How has the Pandemic affected you as a cancer patient/survivor
Comments
-
maybe no delay 🤞..I'm just stressing, I'll know when I know. It's been a long 2 years hasn't it.
Illimae, I'm sorry even your small careful plan can't happen. Zoom is now my best friend.
0 -
I got my Xgeva shot yesterday. My nurse had plans to have Christmas with her sisters and their father. But both sisters are waiting for COVID test results due to kids being exposed at school. At the last minute she needs to prepare a meal for her and her father while she’s working today. Hopefully everyone is negative, but at least they’re keeping their dad as safe as possible.
0 -
HOW?!!!
11's 2 best friends just tested positive. I need to stop this runaway train of thinking, and not look at the stats, but it is nearly impossible to ignore.
0 -
forgot to add that those kids are fully vaxxed, so breakthrough fevers.
0 -
I'm fully vaxxed but was sick as a dog with Covid starting Christmas Eve. I'm slowly feeling human again but I have a feeling it's not over. The cough is starting to set in.
0 -
My husband's niece has Covid now. She and her husband are vaccinated, but their three children are young - 2, 6, and around 8. The pictures they posted yesterday showed the them all masked except the youngest, but the oldest was wearing his below his nose. 😠 I'm not surprised one of that family got it since they don't seem to have modified their lifestyles very much, always on the go and in some crowded places. It drives me nuts when I see people who are sensible enough to get vaccinated, but then think they can slap on a mask and go anywhere they want.
I have to go for an MRI and ESI (steroid injection in the neck, eww) tomorrow, and I'm more nervous about Covid exposure than the injection. It's not a hospital but an independent imaging place, so maybe it's actually safer than the hospital facility.
0 -
I'm starting to feel like literally everyone is going to be exposed eventually. I was super SUPER careful and still got it, despite being vaccinated and careful with masks, washing, and distancing, to the point of germaphobia.
0 -
gb2115, isn't this affecting your treatment coming up?! Im sorry!
That's my fear. At this point I am fairly certain I will be told to postpone this surgery again. Its all around me, and I have a tickle in my chest now. I'm triple vaxxed, had covid 11 months ago pre-vaccine, don't eat out, don't shop. I Wear a kn95 or cloth over surgical at all times outside my apt including in the hall to take out garbage. I wait for empty elevators. Got my kids all vaxxed.
I've been off Ibrance for almost 3 weeks in prep for this surgery. I held off one treatment to prepare for the other and now covid fucks it all AGAIN.
I think the anti-mask/anti vaxxers should have all their medical treatments and medications withheld until the pandemic is over too.
0 -
I've had a pretty high fever, and my throat is covered in canker sores. I don't know for sure where I got it. Probably work, or possibly my husband brought it home from the store.
I work in healthcare and nurses are definitely coming in sick. I have no doubt this happens everywhere. There's no one to cover them if they call out and patients need their treatments. I'm told agency nurses aren't even available. So I might have been exposed, despite hiding, but the timing is weird. My family got sick before I did. So me bringing it home doesn't seem right?!
0 -
wrenn, omicron is so contagious, unless you are a hermit in the woods, there is no way of really knowing where you got it. A colleague I spent time w on Monday tested for travel to his family, and was shocked on Thur eve when he got a positive result. asymptomatic. So, was I exposed? My 11's two good friends each separately told him they got positive results yesterday- they were all in school until Thu. DH co-worker's daughter came down sick now coworker has no smell. Another told him today he "has a cold". All these people are fully vaccinated, most boosted (not the kids yet) and masked. Its just out there now. And maybe its less virulent, which may be good in the long run, but it means people like us are screwed
0 -
Dancemom, probably. I need to call the surgeon tomorrow. I know pre-op won't want to see me tomorrow, I still have a fever.
It's disappointing. This mucks up work too, this may drain my FMLA before surgery. No good.
0 -
Dancemom - Hope the friends are ok. Glad they're vaccinated.
gb - Hope the worst of it is over for you and you recover fully. Sorry it's affecting your treatment.
Alice - I have relatives who are vaccinated, masked, and traveling over the holidays. Who knows how much transmission is from travelers. Sure, omicron causes less severe disease, but hospitals are full.
wrenn - We need to improve ventilation in buildings. Sorry you're missing so much family time.
Montreal region's 7-day average case rate is 791 per 100K, and that is an undercount.
0 -
Wrenn, that's how I feel about the break room and bathroom at work. Everyone takes their masks off and then I have to go in there to heat my lunch up.
