I have CHF myself and I’m only 38. It definitely was a shocker being diagnosed in January but I’m adjusting and I don’t see it as a death sentence. For people that have it and see this comment, just know you’re not alone and we can live long with it. Nobody can put a limit on our life except the one who created everything. Keep living and fighting
Thank you. Everything you say is so true. My husband has had congestive heart failure for 9+ years and had his 3rd hospital stay this year. recently and was there 3 weeks. Palliative care team at OSU Heart and Vascular told him he has years to months. He's much better now so having an up-swing. Once they told him he's late stage and told basically he doesn't have a real long time I started grieving. We were told they realized giving a terminal diagnosis like this is similar to a cancer diagnosis. He tried to blow it off, but I can't. I feel like I'm waiting for the shoe to drop. We've been married almost 43 years. I appreciate what you do.
My Daddy didn’t even make it to Hospice. He passed on November 26th, 2012 in Hospital. He had gotten Pneumonia a few times but this time was different. He had really bad Enema so they literally had to wrap his Arms in Plastic because he was dripping Fluid. I wasn’t able to say goodbye. He died in Fort Myers. 5 minutes from Sanibel Island.. our Families Shangri-La. He had had CHF from age of 60 approximately and passed at 73. I miss him. I’m afraid to death of Death.. thank you for having these videos. I lost my Mom in 1981 to Brain Cancer. She was in a Coma and I’m thankful for that. She DID make it to Hospice but I was 11 so I didn’t understand much. I miss her too.
You're the first I've heard talk about how CHF can have its peaks and valleys along the way. I'm peaking after ditching primacor and I think my docs are just waiting for the wheels to fall off. 24 years post heart transplant. 😁 Thanks again for doing what you do.
My father in law has had it about 20 years and it doesn't really bother him. His copd causes issues at times but he's been dealing with chf pretty well. Best wishes
I have CHF, I am in an advanced skilled nursing facility originally started out as short term and they has advanced me as long-term care now. I am getting worse and now my lungs are starting to collapse in my back. They are trying to get hospice involved but I'm not sure if I wanna go this route, any advice would be greatly appreciated.
My father in law passed on hospice from CHF. He had it for YEARS! Then my dad was diagnosed with it and died suddenly 2 months later. So I've learned everyone is very different
Very interesting! You really make end-of-life experiences very clear and easy to understand. I’d love to hear more about dementia - my dad passed from that a year ago and he knew all of us “kids” and his wife to the very end. He was on hospice for over 3 years and my 85+ yo mom was his primary caregiver. His personality changed for the better up until the very end, when he got grumpy and petulant - like a 2 year old.
Thank you. My mom died May 2019 from CHF. Wish I had known more what to expect. She lived beside us with some outside home support. Thank you, Julie. You offer invaluable info in a clear, accessible format. You are terrific.
Please cover COPD. My mom has 3rd-4th stage COPD. Since bringing in Hospice 6 months ago her quality of life has increased beyond measure. Thank you for all you do! ❤
I don't have fear of death. I came have seen death on the face. It's not the issue of death I am referring to. It's the fact of the nothing at the end.
I have repeatedly asked her if she's an R.N. Her avoidance of that question is very concerning. Your mother's pulmonologist, or their staff advocate should be happy to supply you with the information you seek, or you can go to the American Lung Association...a wealth of info. God bless you and your mother.
I try to tell people Hospice improves their quality of life .unfortunately , many equate hospice with death [sentence].Julie , I don't know what inspired you to do these videos but they are so valuable .
My mom went on hospice. The nurses were angels. I am so grateful for them..mom had dementia n dad passed 4 months prior..I didn't want mom on morphine but it became necessary. I was telling mom over n over how much I loved her n dad was waiting for her ..I heard her say to me. I love u in my head. She pass shortly afterwards.
My father was diagnosed 20 years ago with CHF. He is the strongest man I know. He has been declining fast and is now on hospice care. This has been the hard week of my life. Please pray for him. Also let your parents and loved ones know how much they mean to you and take nothing for granted.
thank you Julie for all the information you provide..I suffer from diabetes 2 / PAH (ON OXYGEN 2 lts/ non-alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver/ and an assortment of other issues too much ammonia in my blood/too much blood in my urine... anyway.. I am 70 yr old female and was just wondering how I will know that I am actively dying? No family left to send me off.. but I appreciate your wisdom and I will be hoping not to put a burden on anyone.. Thanks again
I was hit by an SUV a few years ago and had to have my Aortic valve replaced twice so, I have CHF but manage it with Bumex water pills and no pizzas (sodium chloride problem) since the last heart surgery in 2020. Thanks Julie for going over this problem. Also, someone here wants you to go over C.O.P.D.; yes I also would like this and if you can throw in Hospice for carcinomas of the lung I would appreciate it.
I went to the emergency room once. They wanted to give me morphine. I asked the nurse, I said "I think I'm allergic to that." She said you'll be fine and gave it to me anyway. The next thing I knew my heart rate was about 20 and five people were coming in with padles to bring my heart back. Maybe morphine isn't right for everyone?
My father’s lungs turned fibrotic. I don’t understand how. The doctors said they don’t know why it happens and there’s no way to stop it. The hospice people were great with him. I still miss my dad. I miss my life! Nothing has been the same and sometimes it really sucks!
My mother passed from this on the 15th. Very weird, to me, the actions she was making about a minute before she died. I wish I knew what she was seeing/experiencing.
Here’s a funny thing that my Dad did…..he actually asked for a Rueben Sandwich like 2 days before dying. That was “so” my Dad. His Humor was on point until he passed.
My Dad recently passed away from aspiration pneumonia in the last stage of MSA…. at first, his neurologist diagnosed him with Parkinson’s disease but when the levodopa wasn’t working well, the doctor suspected MSA…. My Dad was a very independent, active and social person! He loved life. He went from walking on his own to a wheelchair in a matter of 4 years! A horrible disease. 💔 At the end, my Dad could not move, talk or swallow and had lost so much weight. There is no cure. What could be the cause(s) of this disease? Thank you. I’m so happy I found your channel.
