Cancer and COVID-19

When COVID-19 started in the beginning of this year I was so glad I was done with treatments of my cancer. My plastic surgery was delayed because of COVID-19, but that not being life-threatening it was only a bummer. I felt so sorry for those with chemo, not able to hug and go out without getting that extra risk of dying. Maybe your last months on earth and you're blocked to go out due to the lockdown.

A couple of months later I find myself in the same position. The lockdown stopped, but the infections are growing hard and I need to be really careful when I start with chemo.

Is it okay to send her a message?

5 weeks further and still not able to react, connect to a lot of people in my surroundings. Unconsciously I created a bubble and in this there's a small group I talk and socialize. It started with my family, then every week it became a little bit bigger with a few friends and my boss. I get so much kind messages and cards. My colleagues are completely going crazy with presents, it is unbelievable.

Till today i'm still not responding on each whatsapp. I know people will understand, but still it's a little rude, so sorry guys :-). I'm avoiding because I can't answer the questions. People want to know how I am, what is the treatment plan. I do not have the answers yet and telling this a couple times a day will only frustrate and I need the energy to fight.

Should you then stop messaging or send cards if you now someone in your surrounding is dealing with this...hell no, this shit is live mattering, so if you ignore it, you ignore something so vital of that person. Yeah, I know this is inconsistent.

Go to a specialist for treatments and after care

In April 2019 I went to a local hospital in Rotterdam as I was feeling a lump in my breast. They took a biopt and I was informed that the lump was a benign fibroadenoom. I was reassured that benign was never getting Malignant. In December I felt that lump was growing rapidly and I went back to the hospital. Although not taken seriously in the beginning, the surgeon agreed that the lump was quite big now and as it was causing pain, surgery was needed to remove the lump. As the biopt was benign in April there was nothing to worry. Back in the car the surgeon called me. She started to have some doubts and wanted to take a new biopsy. Nothing to worry she said, chances were really low but she wanted to be sure that it wasn't a rare type of tumor.

One week later I had an appointment for the biopsy results. I saw the doktors face and I knew enough, the lump was a malignant Phyllodes tumor. The same week I had scans to check it the cancer was metastasized. As the scans were clear (no mets!) and the tumor was growing like crazy (2 cm in 1 week, after biopsy) they decided to do an urgent surgery the day before christmas, 24 December. After operation I was informed that no further treatment was necessary.

As I wanted to be sure that indeed no further treatment was necesarry I went for a second opinion to AVL/Dutch Cancer Institute in Amsterdam. They came to the same conclusion: no further treatment needed, just quarterly control which could take place at the local hospital. Change for mets was really low, but now I know better...