Huge variability, sometimes weeks/months, sometimes years/decades, good medical management and other existing conditions can play a role. Suggest discuss with her cardiologist.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9247527

Cardiologists report practices more in conformity with published guidelines for CHF than do internists and FP/GPs. Because of the large numbers of patients with CHF and their substantial mortality, morbidity and cost of care, these differences may have a major impact on outcomes and health care costs.

Thanks for your reply and link. She just had an appt. with her cardiologist in February. He was concerned about the development of a heart murmur and had a follow up echocardiogram, which was fine. The problem is that her heart muscle doesn't relax enough between beats.

I'm really hoping that getting back into her regular routine and cutting down on sodium will help. She's very stubborn about dietary stuff...she keeps her weight in check, but she's not a fan of low sodium or low fat meals.

Glad to hear see is seeing a cardiologist, the study is consistent with my experience - they are more likely to follow evidence based management guidelines (like the use of ACE inhibitors), than non-cardiologists. Sounds like she has diastolic dysfunction heart failure.

Dietary restrictions can be difficult. It is either sodium or fat that gives many foods their flavor. You may want to ask for a consultation with a dietician (it is usually covered by insurance) to help with meal planning & dietary suggestions. I have found sometimes pts were surprised by what they could eat.

My husband just turned 65 and was diagnosed with CHF over 9 years ago. Like most medical conditions, I think each individual case differs. We took a class through our HMO about living with CHF, but I found better information about cooking & eating at a couple really great low sodium websites.

Does your mom still cook for herself? If so, I'd suggest going through her pantry & fridge and trying to find lower sodium alternatives either at grocery stores or online. Things have changed quite a bit since my husband was diagnosed. There are so many food options available now, even in my local grocery stores. Makes following a low sodium diet so much easier.

My folks had CF for at least 20 yrs but they regulated their sodium intake & that kept their BP down along with a drug dr. prescribed. They loved pancakes which was big problem so I found that HAIN baking powder has no sodium (also gluten free) so that helped reduce sodium in recipes, works well in cookies& cakes too. No sodium on the table & leave it out of most recipes. They limited their intake to 1500 mg a day most of the time. Watch breads which are sometimes very salt filled but their are breads that are 100 mg a slice that taste good. Pizza can have a whole days sodium packed in it. Average person gets at least 3000mg a day & that is way too much. Potassium being low can do you in too. DR & even hospital forgot to check that a few times & I had to insist. Nose bleeds are sure sign of that especially if blood is really coming out, like in a pan. Dad's was so bad they sent the pharmacist to our house with potassium. Best to get smart about your disease or have family member up on it so you can keep tabs on what is going on.

Daily weights, same time & same level of dress, written on a calendar can really help identify the need for an adjustment in diet or medications (and prevent a trip to the ER in an ambulance). :-)

http://www.baylorhearthospital.com/Living-with-Heart-Failure.html

BTW - probably just a typo but Heart Failure is usually abbreviated HF or CHF ("CF" is abbreviation for cystic fibrosis).

Thank you so much for all of your replies, they are greatly appreciated. : )

Mom had double bypass surgery four years ago, and after, stayed in a really nice nursing facility in her recovery. At dinner, she would sneak over and take the salt shaker from the men's dining table! She can be a stinker.

I took her to cardiac rehab, which I guess is probably pretty standard for heart peeps. Her appetite plummeted after her bypass surgery and she lost a lot of weight that she could not afford to lose. We signed up for a nutrition class, and the counselor taught her all the foods she could replace for lower fat ones...for example "buttery spread" instead of butter- basically butter with olive oil, and I thought it was good. "Mini-mini" salt, heart healthy nuts, etc. I will see if mom still has the lists of foods. She was so thin at the time, the counselor sort of gave her free license to just eat whatever to get her weight back up.

I hate to become a warden of sorts, but adhering to a diet will help her to feel better in the long run.

She is weighing herself every day, now. She is not on diuretics now, just while she was in the hospital. I purchased a b.p. machine yesterday, so we can keep track of that as well. She has a finger pulse/oximeter, which was VERY helpful in my getting her buns into the E.R. She didn't want to go, but bowed to my wishes, lol.

Thanks again...

