When Claire Coulson was undergoing breast cancer treatment, she never expected that her heart would become a serious concern. But the chemotherapy and immunotherapy that were saving her life also caused severe damage to her heart. Her oncologist noticed a decline in her heart function and referred her to the Cardio-Oncology Clinic at Scarborough Health Network (SHN). It was there that Claire received the comprehensive, specialized care she desperately needed to save both her heart and her life.
At SHN, the team closely monitored her heart with regular ultrasounds and EKGs. Dr. Kibar Yared, the clinic’s service lead, provided her with reassuring explanations in plain language, which made her feel confident in her treatment plan.
“I was told Dr. Yared was the best, and my experience at the clinic was nothing short of remarkable. Every visit to SHN’s General Hospital was fantastic,” says Claire.
Before seeing Dr. Yared, Claire’s impaired heart functionality caused extreme exhaustion. She was sleeping multiple times during the day when she never used to nap.
“I’d wake up in the morning and feel like I hadn’t slept. After coming home from getting my son ready and taking him to school, I’d just be completely wiped out. That just wasn’t me. I’m usually busy, busy, busy,” she remembered.
Starting heart medication brought significant improvement. “I wasn’t taking naps anymore and could take my dog on longer walks. And Dr. Yared encouraged me to push myself a little bit each day to get my heart working again. He explained that I shouldn’t just sit back and allow my heart to be dependent on the medication, I needed to get back to being who I was,” she shares.
Claire’s story is just one example of the exceptional care that earned SHN’s Cardio-Oncology Clinic its recent recognition as a worldwide Gold Status Centre of Excellence by the International Cardio-Oncology Society.
“Achieving this distinction is a significant accomplishment for SHN and a major milestone for the Scarborough community,” says Dr. Yared. “We are honoured to receive international recognition at the highest level for the exceptional care we provide to our patients.”
Not only does Dr. Yared lead an award-winning team at SHN, but he also gives back financially to the hospitals that he dedicates his time to through the Love, Scarborough Physicians Campaign.
Claire’s advice to others facing similar challenges is to stay positive and communicate openly with doctors. “Positivity and asking questions really helped me. I hope everyone has the opportunity to be treated at a clinic like this.”
If you’d like to support amazing cardiac care at SHN, donate today at SHNFoundation.ca/donate .