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

Anonymous

Dancemom - Nice sign!

While my husband drove me to the hospital today, I saw a taxi with 3 masked people in the back, but the driver had his mask on over his chin. 🤦🏻

Also, don't try to catch COVID!

https://www.healthing.ca/diseases-and-conditions/coronavirus/why-you-shouldnt-deliberately-expose-yourself-to-covid-to-get-it-over-with

Anonymous

It shouldn’t be surprising that forcing COVID+ HCWs back to work leads to more COVID+.

https://www.businessinsider.com/hospitalized-people-getting-covid-from-infected-doctors-nurses-2022-1

PrincessButtercup

Serenity- I would not have gotten into that taxi!

I only go out when I absolutely have to now because of people like this (who either won’t mask or won’t wear them correctly). Lucky that I can still wfh

Anonymous

1) I love Princess Bride! I remember seeing it when it first came out.

2) I felt bad for the passengers, but he may have had it up when they first got in. It was frigid yesterday, so waiting for another taxi would be unpleasant. There is usually a plexiglass barrier. If the trip is short enough, there may not have been enough time for any possible viruses to spread. Opening both car doors would work well to ventilate the back.

PrincessButtercup

Serenity,

We pretty much watch Princess Bride at least annually! Such a good movie.

A nurse I know refers to cars as “covid containers.” Opening windows is a great idea when there’s no other option.

Stay safe,

Butterci

Anonymous

I used to watch it so often I could say the lines!

I can avoid taxis, but sometimes I’ve had to take the commuter train. Then I sit near the doors. With omicron around I only go to medical appointments mostly by our own car.

The QC leaders have decided that even with the death rate at its highest since last winter they will loosen restrictions. University students are going on strike.

Dancemom

I was planning to go into one of my schools today- the director had a mastectomy a few years ago, so approached me with a work together solution as she felt so much better about everything when she got back to work after her surgery.

She called me last eve to say "don't come in". 3 kids tested positive. They are too young to be vaxxed. The kids who had covid in the past 3 months will be allowed to stay, but she said its not worth the risk for me.

As for getting around, I'm on public transportation daily. No other way. Even with that I've been walking 3-4 miles a day. I'm happy to say 95% of non-police are masked.

Beesie

This is from Australia, but it's probably pretty representative of the situation everywhere:

Source:

The simple numbers every government should use to fight anti-vaccine misinformation

Anonymous

With cases, hospitalizations, and deaths still at high levels, QC is loosening restrictions like allowing limited indoor dining (why they think the virus pauses spreading while eating/drinking is beyond me) . They still have not improved ventilation in schools. We can go out to eat, go to school, but heart/cancer surgeries can wait because we don't have enough staffed beds.

Schools and restaurants fall in the red areas.

Anonymous

We need clean air like we have clean water. It will help prevent future pandemics.

Jelson

I don't know if there is a paywall, but John M Barry's essay in the NYT on what we can learn from the 1918 Influenza's fourth wave - in 1920 is quite enlightening as we seem to be tripping down the same path in 2022. . https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/31/opinion/covid-pandemic-end.html

kathindc

And history repeats itself! Very interesting article.

Anonymous

The trucker protest in Ottawa is out of control. My daughter has a friend who’s driving people so they can stay off public transit to avoid getting threatened for wearing a mask. These protesters have the support of the police. 😡

Anonymous

Wish we had these kits (with N95 masks) distributed everywhere, but we completely missed highlighting the message that “information and instructions WILL change during the pandemic."

Anonymous

How about some sort of positive news?

An epidemiologist caught COVID. He and his wife have had 2 doses and not yet eligible for booster. Their infant child protected from mom’s vaccination while pregnant and nursing. With addition of other NPIs (constant N95 use, extra ventilation/filtration, and rapid testing), the wife and child are still negative. 👍

https://twitter.com/michaelmina_lab/status/1488758090300338176?s=21

bitchonwheels

I woke up with a sore throat on Sunday and tested positive for Covid on Monday. It’s a breakthrough case - I had my first 2 Pfizer vaccines last March and was boosted in November. The good news is that it’s presenting as a head cold with sore throat. No fever and lungs are clear so far. I started feeling a little better this afternoon so hoping that continues. I know some people who will spin it as proof that vaccination doesn’t work but I feel the opposite is true. It appears to be a milder case that is not requiring medical intervention or hospitalization - just OTC medication and rest. I am also older (63) and have high blood pressure so while not considered “high risk” for complications from Covid I don’t think I’m in a low risk group either. Stay safe out there all

sbelizabeth

Me too, Bitchonwheels. Both my husband and I tested positive a couple of weeks ago. We're vaccinated and got our boosters the end of August. I had fever and a slight cough, headache, along with symptoms of a head cold, for a couple of days. He had no fever but had the same head cold symptoms for about a week. Did our vaccinations protect us? YES. We were mildly ill. We had stuffy noses, not pneumonia. We took solitary walks outside for a few days, not weeks alone on a ventilator in the ICU. The biggest downside, by far, was our 10-day isolation. There are just so many episodes of Longmire and Downton Abbey you can watch.