Sorry it is CHF. Dad never gained or lost weight & no diuretics,but even with no swelling of legs or feet his BP could get over 200 on top 100 on bottom, from wrong food. Dad usually knew too salty food & wouldn't eat it but sugar in dish would sometimes throw him off as it cuts back on salt taste. Mom weighed daily, legs swelled & sometimes fluid collected in lungs so trip to hospital & 3-5 day stay as diuretics she took sometimes didn't work. She had heart valve problems. It was a balancing act keeping them healthy as I could. Well meaning friends & relatives sometimes brought the food that screwed them up. Mom would sometimes get someone to buy her what she wanted, like caretaker bringing her breakfast sandwich before I got there. I understand junebug's problems, they want what they want! Good Luck!

Yes, sunnyca...it's a battle, isn't it? To mom, food tastes blah without salt, or with low salt. I thought the mini mini salt was good, it was half salt, half something else...but, she would probably just double the amount she uses.

Like your dad, she didn't appear to be retaining water elsewhere...she has teeny little ankles and I didn't find any edema when I checked them.

I had to use a cloth tape measure & go to thickest part of calf & check to see how much fluid she had collected. If over 1 1/2 in. gain I think I had to give her little more diuretic. Potassium ( stuff used in place of salt- Mrs. Dash -can be dangerous as easy to get too much) Body has to have a balance of sodium, calcium, magnesium & potassium- that's what keeps the cells of body working properly. I keep the charts on my fridge just like I did at mom's she was much more prone to imbalances than dad was. Better to try to keep your mom away from French fries, popcorn & things that seem like they have to have salt to be palatable. I air popped corn & used a little "I can't believe it's not butter" it makes it a little soggy but at least it had a buttery taste tho I think I finally found a bagged popcorn(like in the potato chip aisle) that was either no sodium or low sodium. Friend has AF & normal BP ,was hospitalized several times & told dr. she wished she could do something to avoid all those trips to hospital, he said have some salted nuts on hand & take some. It works for her. She also has to try to do something pleasant & be careful for awhile but so far it's working for several months. Mom liked fresh fruit so I bought blueberries, raspberries, strawberries & she had a mix of them along with oatmeal or fruit & 1 piece of toast(low sodium raisin bread was a favorite) or 1 small sodium reduced pancake with 1 slice no nitrate low sodium bacon (Whole Foods brand) or 1 egg on 1 slice buttered toast. Dad would sometimes have a low sodium cold breakfast food as he didn't want oatmeal as often as mom. But you can see that that was a pretty good breakfast finished off with 4 oz calcium OJ & about 1/2 cup coffee. Mom always had a salad & small amount of something at night. Drove me crazy, no lettuce, mushrooms, tomatoes, red & green bell pepper, avocado, zucchini slices, cucumber slices & all fresh & most from my garden with Ken's honey mustard as tasted good & lower sodium than most. Dad liked mix of little mayo with no sodium Ketchup with little low fat milk,(French dressing is pretty much what it tastes like) Make up 8 oz margarine tub of this & keep if fridge with date on top. I made up casseroles that could be reheated easily ,soups & chili(chicken or beef) with Whole foods kidney beans, garbanzos, & pinto beans-all come with no sodium added & some brands of tomatoes come almost no sodium,35 mg or less per serving so you can find things but it took me a lot of time searching these things out. Kraft's can have a delicious Ranch dressing at hospital in packets for patients salads but do you think they could have it at grocery stores, no all their stuff is very high sodium. I want little over 100 not over 150 mg sodium as too easy to get several tbls on salad. Krogers has a nice honey mustard 20 mg sodium to spread on a sandwich & great with cooked chicken breast for a nice sandwich. Lot of things you can fix. Suppose I should write a cookbook. Too many other things but hope you get the idea. I cook up 2-3 lbs chicken breast(hate knives & cutting up chicken) so I pay for skinless boneless chicken breast, cut them in 2 so thinner, melt 1 cube real butter, 2 qts water, onion sliced or onion powder, cut up carrots, celery & little black pepper & cook until 1/2 done & throw in some parsley, (some other salt free seasoning if you like) finish cooking & remove chicken, figure out what yu need for a sandwich or 2 & put in sandwich bag & slip these into marked ziplock bag date, mark chicken for sandwiches) & freeze save out some of chicken to make delicious chicken soup. Buy a bag of mixed veggies from freezer section & dump into the remaining stock, I like about another lb of carrots & celery & sometime add, barley(not too much)pasta, potatoes, can of low sodium diced tomatoes, Zucchini or whatever. simmer until done. Put in 1 cup containers or larger. I loved the round margarine tubs & could just heat in microwave with lib ajar for about 3 1/2 minutes. Could put in pan but don't know that that is safe for your mom, & cook until heated through. So some "food for thought" Hope it gives you ideas!

sunny, thanks so much for all of the helpful information. I really appreciate it. : )