My father had a muscular disease that made it to where he could not swallow the last 5 years of his life. He also was in the hospital multiple times with aspiration pneumonia the last several years of his life.
Hi Julie. Just SO grateful for your channel! I'm in South Africa and have been on a crazy journey with my sister, aged 65, who has ALS or MND. It has been almost 2 yrs now. She is completely paralyzed...only able to communicate with her eyes. Utterly devastating for us as a family. You mentioned you'd like to hear from followers and what disease we'd like you to comment on next. Please could you mention any MND/ALS experiences you've encountered. It helps so much to hear other people's journeys with regard to this awful, devastating disease. Thank you sooo much. And may God bless you abundantly for the work of service and sacrifice you've chosen...huge hugs and love.
When my father died he said it was congestive heart failure which he did have due to his diabetes. But he had also suffered with pneumonia weeks before. He had been hospitalized for two weeks. He predicted his death and shared that with myself and my niece. He was in and out of consciousness for the last few days before he passed. Two days before one side of his chest was raised, then the next day they were the same . The day he passed he awoke and tried to talk. He was blind and we noticed he was watching my mother’s movements. That had been his wish, to see her once more! The last hour or less of his life he started sounding congested and then green foamy stuff started flowing from his mouth. I kept cleaning it up. It was never told to us that this could happen so we were a bit unsettled. He had a scared look on his face which made us feel he wasn’t relaxed and was upset by what was happening. We surrounded his bed and said our goodbyes and told him it was okay to go. He took a slow breath, then stopped breathing. A few seconds later he gasped with one more breath, scaring my sister and she screamed. Then he took his last breath. It was my first experience with death and I thought I couldn’t handle it. But it was such a special experience plus I learned to not be afraid. I was holding his body while the hospice nurse washed him before the funeral home came to pick him up. I just cradled him and told him how much I loved him. That was in 2009. My mom is 93 and slowing down but wants to live to 100. She lives with my sister now. I hope she passes in her sleep like her mother.
My Dad died of congestive heart failure in 1977. He was 36. I remember all these symptoms well. My bedroom was directly above. He was in line for a transplant but died before he could get one. He had always been active. A great skier, hunter, fisherman, plumber and could build or repair anything. He never got on hospice.
I really enjoy your highly informational, compassionate and matter of fact videos. I've spent most of my adult life working on ophthalmology, which is an overwhelmingly geriatric profession, but ophthalmology care tends to trail off as they transition to hospice. (After all, just as an example, glaucoma blinds you little by little, but there's not much concern if you only expect to live another couple months.)
I have CHF, on bunch of bp pills and water pills- am 45, diagnosed six months ago. I certainly hope everyone who has it can at least get the ventricular assist device (VAD pump) installed… I don’t yet know how to feel about passing when the time comes- I just feel bad for my mom being her only kid. GOD BLESS everyone going through this ‘horse sh*t’ chronic illness.
I’ve had it 16 years now. I have days where I’m just fabulous and days I’m tired. But meds helped me greatly. I was very bad about 4-5 years ago where I wanted to die. I dropped 50 pounds and kept it off. Made a huge difference. And I try to stay away from salt. Hang in there everyone with this.
My dad passed away from CHF 3 years ago November. He was in the hospital and they said he will be ready to go home in a day or 2, out of nowhere his other organs started failing very quickly and he passed away😢
Dear, Nurse Julie thanks so much for all the explanation of CHF . I am a patient on hospice and have been with my team for almost a year. And unfortunately I am one of those patients who will never get off I'm in the last stage of heart failure and the Dr and the nurse that takes care of me both have told me that I am diminishing. Can you maybe explain that to me a little bit more because I know s little bit of what it means but not exactly. So that would really help me with it.tjanks so much.and keep up the good work you are doing a great job on it.sincerley marquitta Williams. God bless
Last Memorial Day, I was rushed to the hospital because I was really swollen and just plain out of it. I'm told when I got there my oxygen level was 49. A couple days later I was told I had congestive heart failure and COPD. No one told me about living about 10-15yrs. Thank you for doing all these informative videos
Hi Nurse Julie thank for Your precious work. I would like you to talk about plumonary edema on hospice care (chronic/acute)- especially focusing on use of diuretics. What do you do if you have a patient with water in lungs who is hypotensive (low blood pressure) and refuses to eat or drinks very little. He seems calm, not distressed. What is the optimal way of acting in this case? I would be thankful for discussing this scenario.
Bladder cancer deaths? I suspect an undiagnosed case is what killed my partner, but the doctors and nurses couldn't tell me because he and I weren't married, so I wasn't officially "family". I'm just glad I got permission to sit at his bedside as he lay unconscious until he died.
Hello. Hope all is well. I have a question please: what if morphine is ineffective for a person? Is morphine the only pain killer the government allows to be dispersed for those on hospice? Thank you. Have a great day.
Hello Im 41 I have wpw, svt, a-fib, prolonged qt, severe hypotension, syncope episodes and convulsions due to my heart and bp. I was dx with chf on April 7th of 2020. I was supposed to have a ep study and ablation but my extra pathway for the wpw.ìs actaully 2 extra pathways and they can't do ablation because they are both to close to important structures in my heart.Thank you for covering this topic. Much Respect 💖 Kalena
My mother-in-law goes on and off of hospice. I believe her issue is that when she’s off hospice, she does not take her medication correctly, does not adhere to the prescribe diet (eats salt), smoke, cigarettes, drinks, alcohol, etc. When she goes on hospice, all of these things change for the better, and she improves. Then she gets off hospice, goes home and resumes, her lifestyle, and deteriorates again. She does not believe that her diet and her lifestyle are affecting her. She blames the doctors for her heart failure. It’s very frustrating. She gets very angry if you try to help in anyway. I’ve quit helping because I can’t stand to see her get so angry. Such a sad situation.
