From the post: >>When James Hicks, 75, was diagnosed with heart failure, it felt like the beginning of the end. Mr. Hicks, a former railroad worker from Rogers, Ark., had quietly dealt with various health problems, from carpal tunnel syndrome in both arms to dual knee replacements. But now his heart was giving out, and the doctors chalked it up to the wear and tear of old age. “There’s just not exactly a surgery to fix this,” he said. Soon enough, Mr. Hicks couldn’t walk from his grandson’s high school basketball game to the car, without stopping several times to catch his breath. His feet and ankles would swell if he didn’t elevate them. He could feel his heart racing uncontrollably, unable to find a steady rhythm. Mr. Hicks’ doctors tried a half-dozen different medications, but nothing really helped.