Yr6 son, shielding dad - any chance of returning to school?

[purplerain44]

My DP has recently been diagnosed with lymphoma, chemo starts next week. As if a pandemic wasn't enough to deal with! Anyway, as you can imagine, the repercussions have been felt far and wide, with one of the main issues being that my Yr6 son is unable to return to school this week. The head said he is not allowed to, which is what I expected, and it is clearly in the rules that a child living with someone shielding cannot return to school.

But my DS is so desperate to get back - all his friends are back, albeit in their bubbles and it's his last year of primary school. I wondered if anyone thought by July, this might change at all and he might be able to go back for the last week or so. We are willing to totally shield from my DP in our house as we have three floors and he can live on the top floor with en-suite, while we live downstairs etc. Is this an absolutely pie-in-the-sky idea? Just wondered if it's worth even thinking about this? or is it just silly?

Thanks!

[iVampire]

What form of chemo will DH be having and how long will he be in hospital each time?

See if you can find a way for your DS to see his friends, outdoors with strict 2m+ distancing. What have you told him about your DDad’s diagnosis and treatment?

Do any of his friends (and their parents) know about DH’s upcoming treatment? For general support, as well as understanding the need to distance diligently no exceptions

And the early days of diagnosis and treatment really can be the pits

[purplerain44]

thank you for the reply @iVampire and , I appreciate it. He is having Bendamustine and Rituximab, once every 4 weeks, 4 to 6 cycles. Both my DC know about it what is happening, my DD7 less so though. It is low-grade Non-Hodgkins so treatable, although incurable, so it's a bit of a rollercoaster of emotions. Yes, their friends know about it and a couple of the dads have taken my DS out to kick a ball in the park, keeping strictly 2m apart, which I am very grateful for. Thank you.

[iVampire]

For context, I have a chronic leukaemia, and am not suppressant treatment (daily TKI, but a different family to the ones used in lymphoma)

Does your DH have a specialist nurse, or could he ring Blood Cancer UK helpline to find out at which times in his treatment cycles he will be most suppressed?

Then I’d make sure he had maximum time with DS before treatment starts. Then make it up as you go along - schools aren’t going back fully, so not being there won’t make as much of a difference as at other times. Depending on extent of treatment, blood cancer patients sometimes have to self isolate anyhow - so even when you don’t much feel like being Pollyanna - look on the bright side and remember that a) you’re not alone in needing isolation at the moment and b) there is considerably more appreciation and sympathy towards the isolated (as so many more people have been though it)

All the best with the coming weeks