It seems that every summer I am doomed to a new waltz of woes (the last two summers have been breast cancer). Approximately 6 weeks ago I was diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure. It's really a most bothersome condition, but I hope to "carry on" by eating right, taking meds, etc.

Meanwhile, it's quite possible I'm loosing my mind. On any given morning, I can wake up 5-8lbs heavier than the day before!?! Anyone been down this path before? How do you handle the sudden onslaught of CHF overload which causes legs to look like tree trunks?

Karen Sue
...I almost feel like signing off "Alice"...as I am most lost in Wonderland!?!

Scarlett54,

It must be horribly frustrating to want to lose weight and find water pushing that needle on your scales to the wrong numbers.

Let me suggest a couple of things that might help. I am assuming the doc told you to lay off salt and salty foods. Salt and water are great buddies. If you eat salt, your body will hold onto more water because where salt goes, there goes water. In people without CHF they need to drink lots of water to drown the salt and pee out salt and water. But with CHF you may not be able to handle the overload.

But you might be able to lie down during the day for a half an hour or more and put your feet high on a few pillows. Or if you can tolerate it, lie on the floor and put your legs on a chair or sofa. This will make that water that is in your feet run downhill to your body. There your kidneys can get rid of it. Have you noticed that when you go to bed at night you have to get up a few times to go to the bathroom? That is because the water in your feet and legs, since you have them up on the bed, pass that water into your body and your kidneys work just fine. So, your legs are like a water storage container during the day, and a sprinkler system at night.

So, eating salt substitutes (yeah, they taste horrible but... if you need to you can get used to them... use the half potassium/half salt one first until you get used to it then add more potassium until you can use the pure potassium salt substitute alone) and stay away from olives, pretzels, potato chips, and all those highly salted foods. Watch the cans too - they use salt to preserve foods, so most canned foods are high in sodium and salt.

CHF is a way your body has of saying "I am getting older, now be more careful with me!" Your heart muscle is weaker and can't push that liquid (blood is red blood cells, white blood cells, and lots of nutrients mixed in a liquid which the heart sends all around the body) around as well as it used to. So, to keep it from having to work hard and get tired (I bet you feel it when your heart is tired - short of breath because you can't get the oxygen to all the body like you used to), it is best to keep the amount of water in your body lower. You do that by eating less salt so your body does not keep as much water. You also need to rest during the day just to give your heart some rest too.

Good luck. If you have any questions, let me know. I used to work with CHF patients in a hospital all the time. It is quite an adjustment, but the more you know about it the better you can take care of yourself and your heart.