Cancer and COVID-19

It seems that when it comes to COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus, much of our culture lives in extremes. One extreme pretends there is no problem and harshly attacks anyone who says otherwise. The other extreme is hyper vigilant and hoarding things that are unrelated to COVID-19 symptoms, like toilet paper, though my friend Abbs Oliveira in a FB support group said they use the toilet paper for these nerf type guns that basically make spit balls. (That is one way to keep this kids occupied. see Pic Below)!



 This dichotomy of extremes reminds me of a famous quote:

“He (the devil) always sends errors into the world in pairs--pairs of opposites...He relies on your extra dislike of one to draw you gradually into the opposite one. But do not let us be fooled. We have to keep our eyes on the goal and go straight through between both errors. We have no other concern than that with either of them.”

― C.S. Lewis

I think that this perfectly illustrates the place where all Americans, and especially those of us who are immune compromised must strive for, the place between the two extremes., the happy medium. If we are Christian, then there is an added tension between the two extremes, a Radical middle, as we strive to be the hands and feet of Jesus during Crisis while still honoring our leaders and protecting the health of the most vulnerable.

In our case the proverbial devil is us and our human tendencies to gravitate to extremes. In a recent article directed to Christian Leadership, Carey Nieuwhof Said, “ A crisis simply reveals and amplifies what’s already there. For too many of us, that’s selfishness and self-righteousness.“, and I will add to that, fear. I don’t think there is a single person exempt from this. The question is what do you do with these natural tendencies?

For the immunocompromised I will share that earlier this year I caught rhinovirus and I ended up in the hospital with an IV and breathing treatments. This was with good hand washing/universal precautions, so I think it’s inappropriate for people, especially in cancer support groups, to judge and bring sarcastic responses when a fellow cancer warriors shares some of their added precautions. A compromised immune system is no joke. when non immunocompromised people take added precautions, they are going above and beyond to protect us. Please don't judge them, just say thank you.

Also, don’t be lulled into thinking that your immune system is healthy because your blood levels are normal. If you’re under active chemo/radiation/immunotherapy treatments, your levels can crash quickly at any time even 3-4+ weeks after treatment You may not know till your next draw that you are at risk which for me is a week later, some go much longer between draws.

Here are some added precautions that immunocompromised people should consider:

• Most of the country is self quarantining since the state of emergency was declared, stay home to the extent that you are able. Follow the advice of your local department of health.
• Don't accept visitors unless you can be spaced 6 feet apart. ( as of March 20th the coutry is being asked to accept no visitors, my state, PA is imposing fines for unessential travel. Stay tuned to your local department of health for specific recommendations for your area)
• If visitors enter your home, ask them to take off their shoes and wash/sanitize their hands.
• In one support group a friend recommended taking special care to use disinfecting wipes on door knobs, light switches, and I will add to that handrails for our stairs.

Here are some things to consider continuing or starting:

• Do go for walks with your family. If you encounter others on your walk do stop and chat (from 6 feet apart).
• Do facetime/facebook messenger/google hangout, etc with family members and friends who do not live near you.
• Do spend time with your immediate family. Have a family game night, play with toys, have a meal together around a table, stream movies.
• Cook at home to the extent you can, order delivery to the extent you can't cook. Be sure to tip the driver as well as you can (with online ordering preferably), drivers do accept risk of infection in service to us. a tip is a great way to thank them.
• Do go food shopping if you are able or utilize peapod/instacart/amazon for grocery delivery if you are not able. If you venture out, go on off peak hours. Many grocery stores have "At-Risk" hours. call in advance to ask if your local store is participating. Ask neighbors if you can add anything to your order for them (front door drop off). Remember to wash and sanitize hands before and after shopping
• While self quarantined, you and your family can write letters/cards of encouragement to send to elderly, and immunocompromised people. If you are in a cancer support group, start there. As people post who are having a hard time, or feeling isolated, inbox them to ask if you can send them a note or card. You can also call a local assisted living/rehab facility to get a good address to mail cards and letters.
• The justice advocate in me would like to remind you that while quarantined, it's a great time to call, email, snail your members of congress to ask them to cosponsor a bill that will compensate for lost wages for individuals whose employers have shut down to protect public health from covid -19, but are not being compensated for lost wages. The same protections should go to families who have to stay home with children due to school closure for two weeks who will also lose wages. Tell them that you look forward to hearing back from them on their plan to protect the most vulnerable from the economic crisis in the wake of this pandemic.you can either call/email your members of congress directly: https://www.contactingcongress.org, or a super easy way is to message "Resist" to the Resistbot on facebook. After providing zip code and other information, the bot will auto send your letter by fax, email, or snail to all 3 of your representatives. 

I know that our tendency is to hoard in times of crisis, but it's important to resist the urge. Many people can only afford to to live week to week and if we leave the shelves bare, then our poorest neighbors become more vulnerable. Take only what we need for a 3 week period if you are immunocompromised (2 weeks if you are not). Don’t forget to refill prescriptions. Take advantage of grocery delivery services as noted above.

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