Good morning everyone. Today I was reminded again of the unique properties of this crazy disease we share.
As I try to do at least 5 mornings a week, I was up by 5:30 for a brisk walk of 1.5 miles. This is my only real form of regular exercise except for cutting the grass with a walk behind mower. I would count golf, but with the hills here in PA I ride a cart, so golf is not “real” exercise for me.
Anyway. Most mornings I feel “light” to “medium” when I go walking. That means that it does not feel like a lot of work to get going and to walk. I am breathing heavily, but not breathless in the HCM way we all “know and love.”
Then there are those mornings when I quit after 10 minutes. I feel “heavy”, my heart hurts and I get winded almost from the get go.
This morning I was moving towards the heavy feeling. My legs felt like lead. It was work to get going. So I cut my normal routine and only walked for about 15 minutes. The crazy thing is there is no rhyme nor reason to why I feel heavy, or light, it just is. Monday evening when I cut the grass, I had some chest pain. Yesterday I got very lightheaded several times going up and down stairs at work. So I imagine whatever symptoms I am feeling these days are part of that HCM cycle that comes and goes. Next week, or tomorrow for that matter, I might not even notice my heart as I engage in whatever activities.
It is that up and down nature of HCM that most people cannot relate to, and I find frustrating. Thanks for listening.
Peace,
Leon
As I try to do at least 5 mornings a week, I was up by 5:30 for a brisk walk of 1.5 miles. This is my only real form of regular exercise except for cutting the grass with a walk behind mower. I would count golf, but with the hills here in PA I ride a cart, so golf is not “real” exercise for me.
Anyway. Most mornings I feel “light” to “medium” when I go walking. That means that it does not feel like a lot of work to get going and to walk. I am breathing heavily, but not breathless in the HCM way we all “know and love.”

This morning I was moving towards the heavy feeling. My legs felt like lead. It was work to get going. So I cut my normal routine and only walked for about 15 minutes. The crazy thing is there is no rhyme nor reason to why I feel heavy, or light, it just is. Monday evening when I cut the grass, I had some chest pain. Yesterday I got very lightheaded several times going up and down stairs at work. So I imagine whatever symptoms I am feeling these days are part of that HCM cycle that comes and goes. Next week, or tomorrow for that matter, I might not even notice my heart as I engage in whatever activities.
It is that up and down nature of HCM that most people cannot relate to, and I find frustrating. Thanks for listening.
Peace,
Leon
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