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Avoiding Germs
Updated November 2, 2012
It's extremely important not to get sick when you are undergoing treatment for cancer. When white blood cell counts are down, viruses can turn into infections which can turn into 9-hour waits at Emergency. Because the rule is, if you're having chemo and you get a fever, you go to the hospital tout de suite. The other rule is that you wait there getting exposed to bigger and meaner germs while every skateboarder with a bone sticking out of his calf and every angry person who opted to stop taking meds that night is seen to as you whimper, groan and hate them all from your little germ-riddled chair. Lots of time to contemplate whether the system is working. Obviously there are better things to do with those 9 hours, like sleep. My naturopath has encouraged me to wear a mask in very public places to avoid exposure to airborne germs. Can't do it. (OK I might do it in the Emergency waiting room.) But at least at home we're on top of it, keeping this in plain view on the kitchen counter: Control what you can, right?
