Dad has congestive heart failure.

[ralerin]

He's in the hospital now and I'm worried. They need to drain the fluid out of his lungs. I know he'll need to change EVERYTHING. Could I have good thoughts, please? I'm worried we'll lose the delivery business and our house and our dogs all in one swoop and then we'll have nothing left.

[Sapphire Silk]

Good thoughts headed your way! So sorry to hear he's got CHF.

[teh_blumchenkinder]

oh that's scary! *sends positive thoughts, including some in the form of cookies* That can't be pleasant feeling, especially for your dad-- here's praying he feels better sooner rather than later.

[telecom_goddess]

I think it will be ok...my bf went to the hospital for the very same thing a year ago and is fine now on medication and an implanted defibrilator (not saying your dad needs one of those). He's still working full time and he's fine.

I wouldn't worry too hard My mother lived with it for years too and she eventually died of old age basically.

[Kanalah]

Prayers and well wishes for you and your family

[hinakiba777]

I am sending so many good thoughts out for your family and your father. I know how scary heart disease can be.

[Seshat]

My good wishes to you and yours.

[Ree]

Sending positive thoughts.

Keep us posted on his progress.

[Thatgirl71]

Many prayers for your dad and your family. My father has CHF and is doing very well. He definately had to make alot of changes health-
wise/diet-wise, but he is still very active and as social as ever.

[ralerin]

UPDATE: Turns out it isn't CHF at all, but something a bit more serious. For 40 years, dad's heart has been beating weirdly- the upper part has been beating too fast while the lower part has been slowing down. Around 1 today they're going to put him under, insert a tube down his throat and then insert a zapping device (for lack of a better word) that'll work like a large pacemaker and zap his entire heart to force both parts of the heart to work at the correct speed.

I'm so afraid that he's going to never wake up.

Eta: even though the doctors at the hospital perform this procedure often and have never had a complication, my mind is still freaking out that he will die somehow. His heart might burst or it won't respond or he'll die a miserable slow death or the doctor will fuck it up...

[Ree]

I know it's frightening.
I went through the same thing with my Dad when he was alive, and I had the same feelings.
(My Dad passed about 16 years ago, but it was due to complications from the flu, and not related to his heart.)

Even though the hospital had successfully performed the same procedure numerous times on a daily basis, it was still my Dad, and I was scared.

Fear of losing a parent is normal.
In our eyes, as we grow, they seem invincible, especially our Dads, I think.
When they have serious health issues, it throws us.

Heart problems are very scary.

We are all praying or sending good thoughts that everything will go OK and he will be back to good health soon.

[Mikkel]

even though the doctors at the hospital perform this procedure often and have never had a complication, my mind is still freaking out that he will die somehow.

The statistics are good, at least, and he won't need as many life changes after he get home.
Of course you worry. You'll know in a few hours that you worried unnecessarily .

[ralerin]

UPDATE: heart procedure was a failure and they were unable to fix the too fast/not enough problem.

*sigh*

[telecom_goddess]

Did they actually implant a device? My bf has a defibrillator.....and it's in his chest, it's outline is visible through the skin....

[ralerin]

Telcome: no. They inserted one down his throat next to heart and sent small shockwaves to try to make the entire heart come back in step instead of the top part being too fast and the bottom being too slow.

They've given him a drug that's supposed to help slow his heart, alongwith blood thinners. Today he's going to a stress test that takes pictures of his heart before giving him a radioactive tracer that clings to the muscle fibers in the heart, then a small dose of a heart dialating medicine that simulates as if he's been doing heavy exercise. The after image of his heart will show if he has a blockage or not by seei g how much of the tracer is in his heart. Too little indicates a blockage. I think.

ETA: They did a different test-cut a vein in his side and went up the vein to the heart to check for a blockage. There's nothing anywhere to indicate anything is wrong with him, just the rapid heartbeat. They've given him another medication and it's working! Dad might be able to come home tomorrow!