HCM-ers: Introduce yourself or just say hi

Welcome to the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) group on Mayo Clinic Connect - a place where you can connect with others, learn about living HCM, share experiences and exchange useful information.

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I'm Colleen, and I'm the moderator of this group, and Community Director of Connect. I look forwarding to welcoming you and introducing you to other members.

Why not start by introducing yourself here?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) Support Group.

@mollybo

I am trying to advocate for my mother-in-law who was diagnosed with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy several years ago. She recently had an echocardiogram because she was having pretty severe chest pain. Her first test came back with a gradient level of 160 (normal is 10) (I am not sure if this is how you explain these results correctly). They did another test a few days later and it came back at 60, still very high. She is very healthy and athletic, thin, eats clean, etc. Her cardiologist told her she has to have open heart surgery in the next two weeks at The Mayo Clinic. This was three weeks ago. My question is this- what is the protocol for surgery? Almost three weeks ago, when they caught this, her doctor told her that if she had gone on a trip she was scheduled to take today, she probably wouldn't have come back. However, they haven't done anything to monitor or move forward with next steps yet. She does not have a heart rate monitor or a defibrillator at home and has just been told not to leave her house or do anything that could cause her heart rate to rise. Everything that needs to happen has yet to happen. We know my father-in-law is not a good advocate because he is nervous and puts all of his trust in the medical system without questioning anything. To my husband and myself, this surgery should have happened or should be scheduled to happen now. With some pushing from us, she finally called them back instead of waiting for them to call her and they scheduled lab work for NEXT WEDNESDAY and a heart catheterization NEXT THURSDAY to be sent to Mayo. Then she said she is "hoping to have the surgery scheduled within two weeks." That is what she was told three weeks ago. What is she supposed to do in the meantime? What if something happens in the meantime and should that be a concern? Is this normal to wait this long and have such long gaps in care? She (my FIL) will not put our names on her records to share info so is there anything we can do from this position? We don't want to stress them out more but we also don't want them to be passive in her care. Thanks for any input.

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Goodness! Hardy stock! The one thing I remember so vividly of my time there was how nice EVERYONE was. Not just the hospital folk, but locals, cabbies, shop keepers, waitresses, etc. Just kind, interested, concerned, honest folk.

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@mollybo

I am trying to advocate for my mother-in-law who was diagnosed with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy several years ago. She recently had an echocardiogram because she was having pretty severe chest pain. Her first test came back with a gradient level of 160 (normal is 10) (I am not sure if this is how you explain these results correctly). They did another test a few days later and it came back at 60, still very high. She is very healthy and athletic, thin, eats clean, etc. Her cardiologist told her she has to have open heart surgery in the next two weeks at The Mayo Clinic. This was three weeks ago. My question is this- what is the protocol for surgery? Almost three weeks ago, when they caught this, her doctor told her that if she had gone on a trip she was scheduled to take today, she probably wouldn't have come back. However, they haven't done anything to monitor or move forward with next steps yet. She does not have a heart rate monitor or a defibrillator at home and has just been told not to leave her house or do anything that could cause her heart rate to rise. Everything that needs to happen has yet to happen. We know my father-in-law is not a good advocate because he is nervous and puts all of his trust in the medical system without questioning anything. To my husband and myself, this surgery should have happened or should be scheduled to happen now. With some pushing from us, she finally called them back instead of waiting for them to call her and they scheduled lab work for NEXT WEDNESDAY and a heart catheterization NEXT THURSDAY to be sent to Mayo. Then she said she is "hoping to have the surgery scheduled within two weeks." That is what she was told three weeks ago. What is she supposed to do in the meantime? What if something happens in the meantime and should that be a concern? Is this normal to wait this long and have such long gaps in care? She (my FIL) will not put our names on her records to share info so is there anything we can do from this position? We don't want to stress them out more but we also don't want them to be passive in her care. Thanks for any input.

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Hi @susan317,

Welcome to Connect. Although successful septal myectomy can have excellent outcomes for patients with HCM, some patients can have recurrent left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO) after septal myectomy and require reoperation. Here's an article written by Mayo Clinic experts that might interest you:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022522314005686?via%3Dihub

How are you coping after the second myectomy?

