-heart-valve-disease-and-surgical-options/
Dr. Dearani and Dr. Crestanello will answer questions live. Post your question before and during the broadcast. You can participate in the Video Q&A on Connect by returning to the above page; the video will be shown at the top of the page.

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dclo | @dclo | Dec 24, 2018

First off I’m so sorry for your loss. This is what my family and I are puzzled over.
Dealing now with healthy 23yr old male, had chest titeness, acid reflux weight loss bloated stomach shortness of breath leg and feet swelling.
CT scan and echo test showed fluid in left lung, and pericardium. Had pericardial window procedure done and two inserted to drain heart and lung.
Surgeon said fluid build up was over long period of time. Fluid and culture of pericardium was sent for testing. Right now no conclusive cause, viral or inflammatory virus suggested. Any help towards helping us would be much appreciated.

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1 reply
lioness | @lioness | Dec 24, 2018
In reply to @dclo "First off I’m so sorry for your loss. This is what my family and I are..." + (show)
@dclo

First off I’m so sorry for your loss. This is what my family and I are puzzled over.
Dealing now with healthy 23yr old male, had chest titeness, acid reflux weight loss bloated stomach shortness of breath leg and feet swelling.
CT scan and echo test showed fluid in left lung, and pericardium. Had pericardial window procedure done and two inserted to drain heart and lung.
Surgeon said fluid build up was over long period of time. Fluid and culture of pericardium was sent for testing. Right now no conclusive cause, viral or inflammatory virus suggested. Any help towards helping us would be much appreciated.

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@dclo My heart goes out to you and your son What he has is puzzling but I hope the lab finds the cause. I only know and have experienced myself is that Ice is anti inflammatory When I had foot surgery the Dr wouldn't give me medicine he told me to use an ice bag on my foot it worked. Also Ginger -Tumeric tea is also these are both anti-inflammatory. But check with your Dr.first.I wish you luck having your kid sick is a worry. For yourself try to destress somehow ,do some exercise also .

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penn1023 | @penn1023 | Oct 30, 2019
In reply to @bangel "@hopeful33250 No other exercise, I just walk. I walk and eat very healthy. I haven't broken..." + (show)
@bangel

@hopeful33250 No other exercise, I just walk. I walk and eat very healthy. I haven't broken any of the rules. My doctor says I can drink, but I am too scared to even try. I am just hoping that in the next 5/6years there would be a permanent cure or something.

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How are you doing now?

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melly1346 | @melly1346 | Aug 27, 2023
In reply to @brian_j "weakness, nausea, bloated up to waist, shortness of breath, pain in neck,. She had a kidney..." + (show)
@brian_j

weakness, nausea, bloated up to waist, shortness of breath, pain in neck,. She had a kidney infection 2 weeks before and did not go to er till 2 days later. They gave her antibiotics which seemed to work. I suspect the kidney infection may have gone past the kidney to her heart. The staff at Tampa General weren't sure if it was viral or bacterial version. The doctor that opened her heart to attach a VAD said there was significant old blood clots on the heart walls.

I would love to know how the infection got in her body. Was it a dormant virus or was it something she was exposed to?

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Any root canals she had?

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Moderator
Justin McClanahan, Moderator | @JustinMcClanahan | Aug 29, 2023
In reply to @melly1346 "Any root canals she had?" + (show)
@melly1346

Any root canals she had?

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Hello @melly1346, welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect.

I see you asked @brian_j, if their daughter had a root canal. Is this an issue that you or a loved has experienced?

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eclary84 | @eclary84 | Aug 29, 2023

I went fours years complaining of severe symptoms and traveled to find the best care, and it still took them four years to diagnosis my heart disease, now I only have a few years to live. No one wanted to believe it was my heart because I'm "too young for heart failure it must be panic attacks." I almost died before they found it. But I have two other friends with heart problems and they are both younger than me (I'm in my 30s), both presented after COVID and the shot. Thank you for your story. Going forward all you can really do is encourage others with similar journeys to get a second opinion, especially if chest pain is brushed off due to age, or other discriminating factors. I'm sorry you had to go through that and I hope you find peace.

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