Cancer mama's... how do you handle the kids being sick?

That's what I do. Keep on washing those hands. I try to get DS in the shower daily to wash off stray germs. He's been told to use soap EVERYWHERE.

I use thick Viva paper towels to police up snot. It doesn't saturate through like tissues do, and seems less abrasive than cheap tissue. Then I run screaming to the sink to have a wash.

Best of luck getting through cold and flu season with a little one. You've got a shot at getting your older one to be germ savvy, but a 15 month old is an adorable petri dish.

Hi, politicomama - I didn't have chemo, but I do have a husband with severe kidney disease and a very compromised immune system due to Prednisone and Cyclosporine. He cannot fight off any infections, and a bad one could be fatal.

We practice universal precautions everywhere we go, but dealing with sick family members is tricky.

We buy our surgical masks by the case, and practically bathe in hand sanitizer.

We try to educate others on how germs are spread, and I found this Youtube video that shows pretty graphically how easily it is to infect another person with your cough...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=-K_boO...

There is also abundant information on the Internet documenting that we are often contagious up to 48 hours before any symptoms occur, and up to 1-2 WEEKS after the last symptom goes away.

DH and I also spray Lysol on the soles of our shoes before we enter the house - especially when we've been to the hospital or clinic or nursing home!!!

In fact, my PCP was the one who told me that I should wear a mask any time I came to Kaiser....that there were lots of sick people there, and that many germs were airborne.

When I'm sick, and trying not to pass it along to DH, I have cannisters of Clorox wipes in every room, and I wipe down everything I touch. I mean EVERYTHING!

Masks, wipes, hand sanitizer, constant hand washing....sometimes you just can't be too careful. At least you KNOW your kids are sick..it's the strangers out there who go everywhere when they're sick that put you in jeopardy!

Hope your little ones feel better soon!!! (And that you dodge the bullet!!!)

Thanks for the great practical advice for cold and flu season, and really for any time.

More about Understanding Your Immune System, from the main Breastcancer.org site.

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