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Hi everyone 
I'm soooo excited I found this website, YAY I'd like to introduce myself.... My name is Kathy and I'm from Boston, Mass. I was diagnosed with servere HCM when I was just 10 days old. I am now almost 20 years of age and I am confident with the young woman I have become. I know people can live a normal happy and most importantly heathy life with HCM. So this is my story which might take a while considering I got most talkative in high school! lol When I was born I went through many tests and like I said at just 10 days old I was diagnosed with HCM.... I was put on meds ever since that day. During my childood I participated in many sports and dance classes..... but when I turned 12 my doctors told my mother that we had to choose from three options. These three options were heart transplant, pacemaker, or lastly to cut away at the muscle. We decided that the pacemaker would suit me best. So there I went at 12 years old I had my first device implanted... which was a exciting experience because I woke up in the middle of surgery Then after surgery I was sent home only to find out that my x-ray had showed one of the leads had popped out of place. So there I went again to the hospital to get that popped back in. After that little complication I was fine but I was extremly limited from physical activities. No more gym in school, no more softball, no more dance classes, no more etc.. etc... you get the point. But even though that sounds awful it wasn't because even at that age I knew that it didn't change or define me. Plus It made me feel special and I always had a great story to tell. ( the great story being about how I awoke during surgery and could see blood everywhere ) lol I felt really good, actually I felt better than I ever had after the surgery. But, six years later I was 18 and I was having trouble breathing, numerous palps, and a lot of cheast pain and lightheadedness. When I went for my yearly visit my doctor informed me that the battery in the pacemaker had died and I needed a new one. I couldn't believe it, but I had confidence in my doctor. After a long discussion we deceided that I needed an ICD with a pacemaker in it rather than just a pacemaker. So there I go again at age 18 back in surgery... which went quite well. I was only in the hospital for 2 days. Now I'm approching 20 years old and I've lived for 2 decades with HCM.... but I feel great, I'm a full time student in college and I work part time as well. I plan on living a long happy sucessful life. 
If you read this I just want to thank you and I hope you got something positive from it. [/b]
I'm soooo excited I found this website, YAY
I'd like to introduce myself.... My name is Kathy and I'm from Boston, Mass. I was diagnosed with servere HCM when I was just 10 days old. I am now almost 20 years of age and I am confident with the young woman I have become. I know people can live a normal happy and most importantly heathy life with HCM. So this is my story which might take a while considering I got most talkative in high school! lol When I was born I went through many tests and like I said at just 10 days old I was diagnosed with HCM.... I was put on meds ever since that day. During my childood I participated in many sports and dance classes..... but when I turned 12 my doctors told my mother that we had to choose from three options. These three options were heart transplant, pacemaker, or lastly to cut away at the muscle. We decided that the pacemaker would suit me best. So there I went at 12 years old I had my first device implanted... which was a exciting experience because I woke up in the middle of surgery Then after surgery I was sent home only to find out that my x-ray had showed one of the leads had popped out of place. So there I went again to the hospital to get that popped back in. After that little complication I was fine but I was extremly limited from physical activities. No more gym in school, no more softball, no more dance classes, no more etc.. etc... you get the point. But even though that sounds awful it wasn't because even at that age I knew that it didn't change or define me. Plus It made me feel special and I always had a great story to tell. ( the great story being about how I awoke during surgery and could see blood everywhere ) lol I felt really good, actually I felt better than I ever had after the surgery. But, six years later I was 18 and I was having trouble breathing, numerous palps, and a lot of cheast pain and lightheadedness. When I went for my yearly visit my doctor informed me that the battery in the pacemaker had died and I needed a new one. I couldn't believe it, but I had confidence in my doctor. After a long discussion we deceided that I needed an ICD with a pacemaker in it rather than just a pacemaker. So there I go again at age 18 back in surgery... which went quite well. I was only in the hospital for 2 days. Now I'm approching 20 years old and I've lived for 2 decades with HCM.... but I feel great, I'm a full time student in college and I work part time as well. I plan on living a long happy sucessful life. If you read this I just want to thank you and I hope you got something positive from it. [/b]
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