0 -
It is a nightmare. It's funny, everyone at work was careful until the vaccines came out. Now it's like a free for all. Like vaccinated people really believe they can't catch or spread it. Clearly that's not the case, lol.
0 -
Australia shut international borders from the word go until recently. We had 2030 deaths in a country of 25 million. Just recently m, after huge pressure from the tourist industry, my state opened interstate and international borders and covid is now reaching all corners of the state. Hospitals are filling up fast. As you all know, cancer patients in treatment will risk infection or even delays in treatment.
0 -
for those who need to get tested check Covidclinic.org , despite I did not have noticeable symptoms, doctors decided to put me on iv monoclonal antibody, I was told that it is protocol for immune-compromised patients, once you exposed no matter pcr test is positive or negative. The treatment wasn't a joke, was hard on me. I too have been very careful, double masking, distancing and avoiding crowds, washing my hands regularly but I exposed..... when we get rid of this stupid virus....
Edited to add: and I am triple vaccinated!!!
0 -
I feel like I am living in the weirdest world anymore.
I am immunocompromised due to the cancer and the meds I am on for the cancer. I am no longer in the workforce, thanks to Stage 4 cancer. I have not been to an in-person church service since early 2020-- I watch the services live-streamed. I do my grocery shopping online with curbside pickup. I am literally isolating in my home. I only go out for true necessities--- doctor visits, etc. When I do go out, I double mask and use hand sanitizer, then scrub my hands when I get home.
You turn on the TV and see people standing in line for Covid tests (prior to celebrating Christmas with their families), see newscasts about the full hospitals, hear of the cases mounting up. You read this Thread, solely dedicated to the topic of Covid.
But... my sisters' family (lives in my area) their son (age 20) and their daughter (age 15) are not vaccinated, and don't intend to get vaccinated. They never wear masks. They go out and do what they want. They do not even wear masks when around me (so disrespectful in my opinion). And... today I talked on the phone with a friend (also lives in my area). He sounded congested. I mentioned that he sounded sick. He said "Yeah, it is a cold". Did he get tested? I doubt it, I didn't ask though. He said he started feeling sick early in the week. Did not miss any work. Went to a family get-together for Christmas. Went to his church service this morning. Said he is taking over-the-counter cold medicine and sucking on cough drops. Yes, it may be the common cold, but also may be the Omicron variant of Covid. And look at all the ones he could have infected by being out and about.
Why do people in my area, not just these 2 examples, act like Covid is not real. Like this is 2019 and nothing to worry about. These people in my life know someone that has DIED of Covid. But, they seem unaffected by that. "It is no worse than a common cold". "It is not going to alter my plans".
Wow. What a world anymore.
0 -
Snowdrop- You were given the monoclonal antibodies with a negative test? Your profile says you are on Ibrance. Did you have to stop that for a time? And how was the monoclonal antibodies?
That is what I have told family, that if I get Covid, even with a mild case, I would have to pause my cancer med (Lynparza). I am assuming this. If a person is sick with Covid, would they stop their cancer treatment during the illness? I don't want to give the cancer a chance to progress, due to being off treatment. So even a mild case would still not be good, due to having to be off cancer treatment.
0 -
All of the above is what upsets me! The having to stop to treatment for stage 4 again because somewhere somebody else didn't care if they got covid cuz "it wouldn't make them very sick", then passing it on. I am sick and tired (literally) of those assholes preventing my treatment. YES, I fully blame anyone who thinks its a "choice". It wasn't my choice. Nor any of yours.
0 -
I’m back to feeling that the folks that don’t take this seriously are dragging this out and I’m at a point that the sound of the clock ticking in my ears is palpable. I hate that my options are so limited by this damn pandemic. Suck it up everyone! Put the mask on, get your shot and stay home!
I think part of the problem is that healthy people think in terms of just getting through this and then they can live their lives. I had someone say to me the other day that they wanted to fast forward three years. It was a joke and he is a very thoughtful, kind person but I said “Um, no! Rather not!” Tick, tick, tick…
0 -
Snowdrop, thanks for the covidclinic.org info. my friend could be potentially exposed, and most of tests are all booked through early Jan.
