I am a 21 year old who suffers from dilated cardiomyopathy. Currently I have a pacemaker/icd. But I have absolutely no energy. I want to go on hikes, bikerides, skiing, etc. Is a heart transplant something I should suggest to my doctor? He has mentioned it before, but I've never really been keen on the idea until I realized how lazy I've become.
2007-09-16 04:42:14 · 4 answers · asked by Jordan P 1 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Heart Diseases
yup. On the news, this one guy (I forget how old he was, but he was kinda old) got a heart transplant from a murdered teenager, and he had amazing energy.
2007-09-16 04:54:35 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Well, you're gonna have to make that call. The heart muscle disease you have now will not get better. Your heart has to be able to squeeze hard enough to push blood all the way to the big toe and all the way to the brain, and the cardiomyopathy you have going on is going to make the heart increasingly weak over time.
On the other hand, transplant surgery is extremely risky. The aftermath from the surgery is a painful and slow recovery process, and it takes dedicated work and strength on your part.
If you can envision the lifestyle you want, and are willing to work for it, then yes, a transplant makes sense. Make sure you know all of the risks before signing the dotted line, though.
Good luck.
2007-09-16 11:51:16 · answer #2 · answered by Stuart 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You need to speak to your heart doc. I don't think that you are a candidate for a transplant. When was the last time that you had your pacemaker/icd checked ??? Best advice, contact your Doc. I hope that this helped some.
2007-09-19 10:53:09 · answer #3 · answered by Ruth 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There was an article on a female transplant patient who climbed Mount Everest.
Other end of the stick. It takes a while to get and you MUST keep up with your medications etc.
PS - Your not lazy - your ill.
2007-09-17 02:17:55 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