Kim shares her thoughts about the HCMA

Everything I have read and seen on your web site and received in your newsletters has been very helpful and informative. 

My mother has HCM and just underwent a myectomy in February of this year. Her case was different from the typical presentation noted on the web site section “what is HCM”. Most of the information listed on the site indicates patients presenting at very young to young adulthood. My mother had virtually no symptoms until the age of 70 when she slowly began to experience shortness of breath with exertion. The shortness of breath gradually increased to the point where she was unable to complete one flight of stairs without stopping to sit down to “catch her breath”. She was eventually hospitalized twice for outflow blockage residual heart failure. During the second admission, they found her gradient to be more than 100% so surgery was scheduled to improve her quality of life. 

Over the years, she had been misdiagnosed as is typical. We were very lucky to find her cardiologist who recognized her symptoms for what they were and started her on the appropriate treatment at age 72. Mom is 74 years old and recovering well from her myectomy. 

Just thought I would send this information so that perhaps the HCMA can research to find out if there is an entire group out there similar to this presentation. 

Kim M.

May 2007