Being diagnosed with heart failure must have been terrifying for the 90,000 people currently living with it in Ireland — as effects of the chronic, progressive condition, mean the heart muscle is unable to pump enough to meet the body’s need for blood and oxygen. It is a debilitating and life-limiting illness and while there have been improvements in treatment, the prognosis can still be bleak. But many people can and do recover and go on to live fulfilling lives.
intan McGrath can attest to this as he underwent a heart bypass (as a result of heart disease) in 1994, then suffered with heart failure for eight years, which resulted in very poor quality of life. He then had a heart transplant, followed by a year in hospital and is now finally looking forward to the future.
“I had a quadruple bypass in 1994 and was first diagnosed with heart failure in 2010,” the 65-year-old says. “Characteristics of heart failure is that the heart is not pumping at a sufficient rate, resulting in symptoms of extreme fatigue and inability to live a normal life.
“As the symptoms grew worse, I attended the cardiology unit in Blanchardstown Connolly Hospital and received my diagnosis. Given my personal history of heart disease, it wasn’t entirely unexpected, but it was still very difficult to take on, particularly given the limitations it placed on my life. Of all of my five siblings, I am the only one who developed this and it led me to miss eight years of my life.”
Fintan, who lives in Kildare with his wife Helen, says living with heart failure had a profound effect on every aspect of his life. “It had a really big impact on my day-to-day life,” says the father-of-four. “I had to take early retirement (from his role as a general manager) as it was very difficult to get through a full eight-hour working day.
“As the years went on, the symptoms got worse and eventually I was forced to spend most of my time sleeping and I was unable to do the things I enjoy such as walking the dog or even playing snooker. The only time I really got out of the house was to go to medical appointments.
“These involved a few major treatments, including the insertion of an ICD defibrillator device, which thankfully never activated. Then I was prescribed a new heart failure medication as it was hoped that it would alleviate my symptoms, but unfortunately it was unsuccessful. So, it was decided that the next step would be for me to go on the heart transplant list.”
Four months after being placed on the list for a heart transplant, Fintan received a call from the Mater Hospital for surgery. “My heart transplant happened in summer 2018, and while my memories from that day are very hazy, I do remember receiving the call and getting in the ambulance, but nothing really after that,” he says.
“One of the things the transplant team prepares for you is that you may not be a suitable candidate as the heart might not be viable, so the operation may not go ahead. I tried to keep a level head and not get my hopes up too much or worry about the procedure itself.
“But then the go-ahead was given, and it all started moving very quickly. As I was led down for the operation, my family tells me that there was a mix of anxiety about the operation and excitement about how it could change my life for the better — and of course, their thoughts were also with the donor family.”
After seven hours in theatre, the operation was a success, but Fintan would spend the next year in recovery. “Unfortunately there were a lot of complications after the surgery,” he says. “I spent the first three weeks in a coma and then was told I would never have kidney function again. I suffered from a disorder called compartment syndrome in my right leg. This is a condition where pressure builds up to a very dangerous level in the muscles, so an operation called a fasciotomy had to be performed to open that area.
“I also had high levels of infection, was under dialysis for kidney failure, received multiple blood transfusions and was treated with a drug called noradrenaline. I was in ICU for several weeks and don’t remember much about it. I was very weak as my muscles had atrophied greatly, was still recovering from the previous complications and was undergoing dialysis. I also had to learn how to move again and how to swallow, so recovery was very slow.” After ICU, he was transferred to the HDU (high dependency unit) for a month and was then moved to a cardiac ward, where he would remain for several months.
“To the surprise of my doctors, after being on dialysis for 15 weeks, my kidneys miraculously recovered, which my mother claims was a blessing from St Jude,” he says. “But as my kidneys recovered, my leg continued to cause issues and at one point there was a fear that it would have been amputated. Thankfully that didn’t happen but one of my strongest memories of this blurry time was how painful my leg was when the dressing was being changed.
“It wasn’t until November 2018 that I felt like I was on the mend and I also began undergoing rehab with the physios in the hospital. I was allowed home for Christmas Day, which was a wonderful taste of normality and freedom, but then I went back into hospital where I remained until June 2019.”
Having been in hospital for a year after his transplant, Fintan has clocked up over 400 days as an inpatient. This, on top of his condition and ensuing complications, was extremely difficult, but he maintained a positive attitude, which he says helped him through the worst of times.
“Unfortunately my recovery has been repeatedly interrupted by a number of infections and medical issues which have set me back and resulted in additional, brief stays in hospital,” he says. “I had only been discharged a couple of weeks when I had to be readmitted for surgery on my feet as poor blood flow and a loss of feeling in my foot resulted in the development of ulcers and ultimately the amputation of two of my toes. Then I remained in hospital for another three months due to a number of infections.
“When you are in hospital for such a long time, it is really important to keep a positive attitude. Every night I would tell myself that tomorrow would be a better day and that I would recover a little bit more. Also, the support of my family, who visited me every day, kept me going and I was given a tablet to use for video calls to my mother and siblings, many who live in the UK, which was brilliant.
“And although I spent a very challenging year in the Mater, the care was unbelievable. All of the doctors, nurses and other staff were amazing and so inspirational in the way they looked after me — both on the medical side of things and also with their friendly, caring attitude. They always took the time to chat with me and see how I was doing which helped me so much.”
Like the rest of the nation, he is currently residing at home during the current lockdown and the threat of catching Covid-19 is very daunting as his health could be severely impacted. But he is now looking forward to a time when the restrictions have lifted, and he can get back to living life to the full.
“In some respects, I am still recovering and not yet 100pc better as I continue to work on my physical rehab,” he says. “In recent months I received an orthotic support for my leg to increase my mobility and I have been walking as much as I can. And after a heart biopsy in September, the doctor was ecstatic at my progress. But as an immunocompromised person, Covid-19 has stopped me from doing some of the things I would like to do, such as travelling or getting back playing snooker at my local club.
“However, before the transplant, I was very pessimistic about my health and now, despite all the difficulties I’ve experienced over the last couple of years, I am very positive about the future. I have the energy to do things that I haven’t done in years, such as some gardening and have also taken up baking.
“I am taking things one day at a time and over the past few years, I focused on the things I could control, working hard on my rehab and my recovery and putting my trust in the doctors and nurses. This is what helped me to keep a positive outlook and I am now looking forward to the future.”
For more information you can check out materfoundation.ie; mater.ie; irishheart.ie and croi.ie