I have a friend who recently had a lung collapse due to overextending himself. He’s had COPD for 20 years. He’s going home for Christmas with some kind of treatment. The doctors tried using a glue to fix his Lung but it didn’t work. I’m worried about him. He’s only 62.
Hi, I'm a patient of CHF. Please include swollen stomach. That's where my swelling was and in the hospital , the staff kept looking for stomach diseases. It was very frustrating and took a first heart attack for me to study and found, yep my stomach was my first sign. Thank you so much. Katie.
Please please make a video on Brain Cancer patients in Comas at end of Life. I always wondered what my Mom went thru. I know she suffered with her Cancer for a while before and after surgery. Surgery didn’t help. They removed her Tumor which was Grapefruit sized. I can’t even imagine what was happening in her mind before being put into a coma. Was her Death easy?
Could you talk about hospice patients specifically put there because a PCP determined that she was too old to survive a pacemaker implantation. She has incidents of bradycardia.
I would love to hear about how to deal with acid reflux disease and the symptoms . My husband has acid reflux disease and sometimes he gets sick to his stomach which scares me .
Wow, my husband lived for 11 mos on hospice with CHF. He died 2 mos ago and definitely waxed and waned. Strangely enough, hs lungs remained remarkably clear the whole time and even whe he was off his oxygen his sats were always good. The last few days of his life his blood pressure, energy and appetite dropped and he finally dozed of peacefully.
Ty HNJ. This is the one I’ve been waiting on. Is 10-15 years typical of CHF patients and is that after diagnosis? I am 44 and have had CHF for 5 years now. Just curious what to think so I can be realistic about my longevity.
It seems to be different for everybody. My best friend got CHF in 2000 and passed in 2011. He was 44, but he had a family history of terminal heart disease. I got it in 2005 and I'm now 55 and still doing okay. I know the time will come and I don't plan on going into a hospice or putting anyone through the burden of having to take care of me. The only real advice I can give is "Live each day as if it may be your last, because 1 day...it will be."
If you are on hospice dying from bladder cancer what kind of family member look for so the family member won't think that they love one is suffering what are the signs that that family member can help to get through
Had Dad on home hospice for this. They had me giving him what they called a H.A.M. sandwich of meds to try and keep his agitation down. It didn't really seem to help much. He moaned, grabbed at things, tossed around a lot, etc. I'm terrified and traumatized that his last days and hours were an acid trip of pain, confusion and fright. There was a lot of dementia that last month on top of it being at the height of covid. I had to provide 24 hr care for him and my mother who couldn't/wouldn't deal with any of it. I realize a lot of my reaction was due to grief, exhaustion and being away from my home and family. I'm hoping that someone can weigh in here from a professional standpoint as I'm really struggling with the idea of Dad being scared and hurting especially during that last week.
I'm so sorry for your loss. What was this sandwich of meds? Just curious. I lost my father in law in October on hospice from this and he had it for years and then I lost my dad in December from the exact illness and he was diagnosed only 2 months prior
@@ssjess2504 I'm really sad that you had to go through it twice! I couldn't imagine how hard it must have been for you and your family. So much love is being sent to you! As for the HAM sandwich thing, it's what the phoneline of hospice nurses called it. The "A" was ativan, I believe, and the "M" was morphine. I can't remember what the "H" was. It's in my meticulously kept notes from the time. I used different hilighter colors for each of the different meds to help keep them all straight because that last week when Dad was decompensating so quickly, the dosage changed frequently. I'm not in a secure enough mentally healthy enough spot to read through the notes right now. Please reach out if you need to talk with an unbiased stranger who had a similar experience about your feelings surrounding this double loss. Sometimes just venting and getting it off of your heart temporarily helps.
Hi Julie, I have general question about my dad who died from demementia and CHF while waiting to be admitted to hospice care after being discharged from hospital due to pneumonia. When he was at home he seemed calm, I noticed no pain; his o2 sats were between 91 to 94. But now I am haunted by the vision that he had fluid in the lungs and needed diuretics. Are diuretics always given on hospice when patients have fluid in their lungs but show no respiratory distress? Thank You.
My daddy passed back in April from CHF his heart valve would no longer close on its own causing minor fluid buildup at first and eventually got worse with progress. What causes heart valve’s to fail?
Your goals are admirable. I have been learning from you. Nobody else I know is willing to talk about these topics. This is some good nurse talk. How much morphine is used to send a person on his/her way. Do you do that? Just give them too much by mistake ?
Many medical persons are not only not willing..... ( because of an overload of work ), they also don't know as much as Julie does. I'm a retired nurse, didn't know in detail as much as Julie.
Hospice (HS) RN here - see her video on meds/comfort package/kit used for a patient on HS. Getting people to start using morphine is consistently one of the biggest challenges we have due to the medication’s reputation. We start very low and titrate (increase the amount) up as needed. We use the appropriate amounts to keep a patient comfortable - it’s usually the disease process that “sends a person” on their way more than the medications. Hope that helps!
My 92 yr old grandma has CHF & is in assisted living with in-home hospice care. I see a lot of comments about people living multiple years with this disease. But my grandma also has COPD & a 8 cm tumor in her lung. She is exhibiting signs of end of life. I wonder if she'll make it another few months? She literally sleeps 18+ hours a day. She's also 5'3" and weighs maybe 100 lbs.
Im 50 and i have CHF . Its a nusaince to say the least. Sadly im already ill with other serious chronic illnesses ... ..that i am bedriddne. Theres no chance in getting better and try and reverse this . I just wish all the best for other sufferers . I never really thought of hospice .... .but i like the idea of coming home now and then.. ..depending on how we feel.
