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HCM-ers: Introduce yourself or just say hi
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) | Last Active: 15 hours ago | Replies (764)Comment receiving replies
Well, just like I didn't see HOCM or Open Heart Surgery in my future, and just when I believed I had accepted the plan...COVID-19 mass hysteria manifested. Didn't see that one coming. So yesterday, literally, 8 hours before our trip to Sacramento International, we made a decision to cancel. I felt deflated like a balloon. After the US Surgeon General, Dr. Adams, was urging hospitals to cancel all non-emergent cases, and then met with the leaders in AHA and President Trump urged state Governors to urge hospitals to cancel cases, I wondered if mine would be cancelled. It was to be this Friday, March 20th. Then all the shut downs started in our State. And the talk of the chance of domestic travel restrictions from certain areas. Probably California, although we are in Northern California and not like the rest of the state. I communicated with Mayo Clinic Cardiovascular Dept. yesterday and they completely understood, so we are scheduling another surgery in the next 8 weeks or so after this virus loses power. I can't describe how stressful it's been, but I am not in control. God is. Trusting is my job. He has the rest. Thank you for all the great support, thought I'd give an update. I also have a little "cold" right now so really all the signs were there, and cancelling, though a difficult decision, seems like the right thing to do. Probably a bad idea to have open heart surgery and be traveling during a global pandemic, which looks to peak when I would be coming home, during massive shutdowns, travel advisories, and public hysteria. Looks like I get to stay on the rollercoaster longer!
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Hello @karukgirl,
At a time when life isn’t normal in any sense of the word, I think your decision to postpone the surgery is commendable. I can imagine it’s a hard choice, but look at it this way: you’ve taken significant steps towards “flattening the curve."
By following current guidelines, you are allowing doctors and your health care team to prioritize and make the best use of medical resources for the more critically ill patients, and you are reducing the risk of coronavirus spread––patients who’ve had surgery are more susceptible to infections.
Still, knowing you have a condition that needs to be fixed and can be fixed, but not at the time it was scheduled to be fixed, can be incredibly stressful! Have the doctors explained whether postponing the procedure will or will not affect the ultimate outcome?