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What I Learned From My Open Heart Surgery

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) | Last Active: Apr 19 10:47pm | Replies (49)
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@deanr

Hi Debra
Thank you for sharing so much! It is very helpful to hear the full spectrum of everyone’s story, knowing that everyone’s journey is different. At first I was really excited to think about my symptoms being alleviated and increase my quality of life but I am getting more nervous as my date of May 16th is coming soon! I am becoming most nervous about the potential back pain some people speak to it but not many. I tend to have lower back pain a lot even though I try to stay limber and I am active. Stretching now on a regular basis is the only thing I can think of that might help. Do you have other ideas on hindsight? Back pain is just the worst especially when you don’t feel well anyway.

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Replies to "Hi Debra Thank you for sharing so much! It is very helpful to hear the full..."
Debra, Volunteer Mentor | @karukgirl | Apr 3 7:29pm

Thank you @deanr for your kind words. It really is helpful to read about other people's stories, and you are so right...no two are alike because no two people are alike!
I would be very excited to know that your symptoms will be (mostly) alleviated too!
It truly was like a miracle to me to get my life back. I still have HCM, because it will never go away, but the obstruction is gone and along with it, most all my symptoms.
The back pain.
Oh.
It was a real thing for me. It is not like low back pain at all.
Not even close.
It is entirely something different. I was told it is because of the torque that is placed on the spine when the chest is opened. It's pretty graphic to picture, but I have worked in hospitals for over 40 years and was not put off by the technique. I even watched a YouTube of my surgery. I wanted to know everything.
I had that nagging, relentless back pain for a year. Again...I don't want to scare you. It is what happened to me and not everyone gets this. I have since learned, after my last visit to Mayo a few months ago, that I had healed rib fractures. This is what I attribute my pain to. I had fractures of my ribs in the back. Not fun. At all. And again...not everyone gets this result.

I keep saying it, and I will again...it is totally normal to be scared. Nervous. Anxious. May 16 is next month for goodness sake! You have found this site, and there is some great information on what to expect. I always feel it's better to know than not know what's going to happen. That's just me. Some people just want to get it over with and not know details.
You get to come back here to Connect anytime you want and ask anything you can think of.
Where is your surgery? Is it for HOCM?

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