A Story of Faith: The Pregnant Mother Who Had Cancer, Heart Failure and Two Strokes in One Year – Michigan Medicine

Soave, now a mother of a 2-year-old and a 2-month-old, had to stop her anticancer therapy because it couldve had a negative impact on her heart function. She then needed to take heart medication to combat impeding heart failure.

I couldnt believe how quickly my life changed, says Soave. I had been perfectly healthy my whole life, never took medication for anything, and now Im losing my hair, in and out of hospitals, and I could die from the cancer I cant treat anymore, if not heart failure.

Even with medication, Soaves heart wasnt getting any better. Her blood pressure remained low and she felt out of breath going up her stairs. She was then rushed back to the Emergency Department, where she was found to be in cardiogenic shock with her ejection fraction having dropped to 13%. After being immediately rushed to Michigan Medicines intensive care unit, she met Matthew Konerman, M.D., a cardiologist at the Frankel Cardiovascular Center.

I knew her best chance at survival was with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) and being put on a transplant list, says Konerman. But she wasnt eligible for a transplant due to her cancer.

After further examination, Francis Pagani, M.D., a cardiac surgeon at the Frankel CVC, discovered the right side of Soaves heart was damaged enough that she might also need a right ventricular assist device (RVAD), but the team wouldnt know until they operated.

Soaves case was unique, and we had to be very cautious. No matter what the team decided to do, she was still in a high-risk situation, says Konerman. We knew she had to have an LVAD though we were worried she would need an RVAD as well to support her right ventricle.

Soaves healthcare team decided that implanting both the LVAD and RVAD were her best bet, which Konerman says only approximately 3% of patients require at the same time. She spent months in the hospital afterwards, trying to figure out what the next move would be since RVAD devices arent compatible for outpatient use, and she couldnt be discharged with one.

We had to believe that with the right medications and time, her heart might recover, says Konerman.

After two months in the ICU, Soave made the difficult decision to get a mastectomy in hopes of stopping the spread of the cancer.

The bad news never ended, says Soave. It was the true definition of a nightmare and I had no idea what life would be like after this.

Read more:
A Story of Faith: The Pregnant Mother Who Had Cancer, Heart Failure and Two Strokes in One Year - Michigan Medicine