@elbows so sorry for your loss.
@puzzlegal hope things go well for your husband.
Elbows, I’m so damn sorrry, and I’m sending love your way.
Puzzlegal, how are your husband’s treatments going? How is he? How are you?
Thing are going well. He’s tolerating the treatment will, and his numbers (red cells, etc.) are slowly moving in the right direction. Right now he’s very immune compromised from both the cancer and the treatment (it’s a cancer of a type of immune cell, so the treatment kills a lot of the relatives of the cancer, too) and I’m anxious about accidentally bringing a bug into the house, or not cooking the food enough, or… But really, things are going as well as can be hoped.
You must be worried every moment, especially, as you describe, about bringing germs into the house now he’s so vulnerable. I know you’re better equipped than most to endure this ordeal, but that doesn’t make it easier.
It’s good to hear the treatment is going as well as can be expected. I hope this phase of limbo passes without complications and results in a complete success.
Please do keep us posted.
Good luck with all of this.
Is masking recommended?
Yes, his nurse recommends we wear masks in crowded places, and be careful about hand washing and cooking food. I’m actually at a square dance weekend (that i run) right now, but I’ve arranged to stay with a friend for a few days afterwards, until i know whether I’ve come down with “convention crud” or it is safe to return home. I’ll wear clean clothes, wash my hands, don an n95 mask, and spend some time with him as soon as the weekend is over, but i won’t be unmasked near him until I’ve gone a couple of days with no “contact with lots of of people” or symptoms. I think i can do most of my household chores masked.
Fortunately, he worked from home before this, so he can continue his work somewhat normally, and safely.
He had chemo yesterday, and his numbers continue to improve. (He gets blood tests the same day.) His red and white cells are below normal, but are creeping back up, which is good. He’s also feeling a lot more normal.
Have you got a few good HEPA air cleaners at your place?
Yes. The house AC system actually has a pretty good hepa filter, and i use that when we have people over. (I turn off the condenser in the winter, but leave the power on for the fan.) We also have large stand-alone hepa filters in the living room and basement which are just always on.
Excellent news, may the trends continue.
As for the rest of your preventative measures, sounds like just the right sort of reasonable steps you can take without shutting down your life completely.
That’s wonderful news.
Good!