How has the Pandemic affected you as a cancer patient/survivor

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Comments

  • divinemrsm
    divinemrsm Member Posts: 6,621

    Serenity, good point. Health care workers who quit because of the vaccine mandate are in the wrong profession.

  • SerenitySTAT
    SerenitySTAT Member Posts: 3,534

    Divine - I'm seeing the vaccine mandates as a quick way to root out those who needed to be removed anyway including other professions (military, police, ...). 👍

  • nopink2019
    nopink2019 Member Posts: 384
    "Don't Be Afraid of Covid. Don't let it dominate our life." – President Donald Trump
    "Go home, my darlings! Sleep tight!" – Reverend Jim Jones

  • SerenitySTAT
    SerenitySTAT Member Posts: 3,534

    COVID death rate since summer lows.

    https://ourworldindata.org/covid-deaths

    image

    Edited to correct link.

  • alicebastable
    alicebastable Member Posts: 1,956

    Well, according to that graph, the U.S. wins bigly in the stupidity contest.

  • alicebastable
    alicebastable Member Posts: 1,956

    Yeah, but that's deaths per million, not absolute deaths, so the U.S. still looks mega-dumb.

  • trishyla
    trishyla Member Posts: 698

    I think I've mentioned it before, but my ex daughter in law is a Labor and Delivery charge nurse in a suburban hospital just north of LA.

    She has seen so many unvaccinated women in her delivery ward. She has lost a number of moms, some after delivery, and even worse, some who die before delivering, taking their baby with them. It's breaking her heart.

    She said her nurses are at their breaking point with the stupidity of the unvaccinated and the unnecessary waste of resources trying to save them. They're burned out.


  • SerenitySTAT
    SerenitySTAT Member Posts: 3,534

    Got stupid here. Hope the police find him.

    https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/sherbr...

    image


  • simonerc
    simonerc Member Posts: 155

    I thought this was a really good article. Really makes me sad to see posts that “everyone who is X, all think/do Y.” Seeing these talking points on all sides. Hopefully, we, as a society, are better than that. Peace
    https://wtop.com/coronavirus/2021/09/qa-johns-hopkins-doctor-discusses-importance-of-nuance-when-dealing-with-covid-19/

  • chowdog
    chowdog Member Posts: 190

    https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/doctors-despe...

    Also at today's CDC meeting, CDC estimated >120K pregnant women got covid. I didn't get the time frame.

    I don't think we are saying everyone who is X, all think/do Y here. I think there is a small % of hardcore antivax and our adversary spreading misinformation that have led to more vaccine hesitation.

    With regarding Marty Makary, if you google him, you will find plenty of questionable views & "nuance" such as predicting herd immunity in April (during Feb), questionable oped about children & masks and opposition of vaccine mandate. You can draw your own conclusion about his "opinion". he may be a brilliant surgeon, but not epidemiologist.



  • chowdog
    chowdog Member Posts: 190

    Wrenn, Smile

  • chowdog
    chowdog Member Posts: 190

    This is a good article that highlights some of the issues that can lead to misinformation and confusion.

    https://elemental.medium.com/amp/p/520a343751fc?__...

    I do think our public health officials could have done a better job in messaging, more like consistent messaging. Instead, there is a different oped about covid everyday in every major publication with million different views. this only leads to more misinformation & confusion.


  • chowdog
    chowdog Member Posts: 190

    Cross post Pfizer booster update:

    FDA authorizes Pfizer booster (only for those who got Pfizer originally) for 1) >65, 2) 18-64 at high risk for severe covid and 3) 18-64 with frequent occupational exposure that puts them at high risk for severe covid

    https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcement...

    CDC will meet tomorrow to vote on it and may be clarify what's considered individual at high risk for severe covid & occupational risk.

  • SerenitySTAT
    SerenitySTAT Member Posts: 3,534

    Even without county level data from Florida/Nebraska, COVID deaths decrease significantly with higher vaccination rates.

    COVID death rate since July 1st by vaccination rate: https://t.co/AALNceAAMtB

    image

  • betrayal
    betrayal Member Posts: 3,599

    I wonder if the man who punched the female nurse because he had not approved his wife's vaccination (control issue flag here since it is her body, not his) would have done the same if the nurse was a male? Hope he was arrested for assault and for being a controlling freak.

