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

GoldensRBest

My daughter is in the midst of a covid breakthrough case. It started a week ago with minor symptoms and she continued to get worse. Went for test Monday (apparently no rapid tests were available anywhere in Philly area) got positive results yesterday. Like us (we had breakthrough in August - I ended up hospitalized for 4 days) she got Pfizer vaccines. I just wonder how many of these breakthrough cases are from patients who received Pfizer vaccines

PrincessButtercup

For me the main issue has been not being able to visit my 95-yr old mom very often. She's 14 hours away unless I fly, and I don't want to bring covid to her unwittingly. So I have driven 14 hours in order to sit outside on her patio with her for two hours.

My husband has multiple myeloma (on chemo) and I also have asthma, so we've basically been in a home lockdown for the entire time. I mostly do online grocery shopping, with a few trips to the store now and then. I've done some telemedicine during 2020, but I haven't missed any mammograms. And I was able to have my hysterectomy the week before everything shut down completely in Feb 2020. Just had my colonoscopy and caught up at the dentist with a new crown. Everyone in our family has had a pandemic cavity. And my new dentist says that I have a slightly wiggly tooth. (Thank you, Letrozole? Not sure about that.)

We haven't personally lost anyone to covid, but everyone we know is vaccinated, careful, and masking everywhere.

My husband is on disability, I work from home, and we never do anything where we're indoors with other people. That is key, I think- My PCP says that indoor restaurants, churches, theaters, weddings, etc are where covid spreads. We keep ourselves sane by contemplating/planning summer 2022-- maybe a drive around Lake Superior to see the lighthouses. We have a list of dream vacations on the fridge.

Chowdog

okay, here is the Bay Area criteria for lifting indoor mask mandate. It looks like the bar is low enough that we may be able keep indoor mask at least through end of the year.

A county has to meet all 3 criteria:

1) remain moderate transmission (according to Cdc standard) for 3 weeks, and (all Bay Area is still considered substantial right now)

2) low and stable hospitalization, and

3) 80% of total population fully vaccinated (not just eligible) or 8 weeks after EUA of 5-11 vaccine.

I think most of counties are in between 70% to 80% fully vaccinated, so still awhile to go.

Sf will lift indoor mask mandate for offices if they verify vaccine status and have good ventilation, but still need mask in common areas like elevator and restroom. I guess those downtown restaurants that complained about lack of customers due to office mask mandate got their way. We will see how it goes. just glad I can still work from home for the time being. My office building still emphasizes surface rather than ventilation. Whenever we get notified for a covid case in the building, the building manager says how often they clean high touch surface. Urgggg.

exbrnxgrl

chowdog,

I’m in Santa Clara Co. although I am happy that the Bay Area is doing well, I am still a bit nervous about dropping indoor masking policies. I’ve gotten so used to wearing a mask that I might feel naked without one. Here is the full statement re: indoor masking .

https://covid19.sccgov.org/news-releases/pr-10-07-2021-criteria-for-lifting-covid-19-indoor-masking-requirements

Chowdog

exbrnxgrl, yes same here. I will keep wearing mine. Most of my close friends will do the same too. I will most likely cancel my gym membership.

AlwaysMeC

My parents both had Pfizer in March. Moderna has a slightly better efficacy rate, but it seems after six months antibodies diminish by a great percentage with both vaccines. The good thing is that the immune system still has a back up of the killer T cells and B cells that they believe still function as expected even after the 6 or 8 month booster mark. Those are the parts of the immune system that are supposed to prevent severe illness.

AliceBastable

My friend who lost her brother to Covid in the last month has now also lost her nephew, the brother's son. It makes me want to smack the anti-vaxxers/anti-maskers upside the head with a six and a half foot iron pole.

wrenn

Alice. I agree. I am so sick of the message that we should have conversations with them and not judge.

exbrnxgrl

Alice, so sorry to hear of those losses. I don’t even have the vocabulary to describe what I think of anti-vaxxers/maskers.

Rah2464

Ugh Alice that is horrendous. I am so sorry to hear that.

exbrnxgrl

i stumbled upon this today. I will try to look for further information later. I admit to still being disturbed by a few presumptuous “deductions” others made about me regarding vaccine distribution to third world countries, especially those that hinted at racism. My experience with living, working, and traveling in third world countries is not limited to any one religion, race, or ethnicity. If a country is lead by authoritarian, corrupt leaders, I don’t care if they’re purple with green polka dots, many, sadly, operate in similar ways. Anyhow, COVAX has run into some challenges. The circumstances of a pandemic have contributed to some of these difficulties but I think “naively ambitious” is an excellent description. I hope they can work through some of these challenges.

https://www.statnews.com/2021/10/08/how-covax-failed-on-its-promise-to-vaccinate-the-world/

Anonymous

This article criticizing COVAX isn't the "I told you so" about developing nations being too corrupt/inept to vaccinate their citizens. That was the reason stated to discourage me when I posted about vaccinating globally. That it seemed to be applied to all developing nations is racist. I learned in wealthy nations it's not corruption when done by the "politically connected".