@@carmella88 Im so sorry . Its a tough one having to watch from the outside.. ..when your loved ones suffer so much. Hopefully your father can find a way of improving ..his health through better diets and exercise ..? For some people it can actually go away ... Here in uk, the waiting lists are so bad on nhs. Ive just been told to wait a year to see cardiologist again. I dont mind as i know theres millions much worst than me ..who urgently need help. In the past I waited 7 years just to see Ent soecilaist ... ..and be told, " its the side effect of your meds "...( its bonkers ). Its all a joke , due to covid and over population. Many people are going private now if they can. ...but theres still a huge waiting list years long for life ..threatening illnesses. Hope where ever your Dad is , he has better health care ... Wishing him all the best and successfull treatments. Sending love and strength. 💚💚💚
With CHF should you have a test to see if any arteries are blocked. 12 yrs. ago I had 2 stents put in my heart but 2 more were almost at the % where they would need stents. My symptoms are exactly as you described. Should I ask my heart doctor and tell him about my swelling?
I’m a 23 year old male and I just got diognosed with chf… I have no medical history related to it at all and I got 2 kids and I’m so mf scared ima die in the next 5-10 years… my daughter is 7 and my son is 5 and me and they mom broke up 3 years ago and I’m really all they got … i dont wanna die before my kids are adults …
My dad is 102 on hospice for chf He was not a cardiac patient until he had COVID. Then AFib and edema came on. It's almost 2 months. Edema not getting worse no coughing. What to expect?
Can you talk about the transition to hospice? I really appreciate this. My mother, 87, has chronic congestive heart failure, several compression fractures from falls, some signs of dementia, a stage 4 prolapsed bladder, and needs oxygen, but she will only use it at night. Her back pain and arthritis is so severe that she sees a pain specialist and takes 1 hydrocodone at night but refuses it during the day. She struggles with her desire to be active but having to sleep so much during the day. She's so stubborn that she will force herself to stay awake then feels much worse. She wants to be dead, but she is also afraid of every sign that she is getting weaker. Her arms and legs are almost always cold and numb. I suggested she think about hospice yesterday and she said no because hospice would take her off every medication and she couldn't see her doctors anymore. Can you talk about this transition to hospice? Will she have to stop taking eliquis? She's terrified of surviving a stroke. Can she still see opthamologists for glaucoma and macular degeneration? We live together in her home.
I have heard that some Hospice services (US) deny life prolonging medicine, but most don't. Maybe you could get in touch with Hospice near you and ask them about it? Hospice can be an awesome choice. If not that, there's always an option for paliative care. Hope this helps.
Hi, my name is Michael 30 years old from Kansas City. I was diagnosed with CHF in September got tested on September 20, 2023 next day my doctor at my results i’ve been coughing a lot this month and last month a lot I did coughed up yellow mucus out of my lung. What does it mean if I had that issue with my heart hurting
Mom is 81 in a nursing home, recovering from a broken hip & has dementia, severe pulmonary hypertension & yesterday, from an x-ray result, now has congestive heart failure. We're contemplating hospice or long-term What do you suggest, prognosis, if hospice how long do you think? Does Medicare cover this? Thank you!!
I have a question maybe someone can help me with. My father in law (he has diabetes, has chf and copd and stage 4 kidney disease) is 82 and lives with us and he has a hard time getting up and going to the bathroom on time and I've begged him to wear depends and he refuses. But continues to have accidents and won't even let me help clean him up. How can I convince him he needs the depends? Or should I not even fight it?
Hi Julie, I have a burning question that's been bothering me for some time now. The Question I have is: When we are born do we start to live? Or do we begin to die?
i feel very selfish to even write this but I;d like to know if anyone else feels this. My husband of 27 years has chf and many more issues. .He is nowgetting worse ,very bad and he's almost unable to even get up any stairs and he now can't walk anywhere without his cane. I need to know why i feel angry at him?
I have CHF myself and I’m only 38. It definitely was a shocker being diagnosed in January but I’m adjusting and I don’t see it as a death sentence. For people that have it and see this comment, just know you’re not alone and we can live long with it. Nobody can put a limit on our life except the one who created everything. Keep living and fighting
Thank you. Everything you say is so true. My husband has had congestive heart failure for 9+ years and had his 3rd hospital stay this year. recently and was there 3 weeks. Palliative care team at OSU Heart and Vascular told him he has years to months. He's much better now so having an up-swing. Once they told him he's late stage and told basically he doesn't have a real long time I started grieving. We were told they realized giving a terminal diagnosis like this is similar to a cancer diagnosis. He tried to blow it off, but I can't. I feel like I'm waiting for the shoe to drop. We've been married almost 43 years. I appreciate what you do.
My Daddy didn’t even make it to Hospice. He passed on November 26th, 2012 in Hospital. He had gotten Pneumonia a few times but this time was different. He had really bad Enema so they literally had to wrap his Arms in Plastic because he was dripping Fluid. I wasn’t able to say goodbye. He died in Fort Myers. 5 minutes from Sanibel Island.. our Families Shangri-La. He had had CHF from age of 60 approximately and passed at 73.
I miss him. I’m afraid to death of Death.. thank you for having these videos. I lost my Mom in 1981 to Brain Cancer. She was in a Coma and I’m thankful for that. She DID make it to Hospice but I was 11 so I didn’t understand much. I miss her too.
You're the first I've heard talk about how CHF can have its peaks and valleys along the way. I'm peaking after ditching primacor and I think my docs are just waiting for the wheels to fall off. 24 years post heart transplant. 😁 Thanks again for doing what you do.
You are an Angel of light. I'm so glad your voice and experience are being shared.
I have CHF and I am terrified. Thank you for letting me feel a little better about it.
Same here with CHF. Wishing you the best!!
@@billythekidder7182 Thank you 😊 You as well.
@@maryterry6265 you are very welcome and likewise!
My father in law has had it about 20 years and it doesn't really bother him. His copd causes issues at times but he's been dealing with chf pretty well. Best wishes
I have CHF, I am in an advanced skilled nursing facility originally started out as short term and they has advanced me as long-term care now. I am getting worse and now my lungs are starting to collapse in my back. They are trying to get hospice involved but I'm not sure if I wanna go this route, any advice would be greatly appreciated.
