Hi all,
Not much of a poster usually but struggling to know what to do for the best in the current circumstances. My mum, 57, was diagnosed with GBM stage IV just before Xmas. She has two tumours, one was approx 90% but the other was left intact. Test showed they were relatively highly methylated so she was due to start the third round of chemo (TMZ) next week, no radiotherapy due to the volume of affected brain tissue. She has a bit of a cold at the moment, and between that and the COVID 19 risk, they have told her not to attend her appointment and to wait until she's feeling better before considering any more chemo.
Obviously government advice currently is for her to self-isolate. She was given a 12 month prognosis at Xmas, so we are acutely aware of the little time she may have left. Particularly as they have had to increase her steroids doses several times since the surgery to deal with headaches, confusion and mood problems.
I guess we should follow the advice, but to have undergone surgery and chemo to spend more time with your family, only to need to isolate yourself away from them seems unbearably cruel.
If your mum does have 'just' a cold then delaying chemo a couple of weeks is sensible and shouldn't make too much difference to the treatment being effective as sometimes the doctor will also delay treatment if the blood platelets go too low after chemo. It is always best for your mum to be in the best possible health for her body to be able to sustain and recover from the next round of chemo.
During the coronavirus outbreak the hospital are hopefully taking all the precautions necessary to protect your mum and patients likewise in same condition. I would advise your mum to take all the extreme measures as advised at the moment. Sometimes the hospital provide masks but if not she should get one herself to wear it when she enters the hospital and to wash her hands at the entrance apply the hand gel etc.
I would think your mother is at the same risk of catching the virus in hospital or in a queue at the supermarket. Sensible precautions are a must. In fact I would keep away from crowds as much as possible and do hope that the hospitals have planned &
are keeping patients away from each other. You could ask what plans are in place for the chemo patients when you book the next appointment.