Candy, I believe it depends on what type of treatment you are on. for example, the Pfizer oral antiviral pill that was just EUAed interacts with Verzenio and a few other cancer drugs.
https://www.fda.gov/media/155050/download
I believe one reason is people really don't understand how covid is transmitted. it's an airborne virus. When an infected person eats inside a restaurant or break room, the virus lingers in the air for awhile, unless the place is well ventilated.
the other part is the government shaped the narrative that you get your life back after you are vaccinated. Look, I get it, we want everybody to get vaccinated and beat the virus, but the government and some public health officials really need to be honest with people. they also downplayed breakthrough infections. I know vaccinated people after being exposed but before getting their covid results back were eating inside restaurants. like, why?
my county covid case rate jumped from 5/100,000 around thanksgiving to 10/100,000 on 12/13 and 25/100,000 on 12/18. math suggests ~90% of current cases are breakthrough cases.
0 -
It's so frustrating that people still don't know that the virus is airborne and without proper ventilation, it can linger in the air for hours after the infected person leaves.
We have needed improvements in ventilation everywhere. Ontario schools have been doing better than Quebec because Ontario made improvements in their school ventilation systems while QC did not except for some schools that did it without provincial support.
My older daughter works in a small office where she convinced her previous boss to purchase a few portable air filters. They still wear masks, but it's impossible for people to wear them 100% of the time. That's why she tries to work from home as much as possible.
The omicron variant will continue to spread and to burden the health care system as long as there remains people who are not sufficiently immune. Case rates have exploded, and hospitalizations, especially in unvaccinated, are rising. The omicron variant may be “milder" than delta, but delta is much worse than the other variants that killed so many people. We need vaccinations, good masks, and clean air.
0 -
if you haven't seen "Don't Look Up" on Netflix, please do. So much parallel between the movie and us covid response.
0 -
Chowdog - Yep, we watched it last weekend.
Test positivity is 25% for QC. Higher for Montreal. It’s out of control here. Hospitalizations rising. My younger daughter’s school still plans to be in person next semester. Hope that changes soon.
0 -
serenity 🤞 I'm feeling like as long as we can move forward in some way, it's good.
My middle kid just got her booster and the $100 incentive from my the city- i got mine too early for that. 11yr showed her the close, relatively "not-crowded" vax site nearish us where he got his 2 doses.
I won't be able to see oldest until after surgery, and her quarentine after her long planned new years eve plans- I'm not thrilled, siblings and dad furious.
Got through pre-op exam fine. Official covid test is Wed.🤞
0 -
Dancemom - Good luck with your test! My husband will get his third dose in 2 weeks, but my kids aren't eligible in QC. In other provinces they would be, but QC has determined that <60 don't need a booster. My husband isn't 60 yet, but he qualifies as my caregiver. I got mine due to cancer. QC continues to let the virus rip.
0 -
Well, DC has a higher positivity rate higher than any state with NY and NJ coming in second and third respectively. Ugh
0 -
so stupid, my current brain is telling me I dont want covid to postpone surgery because it means finding more subs for my classes! Stress does funny things.
Yeah, omicron is like some kind of movie pathogen, spreading and taking over the world. I can't wait until this stupid movie is over. Until then, I may nap.
0 -
Ok,,, help me understand.
So, I watch the news and there are all these people returning from Christmas trips. Now long lines for Covid tests. See if they are positive after their Christmas adventures. *** Not faulting anyone here that went to visit family over the Holidays, mind you *** Standing in long lines, possibly being exposed right there in line, and fighting over test kits. Ok, you get a kit and it says Negative. Woohoo, back to your lives and jobs. But.... those test kits are just a snapshot in time. You have no symptoms, you test negative, just back from the airport. False hope, right? You could show symptoms in, say, 3 days and then be Positive.
So why all the hype about getting a test kit???? I can see testing if you are prepping for a procedure, or definitely if you have symptoms, but just to test to test????? In that line of thinking, we all need to test every day. Negative today, Tuesday, Wednesday, whoops Positive on Thursday.
So save the kits for people with symptoms to rule out Covid. Or if you need a test for an upcoming procedure. Then we would not be running out of kits.
0 -
Candy,
I have seen a lot of people using rapid tests before and after thanksgiving gathering. Some college students or work place use these too. Yes, you are right, the results are just at a point of time. Also, if you test too soon after exposure, you might get a false negative result. I know most people test multiple times after exposure just to be sure.
however, there are some benefits of at home tests: 1) covid is contagious before symptom onset. so if you are asymptomatic and there are a lot of community spread, it can help you to rule out covid and prevent spreading to other people (work, home, school, etc) 2) long wait at PCR testing facility/long wait for results. my friend had to take one during the delta wave for colonoscopy, and it took a week to get the result back. 3) the Pfizer and Merck oral pills just got EUAed needed to be taken within 3 to 5 days of symptoms onset. so, if there is long wait for PCR tests and results, it might be too late for these pills to work.
0