My father in law passed on hospice from CHF. He had it for YEARS! Then my dad was diagnosed with it and died suddenly 2 months later. So I've learned everyone is very different
Very interesting! You really make end-of-life experiences very clear and easy to understand. I’d love to hear more about dementia - my dad passed from that a year ago and he knew all of us “kids” and his wife to the very end. He was on hospice for over 3 years and my 85+ yo mom was his primary caregiver. His personality changed for the better up until the very end, when he got grumpy and petulant - like a 2 year old.
I'm sorry for your loss. My dad, 95, is now very grumpy, He is like a 2-year-old. Your post helped me accept this stage. He has CHF.
Thank you. My mom died May 2019 from CHF. Wish I had known more what to expect. She lived beside us with some outside home support. Thank you, Julie. You offer invaluable info in a clear, accessible format. You are terrific.
Please cover COPD. My mom has 3rd-4th stage COPD. Since bringing in Hospice 6 months ago her quality of life has increased beyond measure. Thank you for all you do! ❤
I don't have fear of death.
I came have seen death on the face.
It's not the issue of death I am referring to.
It's the fact of the nothing at the end.
I have repeatedly asked her if she's an R.N. Her avoidance of that question is very concerning. Your mother's pulmonologist, or their staff advocate should be happy to supply you with the information you seek, or you can go to the American Lung Association...a wealth of info. God bless you and your mother.
@@teresaweaver1012 she doesn’t have to answer you.
@@teresaweaver1012 are you talking about Julie?
I try to tell people Hospice improves their quality of life .unfortunately , many equate hospice with death [sentence].Julie , I don't know what inspired you to do these videos but they are so valuable .
My mom went on hospice. The nurses were angels. I am so grateful for them..mom had dementia n dad passed 4 months prior..I didn't want mom on morphine but it became necessary. I was telling mom over n over how much I loved her n dad was waiting for her ..I heard her say to me. I love u in my head. She pass shortly afterwards.
My father was diagnosed 20 years ago with CHF. He is the strongest man I know. He has been declining fast and is now on hospice care. This has been the hard week of my life. Please pray for him.
Also let your parents and loved ones know how much they mean to you and take nothing for granted.
thank you Julie for all the information you provide..I suffer from diabetes 2 / PAH (ON OXYGEN 2 lts/ non-alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver/ and an assortment of other issues too much ammonia in my blood/too much blood in my urine... anyway.. I am 70 yr old female and was just wondering how I will know that I am actively dying? No family left to send me off.. but I appreciate your wisdom and I will be hoping not to put a burden on anyone.. Thanks again
I was hit by an SUV a few years ago and had to have my Aortic valve replaced twice so, I have CHF but manage it with Bumex water pills and no pizzas (sodium chloride problem) since the last heart surgery in 2020. Thanks Julie for going over this problem. Also, someone here wants you to go over C.O.P.D.; yes I also would like this and if you can throw in Hospice for carcinomas of the lung I would appreciate it.
I went to the emergency room once. They wanted to give me morphine. I asked the nurse, I said "I think I'm allergic to that." She said you'll be fine and gave it to me anyway. The next thing I knew my heart rate was about 20 and five people were coming in with padles to bring my heart back. Maybe morphine isn't right for everyone?
My father’s lungs turned fibrotic. I don’t understand how. The doctors said they don’t know why it happens and there’s no way to stop it. The hospice people were great with him. I still miss my dad. I miss my life! Nothing has been the same and sometimes it really sucks!
My mother passed from this on the 15th. Very weird, to me, the actions she was making about a minute before she died. I wish I knew what she was seeing/experiencing.
What did she do Kelly?
Here’s a funny thing that my Dad did…..he actually asked for a Rueben Sandwich like 2 days before dying. That was “so” my Dad. His Humor was on point until he passed.
My Dad recently passed away from aspiration pneumonia in the last stage of MSA…. at first, his neurologist diagnosed him with Parkinson’s disease but when the levodopa wasn’t working well, the doctor suspected MSA…. My Dad was a very independent, active and social person! He loved life. He went from walking on his own to a wheelchair in a matter of 4 years! A horrible disease. 💔 At the end, my Dad could not move, talk or swallow and had lost so much weight. There is no cure. What could be the cause(s) of this disease? Thank you. I’m so happy I found your channel.
My father had a muscular disease that made it to where he could not swallow the last 5 years of his life. He also was in the hospital multiple times with aspiration pneumonia the last several years of his life.
@@jasonh5547 I’m so sorry Jason 😔 these diseases are devastating and it’s so difficult and heartbreaking to watch a loved one go through it.
You had a break up, who would possibly break up with you your so damn beautiful and for what it's worth I'm a black man.
Hi Julie. Just SO grateful for your channel! I'm in South Africa and have been on a crazy journey with my sister, aged 65, who has ALS or MND. It has been almost 2 yrs now. She is completely paralyzed...only able to communicate with her eyes. Utterly devastating for us as a family.
You mentioned you'd like to hear from followers and what disease we'd like you to comment on next.
Please could you mention any MND/ALS experiences you've encountered. It helps so much to hear other people's journeys with regard to this awful, devastating disease. Thank you sooo much. And may God bless you abundantly for the work of service and sacrifice you've chosen...huge hugs and love.
