"I was constantly dizzy, could barely walk up a flight of stairs without feeling like I was going to pass out and was completely exhausted. My heart was working very hard and medication could no longer manage my symptoms."
In April 2022, I went to my GP for a routine check and mentioned to her that during exercise I had been feeling dizzy and felt a squeeze in my chest. I was about to turn 45, was in good health (or so I thought), was the fittest I’d ever been and really thought she would tell me I was low in iron and I’d be fine. My GP is very thorough and after listening to my heart and hearing a heart murmur she referred me to a cardiologist. The cardiologist diagnosed me with severe Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy with Obstruction.
The next 7 months were a whirlwind of cardiology appointments and tests trying to get my increasing symptoms under control and learn how to live with this genetic disease. By November I was constantly dizzy, could barely walk up a flight of stairs without feeling like I was going to pass out and was completely exhausted. My heart was working very hard and medication could no longer manage my symptoms. My cardiologist, Dr Belinda Gray, at the Sydney Heart Clinic called Professor Bannon while I was in her office and asked him to assess me for open heart surgery.
The next week I sat in Prof’s office as he explained the Septal Myectomy surgery that he would perform to remove some of my thickened muscle with the goal of relieving my symptoms and giving me my health and life back. I remember him distinctly saying to me “you may have heard of a lot of advances in heart surgery and more and more of them becoming less invasive. This is not one of those surgeries. This IS invasive and we will be opening you right up.” While I felt nervous and sick at the thought of surgery, I felt assured by Prof’s vast experience, knowledge of my disease and his skill that had delivered great outcomes for so many patients.
When I woke up from surgery, while I definitely was in pain, I knew I felt different and my symptoms were relieved immediately. I couldn’t believe that by day 3 in hospital I was walking a full flight of stairs and not out of breath. In the past 18 months, I’ve not had any of the symptoms I had prior to surgery. I am able to easily exercise again, don’t live in fear of passing out and know I am always able to manage the stairs. I am so grateful to Professor Bannon for performing this surgery on me and changing my life.
The Baird Institute does such important work and I was grateful that I could contribute to the research they conduct, especially through donating my heart tissue that Prof removed to the Biobank. Whenever I tell my story, while it was one of the hardest times in my life, I am continually filled with gratitude for the amazing medical care I received and the research into my condition to make this surgery possible.
Just like Kate’s story, the individual whose life was transformed by surgery and research, your special gift this Christmas could be the catalyst for countless more stories like hers. Please don’t delay – your contribution is urgently needed to help us undertake the most comprehensive study ever conducted on the causes of HCM.
Will you be there for more people like Kate?
