The Road Less Traveled ?!?

 My family and I were enjoying life, driving down the road, and over the bridge relishing the view. When suddenly, there was nothing but brush, trees, and weeds.. no road.. no path… Instant reaction was to put it in reverse…. Oh but NO! The bridge had collapsed.  There is no way back… to go on… we MUST go forward.  Being unprepared, I dug out my nail file (cause who carries a machete) and start cutting away at the brush… It’s been a little over a month of cutting away and finally I can see what looks like a path…Yes! Yes it is... a path.. well worn by others whose lives have been afflicted with HCM... I called Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association…  I have an appointment to get more information from them on Wednesday.

Suddenly my family find ourselves on this road less traveled but not by our own choice... I am so thankful there is an association to help guide us through this. It is helpful to hear from others who are living with HCM.  It turns out Jake's psychiatrist also has a personal connection to HCM.  It effects 1 in 500 people.

I found this picture online. I think it pretty much explains it.

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy is a disease in which there is a primary hypertrophy ( enlargement or overgrowth) of the cardiac muscle with increased systolic (blood pressure when heart is contracting)  but impaired diastolic ( period of relaxation & dilation) function of the heart.  In non medical terms..the thickening makes it harder for blood to leave the heart, forcing the heart to work harder to pump oxygen rich blood to the rest of the body. 

Nine days until our next appointment with the cardiologist.