Oh gosh...just seen that you posted this 9 months ago! Nevertheless...Still love learning from you! 😊
When my father died he said it was congestive heart failure which he did have due to his diabetes. But he had also suffered with pneumonia weeks before. He had been hospitalized for two weeks. He predicted his death and shared that with myself and my niece. He was in and out of consciousness for the last few days before he passed. Two days before one side of his chest was raised, then the next day they were the same . The day he passed he awoke and tried to talk. He was blind and we noticed he was watching my mother’s movements. That had been his wish, to see her once more! The last hour or less of his life he started sounding congested and then green foamy stuff started flowing from his mouth. I kept cleaning it up. It was never told to us that this could happen so we were a bit unsettled. He had a scared look on his face which made us feel he wasn’t relaxed and was upset by what was happening. We surrounded his bed and said our goodbyes and told him it was okay to go. He took a slow breath, then stopped breathing. A few seconds later he gasped with one more breath, scaring my sister and she screamed. Then he took his last breath. It was my first experience with death and I thought I couldn’t handle it. But it was such a special experience plus I learned to not be afraid. I was holding his body while the hospice nurse washed him before the funeral home came to pick him up. I just cradled him and told him how much I loved him. That was in 2009. My mom is 93 and slowing down but wants to live to 100. She lives with my sister now. I hope she passes in her sleep like her mother.
Thanks Julie xx
My Dad died of congestive heart failure in 1977. He was 36. I remember all these symptoms well. My bedroom was directly above. He was in line for a transplant but died before he could get one. He had always been active. A great skier, hunter, fisherman, plumber and could build or repair anything. He never got on hospice.
I really enjoy your highly informational, compassionate and matter of fact videos. I've spent most of my adult life working on ophthalmology, which is an overwhelmingly geriatric profession, but ophthalmology care tends to trail off as they transition to hospice. (After all, just as an example, glaucoma blinds you little by little, but there's not much concern if you only expect to live another couple months.)
Your an angel blessing to all of us Julie .
Thankyou love your presentations
Thank you
My cousin who was 42 passed away from your expression, I feel her pain 😭😭 she died so young.
We love you very much .
I have CHF, on bunch of bp pills and water pills- am 45, diagnosed six months ago. I certainly hope everyone who has it can at least get the ventricular assist device (VAD pump) installed… I don’t yet know how to feel about passing when the time comes- I just feel bad for my mom being her only kid. GOD BLESS everyone going through this ‘horse sh*t’ chronic illness.
I’ve had it 16 years now. I have days where I’m just fabulous and days I’m tired. But meds helped me greatly. I was very bad about 4-5 years ago where I wanted to die. I dropped 50 pounds and kept it off. Made a huge difference. And I try to stay away from salt.
Hang in there everyone with this.
My dad passed away from CHF 3 years ago November. He was in the hospital and they said he will be ready to go home in a day or 2, out of nowhere his other organs started failing very quickly and he passed away😢
Same thing happened to my dad 2 weeks ago… I’m so sad.. I miss him
@@Keshia-Houston-tx I am truly sorry and I hope you are taking care of yourself❤️
@@christyb7455 I’m trying to .. it’s so hard.. and just can’t seem to except that really gone… was your dad taking Entresto by chance?
Dear, Nurse Julie thanks so much for all the explanation of CHF . I am a patient on hospice and have been with my team for almost a year. And unfortunately I am one of those patients who will never get off I'm in the last stage of heart failure and the Dr and the nurse that takes care of me both have told me that I am diminishing. Can you maybe explain that to me a little bit more because I know s little bit of what it means but not exactly. So that would really help me with it.tjanks so much.and keep up the good work you are doing a great job on it.sincerley marquitta Williams. God bless
Hi Julie, I’d like to hear more about Alzheimer’s disease…the end. Thanks Julie!
Last Memorial Day, I was rushed to the hospital because I was really swollen and just plain out of it. I'm told when I got there my oxygen level was 49. A couple days later I was told I had congestive heart failure and COPD. No one told me about living about 10-15yrs. Thank you for doing all these informative videos
Oh gosh how are you doing?❤️
Hi Nurse Julie thank for Your precious work. I would like you to talk about plumonary edema on hospice care (chronic/acute)- especially focusing on use of diuretics. What do you do if you have a patient with water in lungs who is hypotensive (low blood pressure) and refuses to eat or drinks very little. He seems calm, not distressed. What is the optimal way of acting in this case? I would be thankful for discussing this scenario.
You really should get a new closed caption machine. It’s only translating at about a 70% rate
Bladder cancer deaths? I suspect an undiagnosed case is what killed my partner, but the doctors and nurses couldn't tell me because he and I weren't married, so I wasn't officially "family". I'm just glad I got permission to sit at his bedside as he lay unconscious until he died.
Treating the symptoms 😮
I'd like to hear about cirrhosis and kidney failure due to my elderly family members
I would like to hear about cirrhosis too. I got diagnosed in 2017. My Dr. Said my liver functions pretty good for it being so damaged
Hello. Hope all is well. I have a question please: what if morphine is ineffective for a person? Is morphine the only pain killer the government allows to be dispersed for those on hospice? Thank you. Have a great day.
Hello Im 41 I have wpw, svt, a-fib, prolonged qt, severe hypotension, syncope episodes and convulsions due to my heart and bp. I was dx with chf on April 7th of 2020. I was supposed to have a ep study and ablation but my extra pathway for the wpw.ìs actaully 2 extra pathways and they can't do ablation because they are both to close to important structures in my heart.Thank you for covering this topic. Much Respect 💖
Kalena
It’s rare finding another person with wpw!! I had the ablation about 6 months ago and so far I’m good. I pray you are doing well💜
Love your shorts❣
Cirrhosis of the Liver??? Fatty Liver?
My mother-in-law goes on and off of hospice. I believe her issue is that when she’s off hospice, she does not take her medication correctly, does not adhere to the prescribe diet (eats salt), smoke, cigarettes, drinks, alcohol, etc. When she goes on hospice, all of these things change for the better, and she improves. Then she gets off hospice, goes home and resumes, her lifestyle, and deteriorates again.
She does not believe that her diet and her lifestyle are affecting her. She blames the doctors for her heart failure. It’s very frustrating. She gets very angry if you try to help in anyway. I’ve quit helping because I can’t stand to see her get so angry. Such a sad situation.
