By Merck, in partnership with Mended Hearts®
One night in 2013, Ray woke up his wife Wini after being unable to fall asleep. Wini was concerned and noticed swelling in Ray’s legs. She insisted they go to the hospital immediately. At the hospital Ray received shocking news: his doctor told him that he was currently in cardiac arrest.
Post-Diagnosis Emotions
Heart failure leads to approximately one million hospitalizations each year in the United States. Patients who have had a heart failure hospitalization have a high chance of their signs and symptoms getting worse and needing to go back for treatment. Ray remembers feeling scared in the hospital, not knowing the gravity of the situation or who to turn to. When his doctor told him he would need surgery on his heart, he went home and began to prepare Wini for the worst, showing her how to manage their family finances in the event that he did not wake up after the procedure.
Following the surgery, Ray’s doctor informed him that the damage to his heart could not be fixed, and he was diagnosed with heart failure. He remembers being in complete shock, as he believed himself to be relatively healthy and wondered what he had done wrong. “When I found out that I had heart failure, my mind immediately went to my wife and my kids. I don’t care if they’re 10 or 50, you’re still going to worry about them. I promised to do a lot of things and I wanted to make sure that Wini was taken care of,” said Ray.
The Importance of Caregiver Support
As a heart failure patient, Ray’s primary caregiver is now Wini, who makes sure to watch out for the warning signs of worsening heart failure and pushes Ray to attend regular doctors’ visits.
Since many people with heart failure often can’t handle all the physical tasks they once could, caregivers play a pivotal role in helping patients recover and keep up with important daily tasks. “It’s really helpful when caregivers get involved in meetings with the doctor,” Ray advised. “Bring a notebook and take good notes about what the doctors have to say, and then help your loved one stick to the doctor’s prescribed plan.” When caregivers work with patients to follow their prescribed treatment plan, they have the potential to help patients manage their symptoms and make daily tasks easier.
Pushing Forward After Diagnosis
As a volunteer for Mended Hearts®, Ray gets the opportunity to give back to the heart failure community by visiting people in the hospital who are newly diagnosed with heart failure. He also spends time visiting senior centers and retirement centers to show them a hopeful path forward after diagnosis.
“I try to reassure patients and their families and share my story to provide living proof that they can get through it,” said Ray. “Talking to others living with heart failure helped me when I was in the hospital, and now I’m trying to pay it forward by being that person for someone else.”
Finding Support and Resources
At the Heart of the Matter – Moving forward after your heart failure hospitalization is a program that supports people with heart failure and their loved ones by offering educational information. It was created to help people living with heart failure to better understand their condition and play a more proactive role in their care. The program is sponsored by Merck in collaboration with Mended Hearts®.
Visit AtTheHeartOfTheMatter.com to learn more.
