Cancer Treatment + COVID-19
The only thing scarier than cancer treatment? Getting care during the pandemic.
It’s hard to believe we’re months into the COVID-19 pandemic and no “end” is in sight.
When we first started shutdowns, I was terrified. There was so much conflicting and confusing information circulating out there and it was extremely difficult to find PPE for myself and my husband.
I am still being actively treated for breast cancer, so I did not have the ability to 100% go into self-quarantine. While my counts have certainly rebounded since chemo, there is not much research available as to if I am considered higher risk or what my outcomes may be if I were to contract COVID. My doctors have only been able to assume that I am at a higher risk than the general public and have advised me to stay isolated as much as possible. Talk about scary! So when it came time for my first pandemic treatment appointment at the cancer center, I didn’t really know what to expect.
I know there are many other warriors in the same position as me, so on my way to treatment, I decided to record a TikTok video to share what cancer treatment during the pandemic is like. You can view that video here. It blew up!
Things have changed a bit since March, so here are the biggest safety precautions in place:
-Everyone in masks the entire time you are at the cancer center.
-Temperature check at the door when you arrive. They also started taking your other vitals here to limit the time you are in the more open, communal treatment area.
-No guests allowed for treatment or appointments. This one has been really tough on me. Until COVID, I had never gone to a single cancer appointment or treatment alone, so I definitely had some PTSD and fears to face.
-Virtual appointments as much as possible. For me, this means I missed one of my 6-month check ups (we did it virtually) and haven’t gone to an in-person therapy session since March. My therapy appointments are all virtual for the foreseeable future.
I talked with Health Magazine more in depth about what my experience with COVID and cancer has been like, which you can read here.
Have you been getting treatment during the pandemic? What has your experience been like? I’m always here to chat. Let’s lean on each other to get through this.