  • SerenitySTAT
    SerenitySTAT Member Posts: 3,534

    I haven't seen that he's been caught yet. Don't know if he would've tried anything with a man, but he's probably abused his wife.

  • alicebastable
    alicebastable Member Posts: 1,956

    Wrenn, I shocked myself that I caught it! 😄

    There are so many people with Covid from outside our urban area who have been sent from all parts of the state, and I worry that the unvaxxed among them have family staying in local lodging and breathing their damn germs all over the place as they shop and dine and who knows what else.


  • fredntan
    fredntan Member Posts: 237

    being MBC and in Texas....I have mainly been at home with my husband and dog.

    I had 2 big medical issues. I'm lucky to be alive.

    My left renal artery was found to be nearly occluded on a scan in 2020. It took about 6 weeks of waiting and testing for me to get it stented and opened back up.

    I learned to cook much better

    My husband redid the entire downstairs! He or we ate diy ers. We had a slab leak when the pandemic hit...

    My youngest had to delay university last year. She is now in her final year. It's been tough for her. She has type 1 diabetes. But she got vaccinated. As did everyone in my family. I'm a RN, so is my sister. I find it easy to wear a mask. I wore them at work during long cases.

    Then in June I had a weird rare thing happen with my head? It's long and complicated. But due to all the sinus infections, then chemotherapy my sphenoid sinus blew a hole in it...a series of unfortunate events allowed air to get in my brain area. I went to 3 ERs that first week of June. The last one did a scan of my brain. This one caught the large black mass of air! I was admitted, had emergency sinus surgery through my nose to repair the hole. Its called a pneumocephalus. I had the worst headache.

    Our dog well she got us through this mess. We are all together now.

    She goes everywhere with us.

    My dd with type 1 got covid this week..she has been vaccinated. She said tonight that she is on the mend. Felt like a cold to her. Whew!

  • simonerc
    simonerc Member Posts: 155

    What “we” are saying... That makes me sad.
    I was one of the first people in the country who got Covid through community spread. Less than 100 were diagnosed in the entire country. Before anyone in my state had been diagnosed via community spread. And I thought I was being super careful.
    I had my vaccine as soon as it was available to me. More than one year after having Covid. Having cancer makes me feel a bit not in control of my destiny. I hate that feeling. For me, the vaccine was something concrete I could do, backed by science, that could help.
    I also knew that there was not really any data on people who had Covid getting re-infected and having a bad outcome. But as a member of my community, family, society I felt it was my responsibility to myself and to others.
    I think most people agree on fundamental things. Being a solid human being. Doing their individual best. I try to focus on that, along with taking personal responsibility to make the best choices for myself and the greater community. The only person’s behavior I can control is my own.

  • cowgirl13
    cowgirl13 Member Posts: 782

    From what I've read even if we have both shots we can still get covid/delta and we can still pass it on to someone, even thought we may not have symptoms. A friend of mine who had both shots died of the delta variant last week He did everything to protect himself. Really made me feel so bad and he's the only person I know who has died of this. We are in the San Francisco Bay Area and folks are pretty good about masks/vacinations.

  • chisandy
    chisandy Member Posts: 11,408

    I forgot where I read it (it was before vaccines became available), but most COVID re-infections tend to be worse than the first time around. I will try to find the citation.

    Serenity, when I saw your graph comparing our (U.S.) spike in COVID rates, I imagined American COVIDiots chanting "We're #1! (But our brains are #2)!"

    IL's test positivity rate has dipped to 3.9% (lowest since July). Chicago's is at 3%.

    I spoke to my BFF today. She explained that the "quarantine plan" to be filed is in the event a visitor to Canada tests positive while there--not for quarantine upon arrival. All visitors must be fully-vaccinated with a Canadian-gov't-approved vaccine. And a negative PCR result (taken within the previous 72 hrs) must be presented before she even steps on to the outward-bound plane (or if driving, crosses the border). She'd have had to follow those procedures regardless of her Canadian-only citizenship.

