I have decided to start this blog to allow patients and visitors to maximize their experience while searching for answers on HugeHeart.org. I felt that writing a blog of my experiences and my thoughts about living with Cardiomyopathy would give outstanding insight to a world that is not that familiar or experienced with this disease. It is not only good to provide such valuable insight but it is very therapeutic to write about it. I originally wanted to start this blog when the website was completed-until I realized that this website will never feel complete and to have a successful health website there are going to be modifications.

In two weeks I am going to get my defibrillator implanted in my left shoulder-this is a major change in my life-I believe that blogging about such an experience can help me and someone else cope with receiving an ICD and living with this disease. Am I nervous? Yes. How nervous? Not very. I will reassure myself and everyone else that this procedure is very common nowadays—not as common as getting your tonsils taken out obviously, but the doctors that implant ICD’s are specialists in this field. I am nervous because I have never had a serious surgery before.

Overall, the procedure is only going to take a half an hour and a 1 night stay at the hospital. For the following weeks I will have to take it easy to build scar tissue to secure the device in my chest. There is a small bump and a scar that come with the operation- I have been told that the scar would disappear after a year. I will be able to go back to work the following Monday so it will not hinder my normal life.

I look at this as an insurance policy-I actually do not need this device right now—my doctor suggested it. It surprises people that many young adults have these devices—kids as young as 9 years old have received ICD’s. Remember if doctors are placing these devices in children then doctors are very confident with the results.

Despite being nervous I feel very fortunate for being diagnosed with this disease when I did, I always keep this thought in the back of my head because it allows me to put things in the proper perspective.