I have a question about what happens to people after treatments when they get things like the common cold, flu, etc. Are there other things to be concerned about? Does it take longer for a cancer patient to recover from a common cold or flu? Is it being too reactive to want to run to the doctor because of a little cough or something like that?

Harry finished treatments at the beginning of this past May and has been slowly recovering. (Physically anyway!) He gets mad at me because I think that these things should not be left too long and he thinks that I am going overboard.

How long does it take the immune system to rebound from the trauma of the treatments? Is he still at a great risk for infection?

Thanks for all of your input.

Cindy

Hi Cindy,

I'm nine months removed from treatment. Have not had a cold or any other ailment. Neither have several people I know here locally who are in remission. I think you may be a little too worried. I plan on having a flu shot this fall, but I think my immune system is fine. Also, I think it is a function of each individual. I think we may all react differently. I started working out two weeks after my disection. My wife thought it was too soon, but I felt I needed the exercise. I did not regret beginning exercise.

I assume he is getting monthly checks by his ENT? I think Harry know how he feels and would go by what he thinks.

Steve

Hi Cindy, Your not over reacting to want to take
him to the Doctors all the time just for a cold or
a cough. I'm 15 years out and have had sinus problems ever since. You might want to ask his ENT about a flu shot I have them every year.
Please keep in touch.
Cathy

Steve, Just curious about whether you had concurrent chemo? My medical oncologist says because I had chemo my WBC may be permanently lower than normal--so far it has stayed below normal though not way below. Which measn I may be more vulnerable to catching things but do have enough of a fnctioning immune system to fight things off eventually (once I catch them) fairly normally.

The one thing I have learnt from this site is that everyone reacts differently, but always worth frowning a people who cough and sneeze without putting their hand over their mouth or nose

I called the ENT's office today and spoke with them about this. They tell me that it could be alergies or something. Harry was up all night having a terrible coughing fit. He cannot talk much because everytime he does he starts coughing.

The coughing fit last night left him gasping for breath several times. He has an appointment with the ENT on Tuesday afternoon. I didn't freak out at the first cough but he has had these symptoms that have gotten progressively worse over the last 2 weeks.

Harry is the kind of person that avoids the doctor's office even when he knows he needs to go. During treatments when he would dehydrate he would refuse to go to the hospital even when the doctor told him he had too and I would have to damn near have someone force him into the car.

With this history, it makes me concerned every time that there is something that might require a doctor's visit. This is why I worry.

A current example - - - recently he was diagnosed with sleep apnea and the doctor has given him a CPAP machine. He has had the machine now for almost three weeks and has not used it. I have to sleep on the couch because I cannot sleep with him. He makes a terrible noise and shakes the bed when he is trying to gasp for air.

I told the nurse this and she was quite surprised that he doesn't seem to grasp the seriousness of the problem so she made the appointment partly because he needs the doctor to tell him how very serious the breathing issue is. Plant on top of that that he is very congested from whatever alergy or cold that he has now.

Now you can see why I am concerned.

Thanks for your responses.

Cindy

Hi Cindy, I understand I have sleep Apnea but not that bad. Let us know what the Doctor says. Hope
he helps.
Cathy

Nelie, I am not sure if WBC may be permanently low after getting chemo, it may or may not. I received 4 rounds of cisplatin and my WBC was only below normal for several months and after that it gradually rose to the normal level and remained stable for these years.You are only 3 months out of treatment and it is still very likely that the WBC will increase. Our immune system is definitely affected and so we need to do our best to strenghthen it by eating nutritious food, exercising regularly and thinking in a positive manner.For may case, it won't take extra longer time to recover if I get a cold but if the cold goes along with a sore throat, I will be extra cautious and will rush to the ENT asap.

Karen

Cindy[hey- we are out of the fields]living with a man who drags his feet about going to a Dr. for anything is sooo frustrating :rolleyes: I feel for you and understand the frustration. I get tired of being yelled at so I finally cross my fingers and let it drop. It's really hard I know. Amy