  • simonerc
    simonerc Member Posts: 155

    Editing to add: At the end of February 2020, I only left the house to go to the grocery store and out to dinner 2 times. Everyone thought I was crazy being so worried about Covid. So yes, I was surprised when my husband and I got Covid the first week of March 2020. As it turns out, I happen to live in an area with many visitors and our small county became ground zero for Covid in the US as a result. We have had just 17 Covid deaths in our county. (Which is 17 too many) We have an 83% full vaccination rate for those eligible to receive the vaccine.
    So, I am pro-vaccine, anti-Covid, practice safe behaviors, love my neighbor... Just to be clear. It just makes me super sad to see the name calling (again, not at all coming from one “side" or the other). The misinformation (again coming from all sides) also makes me angry. I agree that the messaging should have been better and more consistent. And should be, going forward. And that there is a Small percentage of people in the US who are anti-vaxers. Wasn't the point of this thread that we can post angry, passionate, sad, etc... stories of our own thoughts/experiences/impacts of Covid? But not be disrespectful? Is the name calling not disrespectful? Or does that only apply if we name call directly to another member here? Is it ok to send subtle jabs at others member’s expense on this board? I just do not see a place in civilized society for people to speak about others like that and expect positive impact or change as a result. I get disagreeing with the decisions that other individuals may make. I do not get broad disparaging comments about people. I don’t get bullying. I kind of thought “we" were working to get past that.

  • SerenitySTAT
    SerenitySTAT Member Posts: 3,534

    No update on the man who assaulted the nurse.

    Cowgirl13 - I'm so sorry for the loss of your friend.

    Simone - So far it's only me who can't name call. Subtle jabs? Guilty. It happens when people I identify with get dismissed. If I were not subtle, I'd be banned. I admit that I'm barely civilized. I read the article you linked. That doctor needs to speak to an immunologist where he works. He's spreading misinformation. For one thing, those with prior COVID infection need to have at least one vaccine dose to be fully protected. Congratulations. You have hybrid immunity that's found to result in a stronger immune response than disease-generated or vaccine-generated immunity. I linked an article about it earlier in this thread.

    What saddens me? The preventable deaths and long-term effects especially in children all around the world. They are our future.

    Here's an interesting article on a family getting infected:

    https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-inquiry/m...


  • SerenitySTAT
    SerenitySTAT Member Posts: 3,534

    About the name calling, I have yet to see anything as bad as the names directed at me when I was young simply for looking different. I've been hearing them in the news again because of the virus. Racists are horrible.

  • simonerc
    simonerc Member Posts: 155

    Hey Serenity,

    Sorry you did not find the article at all interesting. I have read in other articles that lengthening the time between injections (for the Pfizer and Moderna) improves the immune response. I have read in other articles that a good surgical mask is far better than cloth. And a well fitting N95 is better yet. I think it is encouraging that people with hybrid immunity have a higher degree of protection. There are a lot of people in society that have that. I feel comforted for society knowing there are so many people walking around with hybrid immunity. These all seem like helpful observations.
    And obviously, I agree with you that there is no room for racists, or bigots, in our society.

    Seems like this thread is turning into a small number of people who only want to name call and disparage anyone who is not exactly like them in every way they think.That was my point. Isn’t there a name for that?


  • SerenitySTAT
    SerenitySTAT Member Posts: 3,534

    All those other points are good and available from other sources, but you said you hate misinformation. I just pointed one out.

    There are still people here who disagree with each other as the last few pages have shown.

    See what you did at the end of your post? Subtle. It's hard to avoid, isn't it?

  • simonerc
    simonerc Member Posts: 155

    The article clearly states that all of our efforts should be focused on getting vaccines into the unvaccinated. I am not sure what part of the article you found to be misinformation. I like a respectful exchange of ideas and debate. Happy to discuss.

    And no, I don’t think I did anything amiss that pointing out that a few in this group thread are being bullies. Calling out inappropriate behavior is quite different from committing the inappropriate behavior.

  • SerenitySTAT
    SerenitySTAT Member Posts: 3,534

    Effort should be put to getting people adequately vaccinated. For people with prior COVID infection, that requires 1 vaccine dose. For elderly and immunocompromised, 3 vaccine doses. A doctor saying disease-generated immunity is sufficient to be exempt from a vaccine mandate is misinformation.

    I was calling out inappropriate behavior when I committed my inappropriate behavior.

  • chowdog
    chowdog Member Posts: 190

    Wernn, hope you are okay.

    Was this coz I used “we” in my comment? Okay, maybe I can rephrase this, I don’t see anybody calling names of the ppl on the board or the thread. I see ppl calling out misinformation and unacceptable behavior from unvaccinated (typically from articles in news media).

    I will avoid using “we” going forward.