Wouldn't they go to Palliative care and back to hospices? Can you discuss the difference.
I would like to hear about lung cancer hospice
I have a friend who recently had a lung collapse due to overextending himself. He’s had COPD for 20 years. He’s going home for Christmas with some kind of treatment. The doctors tried using a glue to fix his Lung but it didn’t work. I’m worried about him. He’s only 62.
Hi, I'm a patient of CHF. Please include swollen stomach. That's where my swelling was and in the hospital , the staff kept looking for stomach diseases. It was very frustrating and took a first heart attack for me to study and found, yep my stomach was my first sign. Thank you so much. Katie.
Please please make a video on Brain Cancer patients in Comas at end of Life. I always wondered what my Mom went thru. I know she suffered with her Cancer for a while before and after surgery. Surgery didn’t help. They removed her Tumor which was Grapefruit sized. I can’t even imagine what was happening in her mind before being put into a coma. Was her Death easy?
Could you talk about hospice patients specifically put there because a PCP determined that she was too old to survive a pacemaker implantation. She has incidents of bradycardia.
Leukemia please. Thanks
I miss my dad ,he passed away from CGF on Christmas day last year after struggling with CHF for 5 years,
Please talk about COPD.
Hi Julie it's Alexa brierley from Torrance. Ca.
Wish I was allergic to beer that way haha
I would love to hear about how to deal with acid reflux disease and the symptoms . My husband has acid reflux disease and sometimes he gets sick to his stomach which scares me .
I have CHF. I’m in my 40+ my health is declining fast. I’m getting tired more and more every day.
Wow, my husband lived for 11 mos on hospice with CHF. He died 2 mos ago and definitely waxed and waned. Strangely enough, hs lungs remained remarkably clear the whole time and even whe he was off his oxygen his sats were always good. The last few days of his life his blood pressure, energy and appetite dropped and he finally dozed of peacefully.
Funny thumbnail
Hi Julie. Can you share a video of someone actively dying from CHF?
Ty HNJ. This is the one I’ve been waiting on. Is 10-15 years typical of CHF patients and is that after diagnosis? I am 44 and have had CHF for 5 years now. Just curious what to think so I can be realistic about my longevity.
My father in law has it too and he's had it around 20 years and he's still here. Statistics are just generic guidelines.
@@ssjess2504 happy to hear your dad in law is still around.
It seems to be different for everybody. My best friend got CHF in 2000 and passed in 2011. He was 44, but he had a family history of terminal heart disease. I got it in 2005 and I'm now 55 and still doing okay. I know the time will come and I don't plan on going into a hospice or putting anyone through the burden of having to take care of me. The only real advice I can give is "Live each day as if it may be your last, because 1 day...it will be."
What meds are used for cardiac arrest?
What about Cystic Fibrosis.
Any experience with cll? I've had it for over ten years. Now in blast phase and have more symptoms.
If you are on hospice dying from bladder cancer what kind of family member look for so the family member won't think that they love one is suffering what are the signs that that family member can help to get through
Please cover Parkinson’s
Can do a video on dementia
Had Dad on home hospice for this. They had me giving him what they called a H.A.M. sandwich of meds to try and keep his agitation down. It didn't really seem to help much. He moaned, grabbed at things, tossed around a lot, etc. I'm terrified and traumatized that his last days and hours were an acid trip of pain, confusion and fright. There was a lot of dementia that last month on top of it being at the height of covid. I had to provide 24 hr care for him and my mother who couldn't/wouldn't deal with any of it. I realize a lot of my reaction was due to grief, exhaustion and being away from my home and family. I'm hoping that someone can weigh in here from a professional standpoint as I'm really struggling with the idea of Dad being scared and hurting especially during that last week.
I'm so sorry for your loss. What was this sandwich of meds? Just curious. I lost my father in law in October on hospice from this and he had it for years and then I lost my dad in December from the exact illness and he was diagnosed only 2 months prior
@@ssjess2504 I'm really sad that you had to go through it twice! I couldn't imagine how hard it must have been for you and your family. So much love is being sent to you! As for the HAM sandwich thing, it's what the phoneline of hospice nurses called it. The "A" was ativan, I believe, and the "M" was morphine. I can't remember what the "H" was. It's in my meticulously kept notes from the time. I used different hilighter colors for each of the different meds to help keep them all straight because that last week when Dad was decompensating so quickly, the dosage changed frequently. I'm not in a secure enough mentally healthy enough spot to read through the notes right now. Please reach out if you need to talk with an unbiased stranger who had a similar experience about your feelings surrounding this double loss. Sometimes just venting and getting it off of your heart temporarily helps.
@@Hazel_Fox22 Was the H Haldol? I'm so sorry. Take all the time you need to grieve and don't forget self care❤️
@@ssjess2504 Yes! It was haldol. Thanks for helping me to remember. The same advice goes right back to you!
Hi Julie, I have general question about my dad who died from demementia and CHF while waiting to be admitted to hospice care after being discharged from hospital due to pneumonia. When he was at home he seemed calm, I noticed no pain; his o2 sats were between 91 to 94. But now I am haunted by the vision that he had fluid in the lungs and needed diuretics. Are diuretics always given on hospice when patients have fluid in their lungs but show no respiratory distress? Thank You.
My daddy passed back in April from CHF his heart valve would no longer close on its own causing minor fluid buildup at first and eventually got worse with progress. What causes heart valve’s to fail?
Your goals are admirable. I have been learning from you. Nobody else I know is willing to talk about these topics. This is some good nurse talk. How much morphine is used to send a person on his/her way. Do you do that? Just give them too much by mistake ?
Many medical persons are not only not willing..... ( because of an overload of work ), they also don't know as much as Julie does.
I'm a retired nurse, didn't know in detail as much as Julie.
