Curious?

[Stacey]

Is there anything you can do to improve your EF, other than taking your medication, or is it just a matter of healing time? Mine is at 50 right now according to the ultra-sound my sister did, but I notice were some have ef's of 60 or higher. Just curious. I go back to my cardiologist on the 16th of March and if there is anything I could/should be doing to increase it, I want to start. Would love to "pass with flying colors"!

[melissamph]

EF of 50% is good in itself! The only thing I did was take my meds as directed and excercised daily. I am praying for a great ECHO at your Cardiology appt!

[Stacey]

EF of 50% is good in itself! The only thing I did was take my meds as directed and excercised daily. I am praying for a great ECHO at your Cardiology appt!

Thanks! I've been doing my best to excercise everyday at work at lunch, weather permitting and if its yucky out I walk the stairs (which sucks!). And of course I get excercise at home with a 2 month old and a 5 year old! :D I am smoking again which I know doesn't help, but with all the other changes I've had to make it's the one thing I do that makes me feel like my "old" self.

[melissamph]

I used to smoke 2 packs a day for 12 years. That was over 10 yrs ago! Thank God! There is really nothing you can do that is worse to your heart than smoke! I will be praying for you to see the importance in stopping ASAP! As a past smoker I know what it is like! I am here to lift you up and encourage you in anyway that I can! Maybe it will help me not only mention that smoking is bad for you but it is bad for the family and the people around you not to mention is stinks and it makes you age faster.......:eek: Did I scare you are hack you off enough to get you to find something else to make you feel like your "old self"? Remember I am a nurse too..........STOP SMOKING! There isn't a single thing that is positive that it brings to you or your health or your family! Plus.....it's expensive and plain nasty! Ready to stop yet? My Dad died at a young 48 yrs of age due to smoking and the Lung Cancer his smoking gave him. I feel strongly about this so I am sorry to come on too strong. I am not trying to be insensitive to you....really! Forgive me if I have hurt your feelings.

[Stacey]

I used to smoke 2 packs a day for 12 years. That was over 10 yrs ago! Thank God! There is really nothing you can do that is worse to your heart than smoke! I will be praying for you to see the importance in stopping ASAP! As a past smoker I know what it is like! I am here to lift you up and encourage you in anyway that I can! Maybe it will help me not only mention that smoking is bad for you but it is bad for the family and the people around you not to mention is stinks and it makes you age faster.......:eek: Did I scare you are hack you off enough to get you to find something else to make you feel like your "old self"? Remember I am a nurse too..........STOP SMOKING! There isn't a single thing that is positive that it brings to you or your health or your family! Plus.....it's expensive and plain nasty! Ready to stop yet? My Dad died at a young 48 yrs of age due to smoking and the Lung Cancer his smoking gave him. I feel strongly about this so I am sorry to come on too strong. I am not trying to be insensitive to you....really! Forgive me if I have hurt your feelings.

You haven't hurt my feelings at all. I know you are absolutely right! It's just amazing how difficult it is to quit!

[JAMESFETT]

It is great to be at EF 50! Time (healing goes on for years) is important and essential for healing, but there are other things that can be done, depending upon how far you are from diagnosis. Medications--beta blockers and ACE-inhibitors are important to reverse the inflammatory process that may be involved with the development of PPCM and to minimize the undesirable "remodeling" that occurs with the left ventricle, changing to a more rounded and less efficient shape from its previous oblong sperical shape. If either of those two processes is ongoing it is important not to stop medications too soon, and particularly the beta-blocker, among which carvedilol (Coreg) is particularly helpful. Other than that a controlled exercise program is important for conditioning.

James