should i wear mask?

lolad
lolad Member Posts: 670
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I had my second chemo almost a week ago and my daughter has been sick since sunday with a fever, sore throat and headache. Im taking her to the dr today. My question is should i be wearing a mask around the house with her being sick. We do the hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes and ive tried to stay back, but being a single mom, im the only one to take her temp and give her meds ect. Can anyone help with this question please? Thanks guys! Hope all you are doing good.

laura

Comments

  • chickad52
    chickad52 Member Posts: 497
    #2
    Laura
    Maybe you should when your around your daughter. With your white cell count low ,it may be a good idea! Hope she is better soon! Hugs, Diane
  • creampuff91344
    creampuff91344 Member Posts: 988
    #3
    chickad52 said:

    Laura
    Maybe you should when your around your daughter. With your white cell count low ,it may be a good idea! Hope she is better soon! Hugs, Diane

    Wearing a mask sounds like a
    Wearing a mask sounds like a good idea to me. Also, WASH YOUR HANDS OFTEN! That was the foremost thing my doctors told me during chemo treatment. I think I probably lost a couple of layers of skin during the three month treatment cycle. Also, a spray disinfectant is always good. This will also help your daughter to get well. I know it must be hard for you being a single parent, and I will send prayers your way. Hang in there, as things will get better. Hugs,

    Judy
  • creampuff91344
    creampuff91344 Member Posts: 988
    #4
    chickad52 said:

    Laura
    Maybe you should when your around your daughter. With your white cell count low ,it may be a good idea! Hope she is better soon! Hugs, Diane

    Wearing a mask sounds like a
    Wearing a mask sounds like a good idea to me. Also, WASH YOUR HANDS OFTEN! That was the foremost thing my doctors told me during chemo treatment. I think I probably lost a couple of layers of skin during the three month treatment cycle. Also, a spray disinfectant is always good. This will also help your daughter to get well. I know it must be hard for you being a single parent, and I will send prayers your way. Hang in there, as things will get better. Hugs,

    Judy
  • j916
    j916 Member Posts: 141
    #5
    masks
    i probably over did on the side of caution, but in the first half of my chemo it was flu season, and any time i went out i wore a mask. I pinned a pretty pink ribbon on it in as a sort of message as to why i was wearing it. It seemed like stores, movie theaters, hospitals, dr offices were germ factories. In my opinion, err on the side of caution....better than getting sick. Other's may disagree...this is just what i did.
    Good luck!!
  • lolad
    lolad Member Posts: 670
    #6
    j916 said:

    masks
    i probably over did on the side of caution, but in the first half of my chemo it was flu season, and any time i went out i wore a mask. I pinned a pretty pink ribbon on it in as a sort of message as to why i was wearing it. It seemed like stores, movie theaters, hospitals, dr offices were germ factories. In my opinion, err on the side of caution....better than getting sick. Other's may disagree...this is just what i did.
    Good luck!!

    OK gals (and guys)
    Im wearing the mask, poor thing has strep throat.

    laura
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    #7
    Great subject .. I was thinking the same thing as I start chemo
    on Tuesday, 9/8 and my family has running noses. According to my onc and his staff, we bc patients should be very careful around family or friends suffering from colds. Masks, sanitizers, disinfected wipes .. the whole 10 yards.

    I purchased several cans of lysol to keep with me in the car, or when I shop. Extreme .. perhaps, but people cough and sneeze without covering their mouths. YIKES ./. Let's not mention the 'Swine Flu' our government and health care providers are warning us about.

    I would rather look rude by spraying lysol, then end up in the emergency room.

    Hoping you the best, and a speedy recovery for your daughter.


