I am currently writing a memoir. Tentative title: “The Problem with Open-Heart Surgery”

I was diagnosed with the genetic heart disease Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) in 2011. My cardiologist told me during my very first appointment that I needed open-heart surgery. I was 32 years old and didn’t want to believe him. This is the story of the 5+ years it took for me to accept my diagnosis, have the procedure, and adjust to my new life in the aftermath.