Chronic illness/immuno suppressed support thread?

[ALemonyPea]

I'm trying not to get too worried about Corona virus, bit hard when it's all over the place.

I have a chronic illness and taking chemo tablets, so my immune system isn't at its best at the minute.

I've got a head cold which started on Monday, no temperature. I've not been in contact with anyone known to have CV, or not been on holiday anywhere known to have an outbreak. No people in my city have been confirmed as having it. Trying not be silly about symptoms as it's nothing that I've not had before.

Anyone else flapping a little? Could do with some support, if only to mentally slap me.

Went to GP, just have a bad cold, made worse by low immunity. No infection, so just lots f fluids and take it easy. Got a few dodgy looks in the waiting room when I was coughing though. Tried to sit away from as many people as possible.

@Madhairday yes I have aspergillosis as well, though I usually just say asthma. It's the bronchiectasis that worries me. Coronavirus is primarily a lung disease and those who die seem to be tjose needing ventilating.

Joining you. I have RA and hEDS and I'm on methotrexate and hydroxychloriquine. Live in London and feeling more nervous as the advice is so vague. I'm due to see my new rheumatologist (private med insurance no longer covers RA as it's long term) at the beginning of April and my old rheumatologist retired so I have noone to ask. I'm hoping that my GP would alert me if I needed to isolate or take extra precautions but I might be being naive.

I have a toddler who brings back all the viruses at nursery.

UC, EDS, PsA. I'm on biologics and am steroid dependent so immune system is pretty shot! More worried about dd with brittle asthma though.

T2 diabetic placemarking here. It’s good to see the support on this thread.

I’ve also got RA and take methotrexate and hydroxychloroquine. I work in a school, so lots of bugs there. I think it will be an interesting few weeks ahead!

I have asthma and two serious heart conditions. I am just about to have open heart surgery (valve replacement) in London and I am really anxious. It was bad enough before Covid-19, but now I feel as if this is it for me. My will is up-to-date and I have to sort out a load of paperwork for my partner.

I can’t believe that this is happening. I really thought that 2020 might be better as I have had a shocking few years.

Thanks for the thread. I have multiple problems that if I get this it’s game over for me, or a very lengthy ITU stay and not a good outcome. Also I am due surgery to help prolong my life that will likely be halted due to the bed crisis (fair enough) and to be honest I wouldn’t want to be in hospital post op anyway and risk catching this or anything else. My DH is front line staff and we’ve talked about him quitting his job there and then if he can’t avoid working with it. I love him doing his job.

I’ve currently decided to not leave the house and have no visitors now, partly thinking I should have done this last week and then thinking maybe I should go out a few more times for my mental health as the prospect of not leaving the house for 3 months is not fun. I started another thread before I was signposted here, and my questions are...

We’re changing to delivery food shops as less interaction/they can leave on the doorstep. But what about things like ordering from Amazon? How long does the virus live on surfaces if someone infected packs it as Amazon likely has shit sick pay? If I order something and leave it inside the front door un opened for 3 days will that be okay? Or better to open and deal with straight away?

Or things like hello fresh/mindful chef? Should we stop using recipe boxes? We have now banned all visitors to the house and I’ll be unlikely to leave for the next few months. Medical appointments have been changed to phone where possible.

What about veg box deliveries? Better to order packaged from a supermarket? I am aware my environmental actions I’ve improved so far are going to be hard to keep up. Any particular supermarket that seems to be better at supplying delivery drivers and packers with hand gel etc? So least likely to get infected?

Anyway, I am more or less social isolating. The only thing I am doing is going for long walks in the park everyday, buying a take away tea and sitting on a bench outside to read and sip my tea.

I am being super careful with hand washing and I’m doing everything I can not to touch my face.

Unfortunately my partner works at a very big university with lots of foreign students. It also has a huge number of Chinese students who have all been told not to attend lectures and to work at home. Apparently the campus is almost deserted and my partner’s role means that he doesn’t have a lot of contact with students/colleagues, but I am still reminding him to wash his hands and change his clothes as soon as he comes home. Not sure if it will help as we both got Swine flu when it was around. He got it first.

With parcels and letters I open them, tip the contents out, dispose of the packing and then wash my hands. Other hard surfaces I clean with Dettol wipes.

@IrisAtwood so much luck for your surgery. I haven’t done my will but have got my goodbye letter for DH back out. He is not sleeping because of this and getting angry for no reason at anything.
If it’s any help, I think the hospitals will be the cleanest that they’ve been and the general public I seriously worry about their lack of hygiene before, so general things like norovirus and c.diff / MRSA etc should actually be lower.