    Vicki Sam
  • cats_toy
    cats_toy Member Posts: 1,462 Member
    #8
    sorry Laura
    but you must be very very careful about germs while on chemo. First for you, you do not want to get sick, but also for the treatment, you do not want it delayed in any way. The mask is probably something you should do.
    I remember I was very lucky to have had a boss who sent a memo to all. If they are sick, they will not come in the office. If they have no sick leave, he will pay them anyway.
    Nice huh?
    take care of yourself
    Cat
  • Akiss4me
    Akiss4me Member Posts: 2,188
    #9
    I would go for it, Laura
    My Medical Oncologist talk to me on the phone today telling me to definitely get my flu shot this year. She wants all her patients done ASAP. My PC has them in for the "special" patients first, then will announce to the others they are available. They have mine set aside. Also, my hubby has sanitizer in every room, the car, my purse. I think if I invented a decorative cover for those bottles, so they look pretty, I could be rich!! They are going to give me a surgical mask when I go in to use also. He is very protective with younger children around me as I have not ever had chickenpox either. With school starting, it is bound to go around and I have no immunity. I have to be extremely careful since I am an adult and they said it would be worse to go though. I think it's wise to take every precaution no matter how obsessive or silly we appear. I always just look at people and agree "I'm just not normal.....thats what makes me so interesting! LOL" ♥ Pammy
  • butterfly343
    butterfly343 Member Posts: 39
    #10
    I have also been considering
    I have also been considering this question. My 2 daughters just started school yeaterday, so i talked with my onc. He said to definantly have hand sanatizers at every entrance to our home and to have the girls wash their faces and change their clothes when they get home from school. The threat of all the "new grems" being brought into the house is to great to not try to control. He also said absoutly get the flu shot, but has not been advised by the CDC about cancer patients and H1N1 shots. If my girls or anyone else in our house (mom has moved in temp to help during chemo and rads) I will use a mask when around them. The risk of ending up in the hospital because of illness instead of being home with them is to great.
    Julie
  • chenheart
    chenheart Member Posts: 5,159 Member
    #11
    butterfly343 said:

    I have also been considering
    I have also been considering this question. My 2 daughters just started school yeaterday, so i talked with my onc. He said to definantly have hand sanatizers at every entrance to our home and to have the girls wash their faces and change their clothes when they get home from school. The threat of all the "new grems" being brought into the house is to great to not try to control. He also said absoutly get the flu shot, but has not been advised by the CDC about cancer patients and H1N1 shots. If my girls or anyone else in our house (mom has moved in temp to help during chemo and rads) I will use a mask when around them. The risk of ending up in the hospital because of illness instead of being home with them is to great.
    Julie

    Is Piglet endangered??? I hope not!
    For the record, I ALWAYS got the Flu Shot, even during chemo! Not sure about H1N1 yet, but hand sanitizers are the order of the day and washing, washing, washing!!!!!!!
    I know the flu isn't funny , but have any of you noticed, or is it just me, that SWINE flu could now be pronounced HINEY??? I know, i'ts H-1 N-1 but in my mind, it has simply changed from Swiney to Hiney...

    Oink, Oink!

    Chen♥
  • creampuff91344
    creampuff91344 Member Posts: 988
    #12
    chenheart said:

    Is Piglet endangered??? I hope not!
    For the record, I ALWAYS got the Flu Shot, even during chemo! Not sure about H1N1 yet, but hand sanitizers are the order of the day and washing, washing, washing!!!!!!!
    I know the flu isn't funny , but have any of you noticed, or is it just me, that SWINE flu could now be pronounced HINEY??? I know, i'ts H-1 N-1 but in my mind, it has simply changed from Swiney to Hiney...

    Oink, Oink!

    Chen♥

    Good eye, Chen. I think
    Good eye, Chen. I think Hiney Flu sounds a lot better than Swine Flue...poor pigs. While I was undergoing chemo, my husband stood guard at our front door and checked everyone who entered. He was the guardian, and limited those who could come in to those being healthy, and no small children. We missed celebrations with family for Thanksgiving and Christmas because he was so afraid I would be exposed to something. During chemo, even with all of his vigilence, I came down with walking pneumonia, and had shingles (was exposed somehow to someone with chickenpox, and because I have already had chickenpox, they come out in the form of shingles). We felt that we were extremely cautious, washing hands, using anti-bacterial soap and disinfectants, and still the immune system was attacked. Just be careful, and use as much caution as is necessary to stay well. Hugs to everyone.

