Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Congestive Heart Failure

Man, am I sick of dealing with this. Caught it two years ago. No clogged arteries-they said I was one of the 15% of folks that get it from a virus. Pacemaker/defibrillator installed last winter. I have no stamina whatsoever. Just now I went out for about 20 minutes of putzing in the yard. My work consisted of hooking up the weed wacker and clearing the weeds from in front of the shed door, putting away a lawn cart and a push mower, and bringing the snow blower up to the front garage. Not exactly heavy physical labor. I've been in the house now for over 10 minutes and I'm still breathing heavy. I don't like the fact that I've got no wind whatsoever. Can't imagine how I'm ever going to get a deer out of the woods if/when that time ever comes again. Man, this really sucks. Anybody else out there dealing with this? I see my dr. Wednesday. We're gonna have a chat.

Sorry to hear that GG...

Tough row to hoe for sure..

From a virus? Woof.. Man, that sux.. Just this am on the news was a story of a hunter who had a fatal heart attack dragging a deer out of the woods to his truck..

Take it easy, man.. Have someone else move that carcass.

My dad caught it from a virus as well.

Do anything you can to try and take care of that.

Its a tough road, thats all I can say. Dad dealt with it for a long time. Some times it got better, others worse.

He had issues picking up a gallon of milk or anything with his arms.. no light sweeping etc..

Make sure you are dealing with a cardiologist and specialty with CHF for sure. NOthing to mess around with.

Yup! Wifey got it 22 years ago. From a virus. It is not fun.

She's had a VAD for 3 years now. She suffered two strokes last January due to hemolysis caused by the VAD impeller thus forming a clot in the machine. Clot moved.

If you want the good, bad, and ugly of it all she said she'll talk to you anytime you need to talk!!!! PM me if you like. As I said she's got well over 22 years experience with it now. WARNING! She tells it like it is!!! She don't pull any punches.

She has a Heartmate II by Thoratec. They are real good about not telling all the cons to the machine. When you finally "need" one of these things, they really have you by the short hairs! Lots of glowing rhetoric.

PM sent!

got mine the old fashioned way. Widow maker heart attack. I take a handful of meds every day, and have to watch my BP carefully. Have the same sort of pacer/defib unit installed. It paces about 25% of the time.
As you say, no stamina or strength. Not much outdoor activity, other than camping, some light hiking, and kayaking.
No cholesterol issues at all.
On the other hand, having this mess beats being dead, so I'll take the good with the bad.

I ain't slowed down a bit, plus I have some damn fine friends. my wounded warrior pall mall smokin Cap'n PTSD dragged and loaded a buck last yesterday afternoon for me

Google viral cardiomyopathy.

It can be pretty rough, in some cases bad enough for a heart transplant. In other cases, not as severe.

DF

That's it. Thanks Doc!

Wifeys heart was a bit larger than a football when it finally played out. They originally told her the VAD would be a bridge to a transplant. But she says she's sick and tired of hospitals. She doesn't want a transplant And the cancer she has had (and still has) probably doesnt help matters any either with the transplant team.

I've been doing a lot of thinking on this, and I can't think of a way I'd rather go, than to be in the woods. That being said, I really don't wan to go out of my way to make that occur. Maybe it's time to just whore my self out as a camp cook for some guys.

Called off work today, which I never do. Waiting to hear back from the doc. This isn't right-I'm going in as soon as I hear back from him.

Best of luck.

I will be quoting this at work.

We put in a lot of LVADs, both as a bridge to transplant and as "destination" therapy. Believe it or not, the Heartmate II is light-years ahead of previous generation LVADs in reducing suction events.

They all still suck though. Pun intended.

My Doc is making me do a heart scan ASAP. Says I have an athletes heart. Sounds like a good thing but it ain't.

Godspeed GG!

Gophergunner: So sorry to hear of you ailment!
I am praying for the best for you.
My beloved mother has had congestive heart failure for 20+ years now.
She is 91 years of age and she no longer Hunts deer (and hasn't for decades) but she very much enjoys life as she does what all she can.
May I suggest getting a Hunting partner or relative to assist you in dragging out your Deer and maybe a trailer hitch mounted Deer crank lift to load your Deer in the vehicle.
Also you might want to look into an ATV for dragging and travelling in Deer country - if that is at all feasible and legal in your Hunting area.
I have been helping my long time Deer and Elk Hunting partner this season as just days before our Deer/Elk opener he fell off of a ladder and broke four ribs - I don't mind helping him at all!
I hope your ailment is repairable or at least you can learn to work/Hunt within your limitations and keep on enjoying life as you have known it.
Best of luck to ya.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I will do everything possible to avoid asking others for help in the woods. I just don't feel like I have the right to take away from others precious time afield. I'm supposed to be the one out helping others, not vice-versa. I've put off getting a 4-wheeler, both on principle, and on finances, but that time is coming soon. Thanks for eveyone's input. I got an appointment with my heart team in a couple hours here. Hope to know more then.

Thanks again, guys.

If you've got friends that can and will help ya out in the woods than by all means let them help! The time will come soon enough when going to the mailbox will wipe you out! When hunting, fishing and shooting is what you really live for, CHF can and will kill that for you and leave you wondering and wishing how much longer before you can leave this [bleep]!

Enjoy what you can while you can! Soon you'll find your so called friends disappearing! No fun hanging out with cripples! CHF in my opinion is worse than a death sentence! It kills very slowly! Makes a hanging seem like a good thing since it's over in seconds!

I'm sorry for your diagnosis!

Gopher if you were close enough, you could call me anytime to come get one out of the woods, gut/skin and quarter and cooler the deer.

Sometimes its time to accept payment for all you've done for others in your life. Its hard to ask, but plenty out there are willing.

Helped a buddies wife find her buck yesterday while he was at work, Carolyn and Tiger and I found the buck, got it out, and skinned/gutted it for her. She said good she could quarter and do the rest.

Its paying it all forward.

I sure hope someone is there for you and for me when I get that far.