The Covid-19-Cancer-Conundrum

Ok so none of us knew what it would be like until it was our turn to Lockdown, but I never expected it to become some of the most pleasant days I have ever experienced.

Jezz developed a persistent cough a few days before lockdown and having coughed over Steff and I over the weekend we decided to lock ourselves down as one "household" of three people, this means that Steff doesn't have to be downstairs in the garden flat being lonely and can hang out with us whenever she likes.  We have all had some kind of illness but no fevers and it is unlikely to have been Covid-19, and if it was we were all very lucky indeed!

My operation recovery has gone pretty well, a couple of appointments over the seroma (that fluid build up which was drained a few weeks ago) and some phone-call physio to check my left mobility and my "good" shoulder were OK.  My good shoulder is not OK, it hurts like hell, but I am doing my best with it and it has helped the bad shoulder get on with recovering!  Penny Brohn closed down its services before the lockdown and I have missed a host of health and education sessions there as well as deeply missing the community of the Monday Qi Gong and Mediation groups.

I have heard nothing about the test yet (or even if my tumour has made it to the US😬) so really I have been in blissful ignorance during my two fittest weeks of recovery and shut in with my man and one of my favourite buddies ...frankly a pretty cool set of circumstances!  It also happened to be both of their birthdays last weekend so I saved up the eggs and made them a cake, decorated the house, managed to create a birthday meal and gave them both a happy, chilled weekend.  It felt wonderful for me to be able to give back to these two awesome humans who have been weathering this storm with me and keeping my spirits up since the start of December!!

(Steff and I painted the pots and the cacti were originally pebbles from the garden!)

So what of the Covid-Cancer-Conundrum?  I have had rather a lot of time to watch the news, too much perhaps but I have been watching out for the Cancer related stories.  I am concerned that some people are having cancer treatment delayed and reduced but I genuinely believe that the medics will be making the safest choices as a balance of risk for their patients.  At the same time I feel a bit uncomfortable for going private and possibly escaping those decisions myself.  Who knows they still might apply.  

At first the government list for highly vulnerable patients included the following confusing statement:

• People with cancer who are undergoing active chemotherapy or radical radiotherapy for lung cancer.

In the end, having read this over and over, Jezz and I decided it was only lung cancer chemo patients who were at the highest risk.  Not so. It really is all Chemo and Radiotherapy Cancer patients, which means if I must have Chemo I will be looking at about 10-18 weeks of self isolation as things stand so its a good job the last two weeks have been nice as the future might be less so!!! Best case I will only be highly vulnerable in Covid-19 terms during my Radiotherapy and that will only last 4 weeks.

I should hear something back from the consultant on the 7th, until then I will continue to Marie Kondo my cupboards and make delicious, nutritious cancer defeating meals!!