@IrisAtwood the only other thing to think about is if the person making the tea has it and touches the lid when they put it on, so think about cleaning the lid before you drink it or transferring it to a reusable cup you bring with you.
I don’t know how far to take precautions, or how much I’m letting my fear run away with me. Before this outbreak I was pretty much limiting outside contact anyway.

Thanks Penguin! That’s a great idea, as I have a reusable cup and I have been handling the cup itself with paper napkins.

I hadn’t thought about the hospital being more careful, so that is also really helpful. I am starting to wonder if they will delay my surgery as it means being in ITU for at least 24 hours post-op. I’m already off sick and will be upset if I have to feel like this for months and months.

Regarding your anxiety, Penguin. I would do what makes you feel safe and forget about whether you’re letting fears running away from. I mean, as long as you’re not wearing a hazmat suit and decontaminating anything that comes into the house by insisting on showering them or it with 90% alcohol for 30 seconds, I don’t see the problem. :)

Thanks, I am happy to stay in the house and as long as I have internet I’m happy. I think it’s more other people’s reactions and the expectations that I’ll go crazy from other people but I’m fine with it I think. I’ve had to do it before and it’s not too dissimilar this time. But the more I think about food deliveries and DH being at work the more I think I can’t plan around everything.
Have you got a date for your surgery?

I’m guessing the virus lives on everything, so getting myself some flowers delivered is out. I rely on Amazon for so much when I can’t get out but now I’m wondering if that’s a bad idea. There is no ideal solution I don’t think!

I think you are right penguin, I hope that the increased handwashing should help with other bugs too.

DH and I can pretty much self isolate. I have an adult DC though and can't ask them to do the same.

Asthmatic here. I had pneumonia last year and was in and out of hospital for weeks having nebulisers and steroids, To be honest I’ve not felt right since and have struggled to keep my asthma properly controlled. I also struggle with severe anxiety (diagnosed) and am trying not to let thoughts about Covid-19 spiral away from me. Truth is I’m terrified of catching it! I have to commute into London (WFH not an option) and am lone parent to an under 5. Obviously taking all the precautions I can, but still feel sick at the thought of having to get on that train.

Autoimmune liver disease here. I’m on Azathioprine and prednisolone and I’m worried. I work with children and I know they are saying they don’t get it badly, I’m assuming they can still pass it on.
Can’t get hold of my consultant and seeing as there has been cases of Covid-19 at my hospital, I don’t particularly want to go to get my bloods done (and my condition is currently poorly controlled).
Can’t take time off work as we need the money, but ideally I would like to bunker down and hide, although I know this too isn’t exactly practical as it could potentially be months.
I get the flu jab every year, and still usually end up really ill, and occasionally in hospital because of it. My body just doesn’t cope well.
I know what will be, will be, but it’s still scary!

Have Crohn's, seasonal asthma (who knew there was such a thing) and less than 2 years after cancer. I only now take sulphazalazine as all the good Crohn's drugs are contra-indicators for cancer. Did have a cold over winter for about 6 weeks - wonder if i've already had a mild version of CV? When people say they take cancer type drugs what do you mean?

Dh is immunosuppressed after long awaited kidney transplant in 2018. His meds are being constantly jigged about right now because he's already trying to fight another virus. In fact, he's likely to go back on dialysis at least for a while anyway. Which will mean tri weekly in hospital sessions. Totally confused now as to what will happen. Worry is a constant companion these days.

Good luck with your operation Iris.

I am 75 with

Asthma,
High blood pressure
Diabetes 2
And a Pacemaker

We have a trip to Florence next booked for the end of the month. We will not be going. Though Florence is not in the lockdown zone, Pisa airport and a train journey is involved

Insurers will only pay out if the Govt advises against travel, which so far they have not done, or for medical reasons.

Would it be reasonable to ask my GP to confirm that I am vulnerable and the trip is inadvisable?

Thanks Lemony. Quite anxious as I have to see my consultant and have several checks done at a London hospital over the next couple of days. Last time I was there, there was a man in the waiting room with a very bad and frequent cough who didn’t use his hands or tissues. Just fired droplets like a machine gun for 25 minutes. I moved as far away as possible, but it did make me mad.

Tricky, listening to You and Yours (R4) last week they said that insurers won’t pay up, because it is your choice not to go. A guy was due to go to a centre of the outbreak in Japan that was in quarantine, but because he hadn’t booked a tour, so couldn’t prove that holiday had changed he was refused an insurance refund! Poor guy said it was either go and stay in the hotel for two weeks or cancel and lose his money. He chose the latter.