My 55-year-old dad was just diagnosed with severe heart failure and I’m overwhelmed
My dad is 55 and was hospitalized in February 2026 with pneumonia. During that hospitalization they found severe heart failure/cardiomyopathy. Still trying to process it.
He’s worked his entire life in the same factory in pretty rough working conditions to support our family. Blue collar guy, always pushed through everything, never really complained much. He smoked for years (quit 2 years ago) and was an alcoholic for a long time, though he drinks much less now.
We got the results from his second echo today and there hasn’t really been meaningful improvement aside from the swelling/edema finally going away after hospitalization and him losing about 16 pounds of fluid. His EF is still under 20%. The report mentions severe nonischemic cardiomyopathy, enlarged heart chambers, valve problems, and possible severe low-flow/low-gradient aortic stenosis. His cath showed nonobstructive coronary disease, so they don’t think blocked arteries are the main cause. They also ordered a cardiac MRI to rule out amyloidosis.
What’s been especially hard is watching him struggle with the medications and the mental side of all this. His blood pressure runs low and he’s been getting dizzy/lightheaded standing up or bending over. He ended up stopping Jardiance because the dizziness got too overwhelming. He still gets short of breath and fatigued really easily even though he’s doing cardiac rehab/cardio therapy.
I think I’m struggling with understanding what’s “normal” in heart failure treatment. Do a lot of people have trouble tolerating these medications? Do doctors usually keep adjusting things until they find something tolerable? Or do people just kind of have to suffer through side effects because the consequences of stopping are worse?
I’m trying really hard to empathize with him because I know this has probably shattered his sense of normal. I think for someone who spent his whole life working physically and supporting his family, suddenly becoming weak, dizzy, exhausted, and dependent on doctors/medications is mentally brutal. It’s strange watching someone who always worked through pain suddenly become physically fragile. I just feel sad and sometimes angry seeing him go through this.
Would really appreciate hearing from anyone who’s been through severe heart failure, very low EF, valve disease, or caring for a parent dealing with this. What helped emotionally? What questions should we be asking cardiology?
TL;DR: My 55-year-old dad was hospitalized with pneumonia in Feb 2026 and diagnosed with severe heart failure/cardiomyopathy (EF <20%). Second echo still shows severe dysfunction with possible severe aortic stenosis despite fluid improvement. He’s struggling with dizziness and medication side effects and I’m struggling with sadness and anger. Looking for support/advice from people who’ve been through similar situations. Thank you for your support ❤️