HCM was a late bloomer

[Vince Lo]

I was in sports from 5 years old till I was 17 years old. I played baseball, football, basketball, I ran track, I boxed ane played tennis and was on the verge of becoming pro at a few of those. So I gotta tell ya, I feel very lucky to be on gods green earth. My Doctor says I'm very lucky also. I was diagnosed in Dec. 2010 with HCM at the age of 50. I came from a very broken family, so I didn't know I carried this gene. My mother was an alcoholic when me, and my twin were born, he died 3 months after birth, and to this day I wonder what caused his death. I was place in foster homes, so I have no family background. So I always wonder why I was able to do so much, way back then, and not have any medical issues. Can somebody shed some light? Thank You, Vince

[Frosty]

Re: HCM was a late bloomer

There are many people that go for years with asymptomatic HCM or symptoms that are so mild they are overlooked by both patient and doctors. The fact that it was diagnosed when you were 50 probably just means that things changed and they were able to pick it up.

Now that you know you have it make sure you are getting the proper care and treatment and if you have children make sure they are tested.

Best of luck to you.

[gfox42]

Re: HCM was a late bloomer

Hi Vince,
Welcome! I think Frosty is right. There's no simple or general explanation for why symptoms appear at one age as opposed to another. I wasn't diagnosed until I was 47, but once I thought about it, I realized that I'd had symptoms going back at least to when I was 20 -- nobody had ever put 2 and 2 together, though.

In any case, now you know, and it's great that you found us.

Gordon

[Reenie]

Re: HCM was a late bloomer

It's also possible that HCM didn't manifest itself until you were older. Some people have clinical HCM very early on and others don't manifest the disease until much later.

[mark720]

Re: HCM was a late bloomer

no clue i was very active all my life in sports and anything a boy growing up did until i hit 40 boom hocm got me all i was told at a early age was oh nothing to worry about just a heart murmur now after asa , pacemaker, lead wire extraction and a icd iam still around going on 55 thank god for dr. lever and the cleveland clinic!!

[peggylou]

Re: HCM was a late bloomer

I had a heart recognized in the 80's. In 2005, near fainting, 2010 (66yr) obstruction finally recognized. If you were a late bloomer I was a late, late, late bloomer. Alcohol ablation feburary.

[kirbyj]

Re: HCM was a late bloomer

Vince I had the same experience of being diagnosed with HCM in my fifties. I had a serious case of asthma when I was very young but I outgrew that when I was twelve. After that I ran around like all the other kids. I had great stamina and I participated in track and cross country running. I do remember however that when running the mile in a four mie team relay I hit a wall and couldn't run any faster even though I should have been able to. Normally I really didn't push too much, I just loved to run. Some coaches got on my case for not going all out but I just didn't feel up to it. Who knows, aybe early symptoms of HCM.

Obviously things got worse as I aged, but I am glad I had all that time with no symptoms. Still in my sixties I needed a myectomy. I feel much better now and after the initial depression period of adjusting to HCM I now have a very good life. I am so grateful that I have HCM and not some other disease such as incurable cancer.

[Julie E]

Re: HCM was a late bloomer

I was a Jazzercise instructor teaching sometime 12 fitness classes a week..had no clue of my thickening septum until my brother passed at 37. I did have some flutters in my early 20's, which they told me was mitral valve prolapse. After my brother died I was told to have an echo..I walked in an aerobics instructor confident and happy and walked out in tears being told no more teaching.

[LindaSo]

Re: HCM was a late bloomer

There are many of us late bloomers around.

[Jaime1981]

Re: HCM was a late bloomer

I have had 3 cardiac cath, about 9 echos and 4 TEE starting at age one, well pretty much since birth. For the first 29 years all I had was a murmur and like you played all sports and did everything my peers did. At 29 I was diagnosed wrong with Bicuspid Aortic Valve disorder with severe regurgitation. Then this Febuary after an abnormal echo (way off since last TEE 5 months prior) they had a specialist do the echo and sure enough it was real bad HOCM and to surgery I went less than 3 weeks later. Turns out I have a normal valve with minor damage and mild regurgitation so they left it alone. Good luck and be happy it was caught.