Hi @arpie. The right side catheterisation is to check out my internal heart and lung pressures and to get internal blood gases and samples. Unfortunately my heart failure is global so the whole heart is impacted but thankfully my arteries are clear and I don’t have any plaque build up. They have talked about implantable devices but we are just waiting to see what more information they can get from the procedure. They have also said that often chemo related cardiac issues are progressive and that’s where heart transplantation comes in, but hopefully we never get to that point as I may not be deemed a suitable candidate based on what’s happening with the cancer at the time. The most important thing I have learned is that remaining as active as possible during treatment can help to maintain a better level of heart function even if damage does occur. This is also important post treatment. Once that level of fitness is lost it is nearly impossible to get back without risking further damage. The research being done at the Baker Institute is very enlightening and I know that it will help to form better information packages for cancer patients before they undergo chemo. I’m lucky in that I have 3 fabulous cardiologists 1 of whom works at the Baker and specialises in exercise and heart function and 1 who works at Peter Mac and specialises in chemo induced heart issues so between them all I think they have all bases covered. I hope your friend Gail recovers well from her heart attack and has a great medical team to work with moving forward.
