I am Paul Perlman, a retired lawyer from Orchard Park, NY. I was diagnosed with HCM in 2013 at the Cleveland Clinic, and received an ICD later that year. After my symptoms became more pronounced over the next three years, I had a surgical myectomy in 2016.
Since retiring in 2017, I have taught at a local college, and served on my college's Foundation Board. For 25 years before I was diagnosed, I was a general aviation pilot.
Being an online discussion group leader is important to me because one of the greatest sources of anxiety to people living with HCM is fear of the unknown. I believe that anxiety can be reduced by sharing our questions and experiences.