Dancemom

I know of dozens of mild breakthrough cases. I also know of 2 breakthrough (fully vaxxed and boosted) cases in healthy adults (mid 50s) which required hospitalization. Short stays, no ventilation. People need to understand that the medical definition of "mild" is often still no walk in the park. Both those patients are grateful to have not had "serious " cases.

I am increasingly disappointed in the men (predominantly) who willingly risk their lives for the rest of us daily. I wish police and fire would see that the simple act of wearing a mask in the subway is as lifesaving as their heroics. And also that as enforcers, they should be models.

I just wish people would understand. This is not about YOU. it is about everyone. Sorry your parents were bossy so you won't take directions. It's not a choice about YOUR body if you plan on breathing near another human. Just get vaccinated already!!! Look at history! I know I am preaching to the choir here. Just venting.

Anonymous

Hope those with COVID fully recover soon. The vaccinations are working.

Dancemom - The vaccine/mask resistance from essential workers is frustrating. You would think the increased deaths from COVID among their coworkers would change their minds.

The trucker protest in Ottawa is infuriating. The police are letting it continue. The “protesters" are terrorizing Ottawa residents. I cannot imagine being subjected to 5+ days of incessant honking, diesel fumes, and threats. While a student I woke up to car honking on an early Sunday morning. I was so mad I went out barefoot in the cold to yell at the woman to stop. 🤬

PrincessButtercup

We have not had covid yet in our house, but we live like it's 2020 still. I can wfh and my husband is on chemotherapy and retired. He's had the vaccines plus a booster but still has very low immunity. Hoping for a fourth shot for him this spring.

wrenn

For a long time I had thought that the pandemic had cured my hypochondriasis. Pre-pandemic I would think about checking in with my NP over any little twinge (didn't often do it but more often than the last two years). Lately I have actually worried whether I would rather die of whatever it was that I was sure was happening to me (headaches = brain mets, stomach upset = gastric mets or new primary..colon) or die of covid.

I have been really anxious. Today it is dizziness so again brain mets? I have to talk myself down which wasn't happening for much of the pandemic. I guess a more reasonable diagnosis is pandemic anxiety. *sigh

If you don't see me post for a few days I have had a stroke and am lying on my floor rotting (at least I no longer have a cat that might eat a leg or arm if his meal got missed).

Anonymous

Ottawa omicronvoy is ongoing, but similar protests around Canada have been nipped in the bud. Getting insurance companies involved will help.

In Olympic news, Canada women's hockey beat Russians while wearing KN95 masks (Layfield 95PFE-L3 KN95 Respirator Mask - have these 👍). After seeing a figure skater drop out due to becoming COVID+, it makes sense.

😷 🇨🇦💪

Anonymous

wrenn - I’m sorry you’re feeling so anxious. Send me an SOS if you need. Anytime.

sbelizabeth

Wrenn, I'm sorry. Anxiety about ANYTHING is such a dark and dragging shadow. Sending mental sunshine your direction.

Well, we're all going out somehow. Having a sudden stroke at home ain't the worst I can think of, even the lying rotting on the floor part, which cracked me up.

Beesie

wrenn, I'm may be on the other side of the country but I'm right there with you. (((Hugs)))

illimae

Wrenn, can you get a brain MRI to be sure? I don’t want to add to any anxiety but brain mets can be sneaky.

AliceBastable

Wrenn, I'm so sorry you're going through a rough spell. Are you planning to get another cat? Would that help you in the anxious times?

wrenn

Awww thank you you guys. I did a zoom meditation just now and that helped. I do have ativan but try to hold out on taking it.

I am better off than most when it comes to cancer or having to go out during a pandemic so I shouldn't even complain but it was interesting to me how I mostly figured the first year or so that I really didn't need medical care and thought of the old days when we had to pay for medical care and would put more thought into seeking it.

I am sure I am fine and just have some regular old thing that most people ignore and hearing from you guys really made a huge difference.

Illimae when it comes to MRI I really would choose being eaten by a cat. I am soooo claustrophobic. I am terrified of those. :-)

I can't have a cat because of loss of balance/neuropathy cause I would fall bending to feed or do litter duty and trip and fall too often. I am going to see if I can add a pic of Richard (former cat) He was 18 lbs so could probably consume at least a leg.

I think I will take an ativan tonight.

wrenn

AliceBastable

Wrenn, I've been thinking about what you said while I puttered around. It occurred to me that you're really brave to admit all of that. I have a lot of similar thoughts but I can't say them to anyone, not even my doctors. Especially my doctors. My fear of being thought a hypochondriac is worse than my fear of cancer or other medical issues. I just wait until my next scheduled appointment to bring up anything - and I usually don't bring it up, thinking that it can wait until the next 6-month or 1-year appointment, or it will go away on its own. I'll bring up a few things with my PCP, but it's usually the least scary thing on my list. I guess it's because I was raised in a house where the reaction to injuries was "Don't bleed on anything!" and to illness was "Take an aspirin and quit complaining!"

Stoicism sucks.

Edited to add, what a gorgeous cat! I'm sorry you can't have one now.