My best friend started with what doctors thought was asthma in September of last year, they have since found that she had a small lump on her lung (or chest, she was a little unclear) gave her some radiotherapy, then realised that she was getting no better and had lung inflammation which had to be treated first. She has since found that she is in heart failure, and this is causing her body to swell. In hindsight, she has always had a bloated tummy since her husband knocked her down stairs and stamped on her chest (lovely man, thankfully she is no longer with him). Could this problem have gone un-noticed for so long??? And as she lives predominently on her own with little input from her daughters, what is the prognosis. I worry about her, as I live many miles away. Her 60th Birthday is on 7th February, but she is adament she will not celebrate it until she is better. I want to go through there and help sort her house out and make sure she starts eating properly that weekend, but I don't want to cause her more upset either, what should I do????
Q: My best friend, has recently developed lung inflammation and heart failure at 59 years old!
Hi Jude,
Your friend is lucky to have someone like you who cares so much. I am including a link for you about heart failure that discusses the treatment, symptoms, etc.
I also suggest your friend watch her salt intake. Heart failure often causes excess fluid to buildup around the lungs and heart making it difficult to breath. The fluid also often settles on other parts of the body (often fallowing gravity, so the lower legs get the brunt of it in most cases).
I cannot say whether your friend's lump in her chest is caused from her incident with her husband years ago, however it is important that she have this treated when her physicians feel it is appropriate.
Best of luck,
Monica M. Skidmore, MS, RD, LD
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Many thanks, one of the things I have mentioned to her is to cut down salt, and to follow a mediterranean style diet, which I think will help her, I'm hoping to get to see her in the next couple of weeks, as I think she needs encouragement to eat, she says everything tastes metallic, and it usually goes straight through her, but surely she needs the food to help soak up some of the excess fluid on the way through????? Any way, I will look at the links you have given me, so that I can try and steer her in the right direction.
Thank you again Monica