Hi there Suzanne, I welcome you too, to this wonderful forum. I responded to you just a bit ago, and see your post here as well. I am very proud of your determination to put you and your life first over the things that control you. I was a dedicated smoker for over 42 years. I quit cold turkey five years ago. I know the difficulties of giving up my "friend" the cigarette. I thought I would never be able to enjoy life without them. That was a lie! I am SO happy I quit. I won't lie...I still crave one now and again...but the cravings slowly got further and further apart as I made it through one day, one week, one month, one year! I know that alcohol affects the HOCM heart by "irritating" it. It can make you feel like your heart is pounding like a drum, or working so hard like a turbo diesel, and doing 125 mph in the fast lane. I believe the further you get from your "quit day", the more you are going to realize how much better you feel. You have HOCM to deal with now, and although we do not dispense medical advice here on Connect, we share information with one another. That information is so valuable, because now you know you are not alone, you're not crazy, you really are experiencing weird symptoms, like head rushes, feeling terrible after a big meal, gasping for air with little exertion, fatigue, chest pain, neck pain, swelling feet...just to name a few.
12 weeks is a great start. It is a life-time commitment to you that you need to make, and you need to learn as much as you can about your condition. You need to be your own best advocate. A lot of cardiologists are not familiar with this condition and you may have to educate them! This group is here to support you, because we all know what it is like, and sharing our journeys may help someone else in theirs. I noticed the first week or two after quitting smoking, that I had more energy. What did you notice first about when you quit?