Hello, I'm a newbie, spoke with Lisa by phone today. What a great person! Briefly, I'm 41 y/o female dx with HCM in mid 20's. Been on atenolol for roughly 15 years and pretty stable. Had 2 pregnancies recently and did well. My father had HCM and had sudden death at age 60 in 1997. I had a cousin with sudden death age 29, in 1990 no diagnosis of HCM, but probable.
Now, I'm very symptomatic and recent echo showed gradient of 159 and septal thickness of 1.5. I know I need a septal reduction and my cardiologist is referring me to Cleveland, Houston and possibly somewhere else. I am leaning towards a myectomy due to my age and want to discuss an ICD, too. I'm waiting to talk more with the specialists but this site and Lisa have helped educate me.
There is a lot for me to process right now but I'm trying to understand how my gradient is so high when my thickness doesn't seem to be as bad as some I've read here. I've seen greater thickness with lower gradient. Is it simply answered that things are variable from patient to patient? What is considered a normal thickness? Anyway, I'm just trying to further educate myself and understand more about obstruction. I've always been non-obstructive until recently so I don't understand everything.
I appreciate any thoughts. I'm feeling pretty lousy right now, especially when chasing a toddler and preschooler!
Thanks, Laura
Now, I'm very symptomatic and recent echo showed gradient of 159 and septal thickness of 1.5. I know I need a septal reduction and my cardiologist is referring me to Cleveland, Houston and possibly somewhere else. I am leaning towards a myectomy due to my age and want to discuss an ICD, too. I'm waiting to talk more with the specialists but this site and Lisa have helped educate me.
There is a lot for me to process right now but I'm trying to understand how my gradient is so high when my thickness doesn't seem to be as bad as some I've read here. I've seen greater thickness with lower gradient. Is it simply answered that things are variable from patient to patient? What is considered a normal thickness? Anyway, I'm just trying to further educate myself and understand more about obstruction. I've always been non-obstructive until recently so I don't understand everything.
I appreciate any thoughts. I'm feeling pretty lousy right now, especially when chasing a toddler and preschooler!
Thanks, Laura
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