Colds, Flu, - not me, I had chemo

clariceak

I've posted about this in the past, but it is still a mystery to me.  Ever since my original dx in August 2009, I have had one cold.  Everyone around me is suffering from one bug or another, my coworkers, my school age kids, but I never get sick.

Has anyone else experienced this strange phenomenon?

Nel138281

I am with you.  DX in 2011 chemo, surgery, chemo, radiation, herceptin.  But no colds or flu..  I too keep asking myself, what is up with this?? 

Not complaining tho

Be well

Nel

katyand4

Ditto....last year it seemed everyone was sick around me but I'd had gotten the flu shot on advice of my doctor so I assumed that helped me thru winter but even this year all four kids have been sick and my mom and knock on wood I still going strong.   

GramE

Same here.   2 Grand kids and son had nasty colds, but I got nothing.  

kathleen1966

I am one who was constantly sick after chemo for over a year (despite not being sick once while on chemo). I got every bug that blew by my face.... But I haven't been sick once in the past year......and I have gone two seasons now without a flu shot....I was like this before cancer.  I couldn't even remember the last time I had gotten sick.  Here I thought my immune system was an iron horse and then I got cancer.  Maybe my immune system IS an iron horse and that is why I did relatively well during chemo and radiation (I never got even a cold and here I was with young kids in school, oddly this was the only year they also never got sick...was God taking care of me or was it their wonderful teachers making sure everyone washed their hands for me?) and continue to do well now (other than the year of being sick constantly)....knock on wood for saying that just now....

Well that must have been an other thread like this one!

I say that I haven't been sick but I don't feel the same.  I ache more now. Look older....not really the same...not really better than before...but well...considering how much worse is could be...

I think I may be somewhere earlier in this thread, talking about how sick I've been with low RBC counts and still low WBC counts a year later....these issues have resolved.....

sbelizabeth

Same here.  I wasn't ever one to pick up many colds or flu, but I haven't been sick ONCE since diagnosis.  Maybe I've become much more aware of washing my hands, using gel sanitizer, keeping my hands away from my face, etc. 

One day, when I was smack in the middle of chemo and my counts were very low, our secretary showed up for work snorking and sneezing and coughing.  "I'm so sick, but I don't have any sick days left," she moaned.  I collected some files to work on, told my boss I was working from home, and walked out.  Later that day my boss sent the secretary home because she developed a raging fever and was exposing everybody. 

Even at church when we shake hands with everyone, I use hand sanitizer when I sit down.  And when I was in the throes of chemo, I stiff-armed anyone who came at me for a hug!

kar123

Same here.  I had one nasty ear infection at the end of chemo that damaged my hearing slightly, but nary a cold since 2010.  I guess that can be one silver lining!  Happy New Year to you all!

gillyone

2 colds in 3.5 years!

kar123

I spoke too soon...1st cold 2 1/2 years post treatment.  Ughh!

Kandy

Same here, almost 4 years and not even a runny nose. I work at a hospital so you would think I would pick it up there, all of my coworkers do. But no, chemo must have had some good stuff in it. I keep wondering how long it will last.

clariceak

2.5 years is a long run! 

Kandy - 4 years without a virus while working in a hospital is impressive. 

Once someone posted that her doc said that we are sick, we just aren't experiencing the symptoms.  It's a curious situation,

sbelizabeth

Especially right after diagnosis, when the "get well soon" cards were rolling in, I felt like a fraud.  I felt 100% fine.  Isn't it weird that we have to make ourselves sick (chemo, surgery, rads) to fully get well?

SelenaWolf

I had a similar experience; hadn't been ill once since finishing chemotherapy over a year ago.  I'd feel myself starting to catch a cold on a few occasions, but the next morning I'd wake up without any symptoms.  It was lovely.  I, always, attributed it the Neulasta injections; figured they "jump started" my immune system during treatment, which continued to work in over-drive for months afterward.

However, all that came to a crashing end on Boxing Day.  I'd visited a friend who was suffering from liver disease in hospital a few days prior and, unbeknownst to me, the hospital was dealing with an influenza outbreak.  I caught it; I went to bed on Boxing Day and didn't get up again until January 9th.  It was awful: fever, nausea, cough, the works.  Ugh.

