My girlfriend has heart failure. (infections, blood, doctor, diet)

[raiders925]

My gf who is 20 years old was recently diagnosed with heart failure. Its really tragic because she has had multiple heart attacks already, and pretty much all she has is me. She has been in and out of the hospital, shes in the hospital right now and the doctors keep running tests. I was told this morning that she died for 7 minutes but came back to life, and that it was a miracle. She flatlined multiple times, and one time it cause her to lose all her memory for the past couple of years and i had to catch her up on everything. Her family still doesnt know about it because she doesnt want them to know and doesnt want them to worry about her, i dont know if i should tell her mom, but i feel out of place and probably should leave that up to her, right? She lives alone and her parents live across the country, thats why they dont know. How is this possible at such a young age? She doesnt smoke or drink, she completly changed her diet once she found out and cut out all meats like the doctor suggested. and now theyre thinking of a heart transplant?

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

Bad genes. Continue to urge her to call her parents. They should not find out she died without knowing she was ill.

[Aredhel]

Originally Posted by raiders925

How is this possible at such a young age? She doesnt smoke or drink, she completly changed her diet once she found out and cut out all meats like the doctor suggested. and now theyre thinking of a heart transplant?

Some viral infections can cause heart failure in younger people. The body produces antibodies to attack the virus, but they can in some cases attack the heart muscle as well.

Severe hypercholesterolemia (which is genetic) can also lead to early heart disease.

A condition called sub aortic stenosis, which restricts the flow of blood out of the heart, can also develop in young people and lead to heart failure.

A healthy lifestyle is just an attempt to weight the odds in your favor. It doesn't always work, unfortunately.

[nmnita]

My heart goes out to her and to you. She does need to let her family know. This is sad, but no one ever guarantees us a certain number of years or a certain health. I guess, it is just hard to understand why these things have to happen to people so very young. It doesn't seem that changing her diet would make a lot of difference at this stage, but a heart transplant certainly would.

No, you can not be the on to tell her family. This has to be her decision but they should be informed. It isn't fair to them regardless of her reasoning.