Hospice (HS) RN here - see her video on meds/comfort package/kit used for a patient on HS. Getting people to start using morphine is consistently one of the biggest challenges we have due to the medication’s reputation. We start very low and titrate (increase the amount) up as needed. We use the appropriate amounts to keep a patient comfortable - it’s usually the disease process that “sends a person” on their way more than the medications.
Hope that helps!
Nurse Julie how is the end of life for ppl with silicosis from working with marble and granite for over 25yrs.
My 92 yr old grandma has CHF & is in assisted living with in-home hospice care. I see a lot of comments about people living multiple years with this disease. But my grandma also has COPD & a 8 cm tumor in her lung. She is exhibiting signs of end of life. I wonder if she'll make it another few months? She literally sleeps 18+ hours a day. She's also 5'3" and weighs maybe 100 lbs.
Im 50 and i have CHF .
Its a nusaince to say the least.
Sadly im already ill with other serious chronic illnesses ...
..that i am bedriddne.
Theres no chance in getting better and try and reverse this .
I just wish all the best for other sufferers .
I never really thought of hospice ....
.but i like the idea of coming home now and then..
..depending on how we feel.
My brother is almost 50 and has this now too in very worried
@@carmella88
Im so sorry .
Its a tough one having to watch from the outside..
..when your loved ones suffer so much.
Hopefully your father can find a way of improving
..his health through better diets and exercise ..?
For some people it can actually go away ...
Here in uk, the waiting lists are so bad on nhs.
Ive just been told to wait a year to see cardiologist again.
I dont mind as i know theres millions much worst than me
..who urgently need help.
In the past I waited 7 years just to see Ent soecilaist ...
..and be told, " its the side effect of your meds "...( its bonkers ).
Its all a joke , due to covid and over population.
Many people are going private now if they can.
...but theres still a huge waiting list years long for life
..threatening illnesses.
Hope where ever your Dad is , he has better health care ...
Wishing him all the best and successfull treatments.
Sending love and strength.
💚💚💚
With CHF should you have a test to see if any arteries are blocked. 12 yrs. ago I had 2 stents put in my heart but 2 more were almost at the % where they would need stents. My symptoms are exactly as you described. Should I ask my heart doctor and tell him about my swelling?
How long can a person stay on hospice? Will benefits run out?
I’m a 23 year old male and I just got diognosed with chf… I have no medical history related to it at all and I got 2 kids and I’m so mf scared ima die in the next 5-10 years… my daughter is 7 and my son is 5 and me and they mom broke up 3 years ago and I’m really all they got … i dont wanna die before my kids are adults …
My dad is 102 on hospice for chf He was not a cardiac patient until he had COVID. Then AFib and edema came on. It's almost 2 months. Edema not getting worse no coughing. What to expect?
Please talk about kidney disease
Can you talk about the transition to hospice? I really appreciate this. My mother, 87, has chronic congestive heart failure, several compression fractures from falls, some signs of dementia, a stage 4 prolapsed bladder, and needs oxygen, but she will only use it at night. Her back pain and arthritis is so severe that she sees a pain specialist and takes 1 hydrocodone at night but refuses it during the day. She struggles with her desire to be active but having to sleep so much during the day. She's so stubborn that she will force herself to stay awake then feels much worse. She wants to be dead, but she is also afraid of every sign that she is getting weaker. Her arms and legs are almost always cold and numb. I suggested she think about hospice yesterday and she said no because hospice would take her off every medication and she couldn't see her doctors anymore. Can you talk about this transition to hospice? Will she have to stop taking eliquis? She's terrified of surviving a stroke. Can she still see opthamologists for glaucoma and macular degeneration? We live together in her home.
I have heard that some Hospice services (US) deny life prolonging medicine, but most don't. Maybe you could get in touch with Hospice near you and ask them about it? Hospice can be an awesome choice. If not that, there's always an option for paliative care. Hope this helps.
@@MsLoverPower Thank you.
If she has palliative care, she continues to take Eliquis. I'm going through the same with my mom now.
Hi, my name is Michael 30 years old from Kansas City. I was diagnosed with CHF in September got tested on September 20, 2023 next day my doctor at my results i’ve been coughing a lot this month and last month a lot I did coughed up yellow mucus out of my lung. What does it mean if I had that issue with my heart hurting
Please cover severe osteoporosis.
Jesus Christ loves you and died on the cross for you!!
Make America Great Again
How do I deal with something like that .
Mom is 81 in a nursing home, recovering from a broken hip & has dementia, severe pulmonary hypertension & yesterday, from an x-ray result, now has congestive heart failure.
We're contemplating hospice or long-term
What do you suggest, prognosis, if hospice how long do you think?
Does Medicare cover this?
Thank you!!
I was just diagnosed with CHF
and am wondering at which point I should consider hospice.
My Mom has leaking swollen legs. They are bandaged. Is it serious?
Is it possible to request that a pacemaker be removed to decrease the suffering?
How about COPD next time, please?
Who lives with bad health and last 100 years.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I have a question maybe someone can help me with. My father in law (he has diabetes, has chf and copd and stage 4 kidney disease) is 82 and lives with us and he has a hard time getting up and going to the bathroom on time and I've begged him to wear depends and he refuses. But continues to have accidents and won't even let me help clean him up. How can I convince him he needs the depends? Or should I not even fight it?
Well that depends....😅
what do you say to your husband who cries and says I don't want to die?
Hi Julie, I have a burning question that's been bothering me for some time now. The Question I have is: When we are born do we start to live? Or do we begin to die?
Why not both? : )
I think both
Both!!
i feel very selfish to even write this but I;d like to know if anyone else feels this. My husband of 27 years has chf and many more issues. .He is nowgetting worse ,very bad and he's almost unable to even get up any stairs and he now can't walk anywhere without his cane. I need to know why i feel angry at him?
Disgusting place of death..All should be clised and the ones that made those places put in prison.
Like to hear about Alzheimer’s.
Can you die of end of life heart failure with zero EOL symptoms?
Kugelberg-Welander Syndrome, type 3