Hi, I am wondering if there is a possibility if my mother-in-law has CHF, I am a nurse and everything seems to fit.  She is constantly out of breath, tired all the time, cant walk more than 3 feet,coughing up clear phlegm 24hrs a day, ankle edema, 4 years ago she had heart surgery - valve and 2 arteries, diabetic, overweight.  Everytime I check her lungs I hear crackles in the right side, but the dr. says it is clear.
Dear friend... I have gone through your question. The symptoms you have mentioned in the questions point towards a congestive cardiac failure. The symptoms of cough and breathlessness will be more when the patient is in lying down position. The sputum she coughs out will be frothy and pink. You have to get an ECHO cardiogram done to assess the ejection fraction. A cardiology consultation should be done immediately and appropriate Chat Doctor. The fluid intake should be restricted, and urine output should be monitored. She requires emergency cardiology consultation because if her cardiac failure decompensates, she can develop an acute life-threatening pulmonary edema. Hope my share of knowledge has helped you. Thank you.