How has the Pandemic affected you as a cancer patient/survivor
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Serenity- I am on Lynparza--- a PARP inhibitor. I don't know if stopping it has the same effect as Ibrance, or that my counts would bounce back timely. I take the Lynparza twice a day, every day, without time off like with Ibrance.
This is so confusing.
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candy - you asked about a test for immunity. True, there isn't one, but you could get a COVID antibody test to see if you still have antibodies from the vaccine. the results will tell you your level of antibodies but not what it means. It doesn't tell you the range you should have, so it may not help you make your decision about getting a fourth vaccine
I did one to make sure I did develop antibodies from the vaccine, since they were saying that people on certain cancer drugs might not develop immunity from the vaccine.
I did it directly through Labcorp so I didn't need to visit my own doctor to get an order.
https://www.labcorp.com/coronavirus-disease-covid-19/individuals/antibody-test
And I haven’t talked to my oncologist about a third or fourth booster but in my patient portal, it now says I have received ‘2 of 4’ COVID vaccines. I did get the vaccines at the same hospital as I get my cancer treatment, so I am assuming they are giving patients two boosters as a matter of routine
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candy - It is definitely confusing. If you can't get clear information from your MO, check with the pharmacist.
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Don't judge! And don't tell them the vaccine passport isn't required for delivery.
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wrenn - I don't know if it’s the new vaccine requirement that made the difference. Vaccinations were down for the holiday weekend with a grand total of 7 first doses given on Jan 1, so very few scheduled around the holiday weekend.
The new vaccine mandates for booze and weed are performative. Over 90% of adults have first doses. We need mandates for HCWs and teachers.
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My hospital is postponing some heart and cancer surgeries.
https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/muhc-now-postponing-some-heart-and-cancer-surgeries
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serenity, that was my biggest fear until I finally had the surgery on Monday. I am crossing my fingers for all the Jan surgery ladies🤞🤞🤞. I see some are already delayed because of positive test results. Even the most careful people are testing positive.
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Glad you were able to have your surgery! Hope you have a full and swift recovery. The virus is so transmissible, it's become hard to avoid.
I read that QC will be moving seniors from hospitals to LTC facilities due to the hospitals getting overwhelmed by COVID. They did this during the first wave and killed off many seniors. We need an intervention! Help!
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Serenity, that just makes me sick. Have they not learned anything? I hate that the “old” are considered expendable. Besides, many in their 60s, 70s and even 80s are anything but old!
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It is so hard not to hate.
People who say they are " covid fatigued". Try chemo fatigue. Try worried who will be there for our child next year fatigued. Wear a damn mask, get the vaccine and yes, you can do a lot of fun things still, if we all did those 2 simple things. We went out to eat. We traveled. We felt safe while mandates were still in place last spring. We timed one strategic, masked, boosted trip in early November and it was wonderful. We bought Harry Potter masks and Jurassic word masks, tried to spread out, used lots of hand sanitizer and had an amazingly great trip. We let our kid compete in cross country and return to in person learning last fall too. Now everyone relaxed too soon or got "tired" and they don't want to mask up again. Boo hood!No one promised a vaccine for a virus was perfect or how long it would last. Anyone who has ever had a flu virus shot knows you have to time it so you don't get it too early or you risk ( if it was even the right mix that year) running out after 5-6 months.
10yrs ago I went from a great, healthy happy day at the horse barn, to the shower, a lump, a mam, ultrasound, biopsy, bone scan, cat scan, onc appts and chemo in 2 1/2 weeks flat. 6 yrs ago for recurrence we did a whirlwind Rediagnosis, scans and set up a dual axillary dissection and complete hysterectomy surgeries in 3 1/2 weeks flat. I dont think many hospitals can make that happen right now?
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Pi-Xi - They haven't learned anything. It's one thing to say no one could have known how to respond in the first year of the pandemic. Now it's evil or incompetence to willfully expose the elderly. I know most are vaccinated, but the vaccine doesn't prevent infection from omicron.
wrenn - The first doses increased today, but the increase (50%) was only in the 5-11 age group. Who knew we had so many delinquents needing a fix so much that they're getting vaccinated!
My older daughter is sick. We were able to get a rapid test from a friend, and that was negative. My husband dropped off the test in her pandemic care package (box of KN95s, pulse oximeter, and a book). This is the longest that I've not seen her in person.
