Hello
I have a bit of a query and I’m hoping that someone might be able to provide some ideas.
I had chemo 6 years ago, on Tamoxifen and now Femara since May this year and during the last 6 years I have one bout of flu, the odd cold but other than the usual ache and pain I have been okay(touch wood) until about a month ago.
In the last 4 weeks I have had a very achy ear, teeth and neck (lasted about a week) the following week I got a cold, had 2 days off work and went back to work for a couple of days, then the GP signed me off sick for a week with a chest infection and I went back to work Mon Dec 21st, not really 100%.
On Sat night(Boxing Day) whilst staying at my in-laws I had what has been described as Viral gastroenteritis and on Sunday night woke up with a pain in my back, so bad that my husband took me to A & E to be checked out. I was given intravenous anti-sickness drugs along with 2 bags of fluid as I was badly hydrated. I had blood taken and all came back clear including a liver function test. I wasn’t allowed to go home until my heart rate had gone down and I suppose this was due to being so hydrated. I have now been signed off sick until Monday. The pains have since subsided and might well have been muscular, we never got to the bottom of that but might be due to dehydraion
Nobody who I have come in contact either before or since Saturday have had the bug and the A & E Doc said that it may well be due to the chemo and my immune system being so low that I have picked up something that whilst others might be carrying, nobody has shown any symptons. He wasn’t really aware of what Femara does to the immune system if anything and that I should ask my Onc on my next visit.
My query is how long does chemo effect the immune system or should it be back to normal after 6 years.
Unfortunately my cough is now back with me and my mouth still has sores inside from my cold so that is annoying me as well. I think that I have just been very unlucky and seem to be picking up any little bug that is going around.
Anyone any ideas or comments
Thanks
Hazel