Future

[Takecareofall]

My husband recently had a cardiac catheterization and found to have e-fraction of 30% and then had a AICD.  He is only 54 but smokes (45 years of 2-3 packs a day), he is 5'7" and weighs 227 pounds.  The doc says he has dilated cardiomyopathy.  My husband has worked hard all his life as a brick layer.  We have a new home and are a 2 income family with some big decisions to make.  The doctor says he cannot be a brick layer.  He is in cardiac rehab and is trying to follow a diet and quit smoking but has not yet been able to do so.  He has been to 2 smoking treatment centers in the past and has never been able to quit yet.  What is the likelihood of his returning to work?  Is he dying?  I just need to know some answers.  I love him dearly and can't think of losing him but I also need to make financial decisions for our family.  He is taking Coreg and Tekundra for high blood pressure.

[westfield60]

Honestly 54 is not that old and he can have a great life as long as he follows the advice of his doctors. But above all he has to stop smoking. The heart and body is an amazing thing and it can do good things provided you do all the right things. I had a quad bypass and have a 35% ejection factor but honestly I feel that my body and heart today are so much better than ever before. I however have really made an effort to lead a healthy lifestyle and exercise regularly. The body has a great capacity of bouncing back to some degree. I say this to hopefully encourage you but the hard work of changing your lifesyle has to be done by your husband. Good Luck to you and to him. God Bless.

[ed34]

This is quite a serious condition. You mention about smoking, was he an alcoholic at any time recently? I ask because this condition caused by alcohol abuse can be reversed in some cases.
The AICD and medication will help to maintain the heart but heart failure and sudden death can unfortunately occur at any time. Like I said, this is a serious condition. It is
difficult to establish the cause of the heart swelling if not alcohol related, it could be many things like genetic, poison, exposure to chemicals etc.
Years ago, statistics for this condition stated that patients aged 55 and over would die
within three years of the onset. However things have greatly improved since then.
Drug regimes can greatly slow down the progression and in some cases improve matters. In time, there is always the choice of a transplant, which are much more successful these days. I have a friend who had a transplant 13 years ago and he has
done nothing but travel and lead a normal life.
I STRONGLY recommend he quits smoking because this will make his general health much better, even if he cuts right down first. I know he is probably worried sick and this makes it harder to quit, but he has to think of his family first. With his condition as it is,
it is very unlikely he will be returning to work. If drugs improve his condition enough then there is a slim chance. Bricklaying is a very labour intensive job.
What have the cardiologists proposed as a long term plan for him? they have to come up
with something.