My wife and I and 2 of our children all live at home. The children go to the local schools and are exposed to all sorts of "bugs"
Today my wife and one of my children are home with bad sore throats.
I have been through the ringer over the last 3 years and am now on maintenance Revlimid, so I am obviously immune compromised.
It almost seems certain that I will end up sick with whatever bug they have.
I know not to physically contact sick family members, wash hands frequently, use clean dishes etc, but other than that, what does one do?
We all have had our flu shots.
I realize that by the time they feel sick, I've already been exposed to the bug.
I sometimes wonder if I should live by myself from December thru February-ha. (sort of a "ha")
What do others do in my situation? Any advice? Thanks, Stann
ps. I've heard this years' flu season has started very early and is expected to bigger problem than most years.
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Re: Everybody in house is sick
hI Stann...sorry to hear that your family is down with sore throats, etc. Can you carve out a space for yourself where you are not too exposed to the 'bugs'? Since you are immune compromised, I am sure that your family doc would be wanting to treat them soon also, so that you wouldn't get sick. That could be a 'win win' situation for all of you.
I think you mentioned in a previous post or thread that you have had at least one stem cell transplant. Have you been able to get your childhood vaccines back yet?.. Plus the pneumonia shot, which protects against many kinds of that illness.
At least walking outdoors in the fresh air doesn't expose one to any bacteria or viruses! Hope your family is feeling better soon, and that you don't come down with anything either.
I think you mentioned in a previous post or thread that you have had at least one stem cell transplant. Have you been able to get your childhood vaccines back yet?.. Plus the pneumonia shot, which protects against many kinds of that illness.
At least walking outdoors in the fresh air doesn't expose one to any bacteria or viruses! Hope your family is feeling better soon, and that you don't come down with anything either.
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Nancy Shamanna - Name: Nancy Shamanna
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Self and others too
- When were you/they diagnosed?: July 2009
Re: Everybody in house is sick
Hi Stan,
Sorry to hear that your family is sick, I hope you dont get it. I have a 9 (nearly 10) and 14 year old that from time to time bring home the occasional cold. A cold for them = lung infection for me.
I am immunocompromised and currently on acicylovir (antiviral), resprim forte (antibiotic) and roxithromycin (antibiotic) but if the children mention a sore throat I gargle with betadiene (an iodine based anti-viral anti-bacterial solution). I believe it has decreased the severity and number of the infections I have had so I will continue to do it. The other thing I do if I feel as if I am coming down with something but dont have a temperature is visit my GP to get a script for another antibiotic (particularly if it is a Friday afternoon). I know that it only takes 2 days for me to go from being slightly sick to having a secondary infection.
I do my best (most of the time) to ensure that the children are in the best possible condition so that their chance of catching something from school is small ie. getting enough sleep, exercising, eating well. I have also asked their teachers and the school to let me know if there are children in their classes that have something contagious (it was swine flu last year, thankfully I didn't get that one). I know it usually is a case of closing the gate after the horse has bolted but these are the steps I have taken.
Heres hoping you wont get the bug.
Sorry to hear that your family is sick, I hope you dont get it. I have a 9 (nearly 10) and 14 year old that from time to time bring home the occasional cold. A cold for them = lung infection for me.
I am immunocompromised and currently on acicylovir (antiviral), resprim forte (antibiotic) and roxithromycin (antibiotic) but if the children mention a sore throat I gargle with betadiene (an iodine based anti-viral anti-bacterial solution). I believe it has decreased the severity and number of the infections I have had so I will continue to do it. The other thing I do if I feel as if I am coming down with something but dont have a temperature is visit my GP to get a script for another antibiotic (particularly if it is a Friday afternoon). I know that it only takes 2 days for me to go from being slightly sick to having a secondary infection.
I do my best (most of the time) to ensure that the children are in the best possible condition so that their chance of catching something from school is small ie. getting enough sleep, exercising, eating well. I have also asked their teachers and the school to let me know if there are children in their classes that have something contagious (it was swine flu last year, thankfully I didn't get that one). I know it usually is a case of closing the gate after the horse has bolted but these are the steps I have taken.
Heres hoping you wont get the bug.
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LibbyC - Name: LibbyC
- Who do you know with myeloma?: myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 2009
- Age at diagnosis: 43
Re: Everybody in house is sick
LibbyC makes a good point! Getting enough rest, eating right, not getting overstressed, exercising if possible can go a long way toward keeping you healthy.
Lyn
Lyn
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Christa's Mom - Name: Christa's Mom
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Husband
- When were you/they diagnosed?: September, 2010
- Age at diagnosis: 53
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