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My adult son (who lives with us) and I have been sick for almost a week. He got sent home from work last Monday and I got it starting the next evening. There's a lot of sneezing and coughing but no other Omicron symptoms like night sweats. But I'm triple vaxxed and not as sick as my double-vaxxed son, so who knows? Hubby hasn't found any home test kits - the drugstores are out, and it's too damn cold to go out to one of the testing sites, which have limited days and hours anyway. Hubby hasn't caught it yet, and it's a very small house with nowhere to hide. Kind of confusing situation.
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alice,
I hope you and your son are on the mend quickly and that your husband stays healthy. My younger dd has a sore throat but her home tests have been negative. Can’t help be a bit worried as my three year old granddaughter can’t be vaxxed yet. Five year old grandson is vaxxed. Though retired, I am subbing all this week for a good friend who tested positive. Her husband, a principal in another school district, had already tested positive. It’s incredible to think we’ve been living the pandemic life for almost two years!
I just heard of flurona! Yes, the flu and Covid19 at the same time has actually happened. It’s a mad, mad world 🌎!
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flurona, deltacron...I'm staying home!!!
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Alice - Hope your husband stays well and you and son improve. Try to ventilate as well as you can. PCR testing is limited to select groups here, and rapid tests are almost impossible to find.
Be wary of new named viruses. So far, we only need worry about delta, omicron, and the current flu.
My daughter is sending me her pulse ox and temp readings periodically as proof of life. She seems to be improving. She's eligible to sign up for her booster on Friday.
My husband got his booster. He's AZ/Pfizer/Moderna. Should be omicron-proof soon.
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Thanks, all. It's mostly just messy, like a head cold with lots of sneezing & blowing and some dry coughing for me. Son has more coughing but he feels okay. He's always had noisier colds, which makes it hard to tell based on sound effects. It's too damn cold to ventilate! But it's an older house with the last window work in the 1950s, so it's probably better ventilated than the hermetically sealed modern horrors. However, my coughing has reactivated my usually inert umbilical hernia, so UGGHHH. I hope it will settle down again because one, with Covid, surgeries are off, two, it was already getting pretty big (like 8 cm), and three, I don't need any more stinkin' scar tissue in that neighborhood! There's the original hernia repair from the 90s, the hysterectomy (and hernia repair destruction by a lying shit doctor) from 2008, and the nephrectomy with a bunch of satellite scars from 2018. Not sure if I've reached my lifetime limit on laparoscopic abdominal surgeries. Guess it's time for an oh-so-stylish lady truss. 🤮
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Alice - hope you and your son recover soon and that Hubbs doesn't pick it up.
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Alice - Your coughing sounds painful! Hope it gets better. My home now is modern, but I’m able to run the HVAC system continuously. Where I lived before was a 1950s house that was leaky. There are instructions on how to build an air cleaner with a box fan and some MERV-13 filters.
My daughter seems recovered. Instead of stats, she said she’s all good. I think the pulse oximeter helped. She was feeling SOB, and the pulse ox would read 94. I told her to walk and take deep breaths first. Then her pulse ox would rise above 95. Last reading was 98. I think the COVID scare was making her anxious.
The specialty pharmacy called to schedule my next Ibrance delivery. Bonus: they have rapid tests! Will deliver Thursday.
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Spoke too soon. Daughter started coughing from bringing in groceries that were delivered. Exertion or frigid air? Pulse ox at 99.
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For immunocompromised Montrealers needing a safe vaccination space for 3rd/4th doses! See link for more details to contact this kind pharmacist.
https://twitter.com/balloonian/status/1480976773118574596?s=21
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Alice,
***HUGS*** thinking of you
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Our local paper had a helpful article about masks. Since the best aren't easy to find, this ranks the selections, and gives advice on what double masking works.
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this made me laugh, adding it all to my "mom brain".
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Not surprised! Wrote this in July 2020 when we had just 28 new cases in a day. We’re just had 52 deaths reported yesterday.
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Got my booster today!
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Yay! Hope no or few side effects.
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Older daughter is feeling better. Eligible to schedule her booster later this month. Younger daughter is eligible on Friday, but we may try to get her to a walk-in to get boosted sooner. If her classes move to in person, then she'll have to take the public transit.
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Brilliant! 😎
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That's the best solution yet!
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Simultaneously crude and elegant!
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