Well the day has arrived and we find ourselves on the way to GOSH. Time for Eloise's tests, time to see what is really going on with her heart. We have seen her heart rate lower over the last couple of weeks with 98 beats per minute being the lowest recording but on the whole her heart rate remains worryingly elevated.
I am concerned that the first test scheduled this morning is her exercise tolerance test. This involves being wired up for an ECG, with a B/P cuff on and a rather horrid face mask then riding an exercise bike at a continuely high speed for as long as you can manage. I feel they should do an ECG and Echo first, say if she is in rejection ? Say if she has another pericardial effusion, she never displays symptoms, she was even tamponading and showed no symptoms ! So that's a worry.
Not sure if she is going to have a cardiac MRI today , I signed Eloise up to be part of a trial. You go to another cardiac centre and have an MRI, specifically looking at coronary artery disease. These results are then analysed with the results taken tomorrow during Eloise's coronary angiogram to see if the results are the same. I think so far the research is promising and the MRI scans are giving the Drs enough information. It would be so nicer, safer,painfree and less invasive for the children to be scanned rather than having a general anaesthetic and uncomfortable procedure. So fingers crossed this trial is a success and way forward.
I expect Eloise will also have an ECG , Echo and chest x-Ray, possibly a 24hr B/P recording but she did have two in the Summer. Bloods will be taken tomorrow when she is cannulated for theatre. So a busy and anxious day ahead.
I will not be able to relax, stomach is churning. I have been awake since 4.30 am. Luckily for me Eloise is her usual chilled lovely self. Sat here on the train reading a book, that is how it should be.
Evening -
Eloise has had such a full on day. We arrived at GOSH at 11 am and reported to
Bear Ward. Eloise then went down to Walrus for her Exercise Tolerance test, you have ECG monitoring, saturation monitoring, B/P monitoring and your breathing is also monitored so completely wired up. You then have to cycle at a continuous speed of 70 until the test is completed or you can tolerate no more. Eloise managed all but the last few seconds. Her heart rate went from 120 beats per minute to 180 !
After the exercise tolerance test Eloise had her ECG ,and her 24 hr B/P machine was put on then back to Bear Ward for observations, height, weight and pre op swabs. Eloise was then examined by the Transplant SHO and clerked. We then managed a 30 minute lunch break before chest x-Ray and her Echo. Her Echo showed that her pericardial effusion had not resolved but wasn't any bigger about 1.5cm in size at the bottom of her heart. It wasn't causing her heart function any problems.
Back to Bear Ward for Psychology forms and consent. I decided to enrol Eloise onto a research study to see if a cardiac MRI scan gave the same results as having a coronary angiogram . So this meant a cannula, which Eloise absolutely hates. She took it in her stride just a few tears but cannulated at the first attempt, this will help with any future cannulation so as it was a positive experience. We then took a taxi with the research registrar to St Thomas's Hospital. Eloise was in the scanner for well over an hour and did incredibly well providing the research team with some valuable images. 25 Gosh transplant patients and 25 Papworth patients are needed for the study, hopefully this will stop future transplant patients from needing an invasive angiogram. The Taxi returned us to Gosh at 6.45pm. Such a long and busy day.
In the Evening we went to Gourmet Burger with Eloise's dad, for Eloise's last meal pre angio ! She ate her fill. 
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