Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy

I am often asked why I cannot have a cup of coffee following major heart surgery, which repaired a heart defect called Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy, or HOCM for short. I find that if I tell someone that I cannot have coffee, I am often met with disbelief, arguments on why I should have coffee, laughter, or even as far as waving a perfectly scented cup of lovely coffee under my nose. However, after everything I have been through concerning my heart, I will not succumb that easily to temptation.

I have been told, "try decaf," Yet, I find that unless my Son (The Barista) makes it for me, decaf tastes like it was rinsed through cardboard, with the adage that it never gives you that perky feeling coffeeholics look for in the morning. With that being said, let me help to clear up any ignorance on this …show more content…
It felt like a butterfly in my chest, and I had trouble breathing. My nurse alerted me what my heart monitor said my heart was doing, and being a retired nurse with cardiac care experience, I remembered to cough, and it worked! My V-Tach stopped. However what seemed to be a dozen of Cardiologists entered my room shortly after to tell me that they thought a internal defibrillator/pacemaker was necessary to prevent me from having 'sudden cardiac death.'

With wide eyes, I agreed almost immediately. After the second surgery, my heart went to an irregular heart beat called Atrial Fibrillation. This is where the upper chambers of the heart can cause the heart to beat rapidly, due to "chaotic electrical signals" (Mayo Clinic Staff, n.d.). This was corrected by IV medication, and took longer to correct (a day and a half in total), and it happened twice during my hospital stay. Irregular heart beats can be common following heart surgery, as the heart can be a bit irritable while healing. Which, brings us back to the effects of