COVAX (created by the wealthy) isn't the only entity trying to get vaccines to lower income nations. Manufacturers need to step up. Wealthy nations have enough even with boosters. Seems greed by the wealthy and privileged is prolonging the pandemic.

exbrnxgrl

I told you so? Not sure exactly what you’re referring to.

wrenn

There's an article for every belief.

https://www.classaction.com/news/stat-news-credibility-problem/

Anonymous

Low vax areas should focus on more first doses. 👍

"New research shows the decision to vaccinate more Canadians sooner by delaying second shots by up to four months saved lives and led to strong vaccine effectiveness against all circulating strains of the virus."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/canada-vaccine-effe...

Beesie

SerenityStat,

While it's too early to know for sure, I suspect that we'll also find out that extending the interval between doses provides higher efficacy/protection for a longer time.

Squeezing 2 doses into a 3-4 week window provides an initial boost in efficacy, but logically it wouldn't seem to do much in terms of extending the amount of time that someone is protected. Some studies are now showing a significant drop-off in efficacy in the Covid vaccines after 6 months, but all the studies I've seen have looked at people in jurisdictions where they received their two doses only 3-4 weeks apart. The Canadian studies show no waning of protection 4 months after the second dose so we'll have to wait to see how the results compare to shorter interval dosing at 6 months and 8 months.

Thinking about most other vaccines, the normal timing for second doses is 3-6 months after the first dose. This is why I was comfortable with the Canadian decision to delay second doses. Seems that it was the right decision.

Anonymous

Beesie - Completely agree with you. A few vaccine experts predicted early on that giving the first doses so close together would necessitate giving a third dose.

redhead403

I finished radiation mid February 2020. So I was recovering from that yet still working full time as a nurse. There was covid everywhere. I work in surgery so we were a bit sheltered although since we were not doing lots of surgeries, we were sent to triage ER patients outdoors. We were all afraid that we would become infected.. Ironically, both people who did get it, probably got it from their family. I was able to be vaccinated in 12/20 and 1/21. Have been taking Vit D3, Zinc, and Vit C. I feel very fortunate.

Kikomoon

I wanted to post this for a laugh, and thought maybe it belonged here. My DH's phone has started giving him "highlights" of the last month and where he's been. This is the latest. It had me rolling on the floor laughing, as this is life with Covid, and the Walgreens photo just looks so sad.....

AliceBastable

Yay, I got my booster today, and my flu shot. I probably won't sleep on that side tonight! 🩹🩹

exbrnxgrl

Ouchie, alice! I got my flu shot today too. The medical facility I went to had walk up flu and COVID vaccines (Today’s offering? Pfizer!). There were separate lines for the vaccines. The flu shot line was fairly long. The COVID vaccine line, not so much. I prefer to think that’s because my county has a high vaccination rate. At least I hope that’s the case.

ShetlandPony

Kikomoon, that's hilarious -- in a sad little way.

Rah2464

Kikomoon that's pretty funny and sad at the same time.

Anonymous

Yes!

Beaverntx

Got our flu shots today and just learned the Moderna booster has passed the first step in the emergency use process! That's the good news. The bad news is that we just learned a dear first cousin died from Covid and his wife is ill with it. They are elderly and he has been in failing health for some time. Don't know vaccination status.

AliceBastable

Beaverntx, I'm so sorry about your cousin, and how horrible for his wife to be ill and having to cope with that.

Rah2464

Beaverntx, so sorry to hear about your cousin. Bless them and you.

Veeder14

Beaverntx,

Condolences to you regarding your cousin, and sorry about his wife also being sick.

Anonymous

At the hospital for another appointment. Saw the maskless clerk wasn't around. Turns out COVID karma got him. Two days after he got his first shot, he got COVID. He was hospitalized for 10 days and briefly on respirator. Home recovering now. And he rolled his eyes when I had asked him to put his mask up. 🙄

wrenn

Feeling like a sociopath for wanting to thumbs up anti vaxxers who get covid. Whole new world.