My mum will be starting chemo in the new year following her op 2 weeks ago to remove her cancer, I’m really worried that when she starts chemo me and my children (5years and 20months) will have to stay away as I’m worried she will catch a bug from them my youngest seems to always be ill at the moment and there is always something at school I don’t want to make her ill but we will find it so hard if we have to stay away as we see her everyday any advice would be great if anyone as any experiences with this :smileyhappy:
Hi ami,
Try to find out when her low immunity days are and avoid visits on those days. The rest of the time you will be ok, as long as none of you have flu or bad colds or any serious infection (not worth taking any risks). Things like measles, chicken pox etc would be too much for her system to cope with. There are lots of chemo patients who have young families of their own, so have to be sensible and careful. Keep anti-septic hand gel with you to use when you enter her home, just in case. This link leads to a booklet on this site, all about chemotherapy.
www2.breastcancercare.org.uk/sites/default/files/bcc17_chemotherapy_2012.pdf
Page 16 talks about low immunity. And this link is to the Macmillan site:
macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinformation/Livingwithandaftercancer/Symptomssideeffects/Othersymptomssideeffects/AvoidingInfection.aspx Scroll down to where it has the title AVOIDING INFECTION.
Take care
poemsgalore xx