    Judy
  • lolad
    lolad Member Posts: 670
    #13
    creampuff91344 said:

    Good eye, Chen. I think
    Good eye, Chen. I think Hiney Flu sounds a lot better than Swine Flue...poor pigs. While I was undergoing chemo, my husband stood guard at our front door and checked everyone who entered. He was the guardian, and limited those who could come in to those being healthy, and no small children. We missed celebrations with family for Thanksgiving and Christmas because he was so afraid I would be exposed to something. During chemo, even with all of his vigilence, I came down with walking pneumonia, and had shingles (was exposed somehow to someone with chickenpox, and because I have already had chickenpox, they come out in the form of shingles). We felt that we were extremely cautious, washing hands, using anti-bacterial soap and disinfectants, and still the immune system was attacked. Just be careful, and use as much caution as is necessary to stay well. Hugs to everyone.

    Judy

    Thanks all
    My daughter has been fever free since this morning, so thats good. When i took her to the dr yesterday, they gave her and me a mask to wear, so there we both sat with mickey mouse masks on! It was quite cute. HAHA. I have been extra careful and sanitizing and dissinfecting everything before Megan, my daughter, was even sick. Like Pammy, i havent even had chicken pox. Thanks for all the advice and info once again. Man, just think, schools just started and my daughter already missed three days because of being sick. It totally stinks we have to be so careful. I dont know if ill make it this school year!

    Hugs to all
    laura
  • chenheart
    chenheart Member Posts: 5,159 Member
    #14
    lolad said:

    OK gals (and guys)
    Im wearing the mask, poor thing has strep throat.

    laura

    BTW, you know, that on chemo
    BTW, you know, that on chemo if YOUR temperature goes up to even 99, and definitely 100 degrees, CALL YOUR DOCTOR! You will have limited infection fighting capacity, and you may very well need antibiotics yourself. How old is your daughter? Well, it doesn't matter if she is 2 or 22~ if you wear a mask, draw a silly face or something on it. Be as silly as you can; heaven knows she doesn't need to feel even the teeeeniest bit guilty and afraid of making YOU sick!

    Hugs to you both!

    Claudia
  • faithandprayers
    faithandprayers Member Posts: 2
    #15
    lolad said:

    Thanks all
    My daughter has been fever free since this morning, so thats good. When i took her to the dr yesterday, they gave her and me a mask to wear, so there we both sat with mickey mouse masks on! It was quite cute. HAHA. I have been extra careful and sanitizing and dissinfecting everything before Megan, my daughter, was even sick. Like Pammy, i havent even had chicken pox. Thanks for all the advice and info once again. Man, just think, schools just started and my daughter already missed three days because of being sick. It totally stinks we have to be so careful. I dont know if ill make it this school year!

    Hugs to all
    laura

    Scared
    I'm so scared to be around groups of people you just don't know who has what and what they have touched. My ONC told me that Cancer patients was also one of the first ones that will get the H1N1 shot, does anyone know the down falls of taking this shot? I did take the flu shot once in my life and sure enough came down with it. So you really don't know what to do.
  • lolad
    lolad Member Posts: 670
    #16
    faithandprayers said:

    Scared
    I'm so scared to be around groups of people you just don't know who has what and what they have touched. My ONC told me that Cancer patients was also one of the first ones that will get the H1N1 shot, does anyone know the down falls of taking this shot? I did take the flu shot once in my life and sure enough came down with it. So you really don't know what to do.

    Faith and prayers
    I used to work in a dr office and would get the flu shot every year. It never gave me symptoms, but that is a side effect that you take with getting it. I think its worse on those who are volnerable if they dont get the shot. The shot is actually the virus being injected in you to try to make you immune to it. I think all that they recommend to take the h1n1 should get it, like us and those whose immune systems are low.

    laura

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