New to this

[Farmerdancow]

Hey everybody, I am 19, almost 20. I am from West Michigan and I attend Michigan State University. On March 2nd, the last day of classes before spring break, I was riding my bike to Trig and apparently my heart went into an arrythmeia and I passed out. Some older woman stopped to check on me, while other students passed on by!!! She called 911 and the ambulance came in 2 or 3 minutes and shocked me to start my heart again. I sat in the hospital unconciouss for a little more than a day and the doctors told my parents that I could have some severe memory damage. That next Friday I received an ICD and went home the next day. It is very wierd and almost surreal to think that I am still here, I mean, I was dead for a few minutes...but I know that God kept me here for a reason. I spent the next week at home while classes resumed and went back the following. It was very hard to be there and work and focus, but I finished the semester while my memory slowly but surely came back. I was very surprised to get a 3.14 GPA for the semester after all I had been through!! Now, I come from a small family farm and I work a lot...and so far this week I have been working, and it has been normal, so I am glad for that. The only problem is that I get tired very quickly because of my medication. But I am so happy to be here and watch the cattle and the wildlife in the field behind the house and be able to work!!!

[purple_ness1]

Heya

welcome this place is pretty good , sorry to here about ur bad way of finding out that you have HCM glade ur albetter now

im 19 too so if u even wona talk give me a bell

take care
*margi*

[Pam Alexson]

Welcome to the HCMA website family.. I would say you are one very lucky person and I am so happy that you survived this near catestrophic event. I am sure your family and friends feel the same.

Pam

[Linda]

Dan - Welcome to you and your family - Linda

[Dewayne]

Howdy Dan! Welcome.

[shirleymahoney]

Dan

What an experience you have had and you are one of the lucky ones to have come back I'm glad you have a ICD now, I have one and it has become my best friend I think of it as my Little ER in my chest, glad you are still with us

Shirley

[rgong]

Dan,

Welcome! I'm a Michigan native (Michigander), other side of the state from you... but now live in NJ. Also went to the other, ahem, school down the road, U of Mich. Speaking of U of Mich, there is a pretty good HCM clinic there if you haven't already found out about it, and the HCMA has designated it one of its "centers of excellence" (http://www.4hcm.org/WCMS/index.php?id=48,65,0,0,1,0). The actual link to the U of M clinic is http://www2.med.umich.edu/departments/cvc/services/serviceprofile.cfm?service_id=1098&group_id=HCC&recnum=1, should you feel the need to see someone who really specializes in HCM. Right now, you've already taken care of the most urgent piece of business with the ICD, but I don't know if you have any other symptoms. I was almost twice as old as you when I first started to notice symptoms, so the other stuff us older folks complain about around here may take some time before you notice it. Or not.

You have an amazing story, and I know God has you around for a reason. Glad you found us.

Take care and God bless,
Rich G