Are you getting cancer treatments during COVID-19?

@mom23boys Thank you. The area they are working on is right by my throat and collarbone, too! It was amusing to me to listen to them, "You're going to have a sizeable scar, and may want plastic surgery to make it more presentable." Heck, I have earned every scar, wrinkle and gray hair! My melanoma scar is 32 stitches on right forearm ;))
Ginger

No treatments or surgeries in NM. My stage 4 prostate cancer is deemed a non-essential "elective" surgery. Just had the bone scan and CT scan showing it may not have metastasized yet, and then told three days later my surgery to remove the prostate and lymph nodes had been put on hold. Apparently the powers that be in New Mexico, ie our little governor, have determined abortions are necessary procedure, but cancer removal is not! Gleason 10 PSA 15. Pain throughout my body. "Dead man walkin", except my Faith says I will indeed live and not die... Testimony time down the road!

Hey PapaBill, will go along with you on our "little governor"! I also live in our Third World State. Besides our governor, our medical treatment and hospitals are some of the worst in the country. I fought for over a year to get treatment for my Lyme Disease they said I didn't have it because we have no ticks in NM.
Long story, anyway hang in there!
Hope this too shall pass.
(please don't take my coments about our medical facilities mean that that's the way I feel about our state! Lived here for 45 years and wouldn't ever leave!)
Sundance RB

Thanks. My urologist and pcp have been great through this. Found Rust Hospital to be very professional through all my recent tests. Passed experience in NM over the years has been less stellar for sure. Have a great day.

@colleenyoung -- Thank you for the questions. As it happened, I finished my breast radiations exactly 16 days ago. Thankfully! The other things I need to do have been canceled until the threat of COVID-19 is over. That include mammography, 6-month follow-up with surgeon, blood work, CT scans, etc..

At this point, I have radiation side-effects, but also feel pretty stressed, and am experiencing what may be described as "brain fog" ... Very NOT me! Distressing in and of itself. Mental health care is available, if you feel comfortable with "Telemedicine". I don't.

Regardless, I am keeping a positive attitude and optimism. They are very important in life, particularly at such times when our sense of "lack of control over our own lives" tends to drag us down.

Stay strong and stay safe!
--Dee

I'm laughing, but I know you will understand. In December I had skin cancer removed from each thigh and my right shin. Each had about 10-11 stitches. The doc "sadly" told me I'd have a scar on each and a little lumpy for awhile. I didn't care. Battle scars, I say.
Peggie

@colleenyoung Unfortunately my prostatectomy for late April was cancelled. They were unable to tell me when I might be able to reschedule.

My treatments are over however last week I went for blood work we remained social distancing and I wore an N95 mask & gloves as did the person drawing my blood,( he also had on a shield), my WCB is low ( 2.4) however my physician has since contacted me & suspended all tests until further notice, advised me to self quarantine until she advises me otherwise . I had a specialist appointment booked for April 1 & when I told them I would prefer not to come in they told me the Doctor was not seeing anyone just making phone calls & he would phone me at the time I was scheduled for. so things are being taken care of just in a different way. Stay safe everyone! & remember to wash your hands and social distance.

@sundance6 30 years ago I got the same response from the company doctor when I was diagnosed with Lyme. The stupid MD never looked at my medical file which showed I lived in Connecticut for 40 years and had rented a cottage for 5 years in LYME CT. Hope you were finally able to convince your MD.

Dadl48, So no I could not convince my PC and 7 other doctors I had it because I life in the high desert and we don't have Black leged ticks here. It finally came from my Orthopedic doc who started in medicine as a Microbiologist in the south. I see him every 60 days for a shot in my hip for burcitias. Everytime I would come in he'd asked me how I was doing and if had any of doctors I had seen had any idea what was wrong with me.
One night I watched a golf show that had Pro Golfer Jimmy Walker on. Toward the end of the show they asked him about his Lyme disease that he and his wife both had.
All of a sudden the Light Bulb went off. I imediately came up to mmy office and started reading about it. Copied off a bunch of articles about it. Went into to see my ortho guy for a shot that week and tookthe articles with me. He just smiled! He said he felt I had Lyme disease but it was out of his field at the hospital.
He said the first time I told him my symptoms he knew what it was. He also knew that the way they intially treated me with a small dose of antibiotics would cover it up. It would not show up on the blood test.
Spent the last year and a half researching it.
Something that has come to light recently is that golfers are very suseptable to Lyme Disease because we go out in the brush looking for our ball. Being in the golf business I have played in most areas of the country. Didn't realize that a pro golfer here in Albuquerque,Tim Heron, had it also.
My PC still will not admit that I have it, partly because of hospital protocal, but we've worked out where he treats the "Symptoms"! In my case Headaches and Fatigue are my Biggest problem!
I take two Oxycodone's every day and i hardly have them anymore. I've given up telling others what I take because the look at my arms for the Track Marks. Although new info I have read recently that the brusing on my arms and legs aren't from the Blood thinners I take,but now they say they are from Lyme.
My family still does not understand what it is like.
I had to take a four day business trip a couple weeks ago. It was all driving 1600 miles. Worked four stright 12 hour days. I knew what would happen and it did. I have been moreorless down since them although I'm starting to feel better. Although today I slept approx 16 hours. But I'm getting my strength back.
I don't know if you have seen but there have been two celebrities, Justin Bieber and Shania Twain who have come forward that they both have Lyme.
It helps to have some famous people come forward that has suffered from it! They try and explain it will never go away. I've found that people have different effects from it, but the headaches, fatigue and musscel soreness seemed to be comon.
Sorry for going on about it, but I truly believe it is misdiagnosed 90% of the time.
I'm sure because of it as an autoimune disease and my age puts me at higher risk for the coronavirus, I reaally don't give a Hoot!
Take Care!
Sundance(RB)