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@mollybo

I am trying to advocate for my mother-in-law who was diagnosed with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy several years ago. She recently had an echocardiogram because she was having pretty severe chest pain. Her first test came back with a gradient level of 160 (normal is 10) (I am not sure if this is how you explain these results correctly). They did another test a few days later and it came back at 60, still very high. She is very healthy and athletic, thin, eats clean, etc. Her cardiologist told her she has to have open heart surgery in the next two weeks at The Mayo Clinic. This was three weeks ago. My question is this- what is the protocol for surgery? Almost three weeks ago, when they caught this, her doctor told her that if she had gone on a trip she was scheduled to take today, she probably wouldn't have come back. However, they haven't done anything to monitor or move forward with next steps yet. She does not have a heart rate monitor or a defibrillator at home and has just been told not to leave her house or do anything that could cause her heart rate to rise. Everything that needs to happen has yet to happen. We know my father-in-law is not a good advocate because he is nervous and puts all of his trust in the medical system without questioning anything. To my husband and myself, this surgery should have happened or should be scheduled to happen now. With some pushing from us, she finally called them back instead of waiting for them to call her and they scheduled lab work for NEXT WEDNESDAY and a heart catheterization NEXT THURSDAY to be sent to Mayo. Then she said she is "hoping to have the surgery scheduled within two weeks." That is what she was told three weeks ago. What is she supposed to do in the meantime? What if something happens in the meantime and should that be a concern? Is this normal to wait this long and have such long gaps in care? She (my FIL) will not put our names on her records to share info so is there anything we can do from this position? We don't want to stress them out more but we also don't want them to be passive in her care. Thanks for any input.

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Thank you i read what i could understand☺ when I went to get my first Echo after my first surgery the guy that did my echo said he couldn't even tell a surgery was performed because I had no scarred tissue. After my surgery I still felt really sick I felt like I was still dying I told my Dr and my mom they told me that it was because I just had open heart surgery but the symptoms persisted so my cardiologist gave me an echo and determined the surgery was unsuccessful then we made arrangements for me to go to the Mayo Clinic to have it performed correctly. I know that the muscle couldn't have grown back in that short amount of time the surgery was not done correctly and I was just trying to figure out what  would have happened? Thank you for all your answers to your questions I appreciate them

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Hi. I am from jalpaiguri West Bengal India. I have hcm unobstructive detected in 2017.I am 45yrs old and totally shattered by the disease diagnosis

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@sankarpinaki

Hi. I am from jalpaiguri West Bengal India. I have hcm unobstructive detected in 2017.I am 45yrs old and totally shattered by the disease diagnosis

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While getting a diagnosis is never a good thing. In this case it is. HCM is not commonly known and often mis-diagnosed. Many go years thinking they had other issues when it was HCM. Knowing this, it allow you to take the proper steps to get care. First - Be very cautious of what you read on the web. A lot of sites really put a dire spin on it, when in fact, 80% of those who have it, don't know it as it really hasn't affected their lives.
For expert advice, you came to the Mayo Clinic site and there couldn't be a better place to get information. The US is a big place with many excellent medical facilities, but very few have the expertise, knowledge and research abilities to properly treat HCM. The Mayo Clinic is an excellent place to learn about your new condition.
I hope if anything, that this gives you hope that HCM is treatable, and most of us live long lives (with proper care). Go learn more, seek as many opinions as you can. This will help you understand the disease, its treatments, and how we learn to live with it.

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Thank you but I am an average Indian and I will never be able to get treated at Mayo clinic unless any charitable organization extends their hands but your suggestions shall enable me to live with the disease. Thank you once again.

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Hello, @sankarpinaki -- wanted to add my welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I believe perhaps the rest of your post may have been missing after "hi"? Interested to hear the rest of your message.

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@lisalucier

Hello, @sankarpinaki -- wanted to add my welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I believe perhaps the rest of your post may have been missing after "hi"? Interested to hear the rest of your message.

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Mam I am diagnosed with asymmetrical hcm on2017and I am 45yrs old. I am totally frightened because I feel a pain in my chest most of the time and even feel pain while speaking loud. I am a school teacher and find it difficult to do my job. I am on bisoprolol5mg,ecosprin10+7my doc advised me to take monotrate25mg to get rid of
pain but I didn't started it yet. Is it safe to take. I am. also taking sertaline 200mg twice and clonazepam.5 to overcome anxiety. My chest pain has made me. totally panicky. Can you please help me. I am from jalpaiguri West Bengal India a semiremote place and docs are not specialized in hcm rather they are more comfortable in treating CAD.

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@sankarpinaki -- You might also check out our Mental Health group, here: http://mayocl.in/2cUfR1j.

A couple specific threads you may want to look at and participate in are:

- http://mayocl.in/2HKZGAr (anxiety, panic and depression disorders)

- http://mayocl.in/2owy6y5 (anxiety, panic)

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