A couple of interesting notes: after treatment, my normally virulent allergy to chocolate disappeared.  Poof!  Gone.  Nobody can explain why, but I'm not complaining.  And no more migraines!  I'd been a migraine sufferer most of my adult life; however, I went into menopause by my second round, so I think that the migraines were related to my monthly cycle.  No monthly cycle, no migraines.  Again, not complaining!

Rachel1

This is so odd to read this post. I have been thinking the same thing over the last 2.5 yrs. I'm a teacher and used to get everything and spend a few days of the year head in the toilet sick as a dog.  I hate to even let this out in the universe, but since chemo...I've been.....you know.   What gives??

Rachel 

mammalou

How funny. I was just telling someone that I have not even had a sniffle since chemo. This morning my throat was a little scratchy and it was Linda scary thinking about getting suck after so long. Lol

Bugs

I was the same for about 5 years, then I got my first cold.  However, it was not nearly as bad as a normal cold.  I will get a cold maybe once a year, but I find that I can fight them better and the bad part doesn't last as long.  

katyand4

Well unfortunately not longer after posting I was hit with something...sore throat, congestion, and cough which is just now clearing up after 3 weeks.  I thinked I jinxed myself - LOL but I also didn't get my flu shot this year.  I guess I won't make that mistake again.

ToriGirl

Had my first nasty cold just this last week.... Forgot how it was to feel that crappy. It's been over 2.5 years here. Now that I've had the cold, I have to wonder if they start coming more often. I hope not!



Hugs,



Tori



P.S. I had surgery, chemo, and rads

jennyboog

Same here, I've noticed this also.  I work in a hospital and have 2 small children.  I am surrounded by sickness but other than a allergy/sinus thing I just got over and it wasn't even that bad I've had nothing else.  While my co-workers are out left and right lately with the flu or some kind of bug. 

jacee

What a crazy thing.....I've gone almost 3 years without a sickness. Have horrific bronchitis right now though:(

MaxineO

Ditto. I have hardly been sick since chemo. I attributed it to the chemo killing every bug that even thought of infecting me, but almost 2 years later, and I don't get sick. Kids, DH suffer through colds, and nothing for me. This is really quite interesting.

Momine

Same here, and my first thought was also "chemo!" But I wonder. Since DX, I have cleaned up my diet, made sure to get exercise every day, rested adequately, refused to get all stressed out about stuff, taken my vitamins and generally tried to live the good life. Other than the stupid cancer (which is no longer in evidence) and the annoying SEs of letrozole, I am probably the healthiest I have ever been.

1Athena1

Maybe it is the cancer - not chemo. I had no chemo -- and haven't had so much as a head cold since dx, while others around me succumb.

eloqui

Resurrecting this old thread, but this has happened to me too, and I think it's weird. I used to get colds all the time, and now after chemo I can hang around sick people and not develop a cold. Maybe there is some residual immunosuppression after the chemo and we just aren't exhibiting symptoms?

juneping

actually I did not get sick few years till the DX. I was told we need to get sick once in a while to make sure our immune system works properly.....like a reset

Lolis197138

I wasn't getting sick for a few years and was worried that if a bad bug would go around I would have it real bad. I did not use to get the flu shot.

I ended up with the flu three months before my dx. I had a cold a few months ago.  

luckypenny

This happenned to me too. No sickness until I was 3 years out. I have been sick 3 times this past year though. The nurse at my oncs office said it was maybe an after effect of all the neulasta I had after chemo??

clariceak

I was the original poster of this thread and I still find it a fascinating phenomenon.I was dxed in 2009 and I am still immune to viruses. I have children who bring home the various bugs from school, yet it never passes on to me. I don't bother with the flu shot.

I feel like I'm wearing an invisible chemo hazmat suit.

Annette_U

I used to get every bug around before diagnosis...now nothing. I have not had a cold, flu or tummy bug in just over 2 1/2 years. I do take my vitamins, exercise and since my kids have grown up and recently left the nest - NO STRESS. It's nice to just worry about me, Hubby, cat, dog and bunny.

beth1965

Wow me too haven't had cold or flu I just watched everyone else suffer around me.

I did not have a flu shot got busy and just forgot went to doctor he said don't worry about it it did not seem to be helping people much this year anyways.

I am a mom so I have tended to sick kid so thought I would have got it then but nope nothing in a long time. Hubby was really sick this year too kissed him and took care of him and nothing.

I was sicker than a dog through treatment and shortly after everything that could go wrong did. But I just started to get better and better and stayed that way and hope its like this for good.