moms illness

Posted by tina on May 01, 1999 at 01:00:08
I really need to if there's anything more I can do to help my mom. My mom is 67 yrs old and has been a smoker all her life. She has been diagnosed with severe emphyazema. for the past few years she was using inhalers whenever she had trouble breathing.Just this past year it has gotten so bad that she has to use a nebuliser. Last week her feet and ankles started swelling up really bad and the dr. said that she is not getting enough blood flow through her body and he said she has 6 months if that to live. her mind is very bad also. And she still smokes. I know if she quit right now that that wouldn't save her but i need to know if i should of taken her to another dr. he put her on furosemide to help the swelling but it's not. Over the yrs she's been taking synthroid for her thyroid problem adalat for her blood pressure and something called trazodone, i believe that is to help her sleep. My dad takes care of all her meds. Do u think maybe she shouldn't have been on all these meds?
I just need to know if we should of done something different or if there is anything I can do to help her now. Having a very difficult time trying to accept my  moms fate. I appreciate any advice you can give me on this matter.

Posted by CCF CARDIO MD-APS on May 05, 1999 at 10:59:49
Dear Tina,
Emphysema is a permanent disease and even worse when the patient continues to smoke, however it sounds like some of your mother's symptoms are coming from what is called cor pulmonale or better said, right heart failure that results from severe lung disease.  It certainly wouldn't hurt and it might help (if not with longer life then better quality of life) to seek a second opinion at a heart failure center at a university hospital or academic clinic like the Cleveland or Mayo Clinics.  These centers are usually called heart failure/transplant centers and they have vast experience with treating patients such as your mother.  The medication she is on are fairly appropriate, however I could not comment further.
I hope you find this information useful. Information provided in the heart forum is for general
purposes only. Only your physician can provide specific diagnoses and therapies. Please feel free to
write back with additional questions. Good luck.
If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call
1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at
www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that
can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.