A bit of advice please

[Sarahd1609]

I know this doesn’t relate to lupus directly and I know nobody on here is medically allowed to comment but I was wondering if anyone knows the answer. I’m on Secukinumab and hydroxychloroquine sulphate as immunosuppressants. Unfortunately my mother in law was diagnosed with a cancerous lump which needs removing and she has to have radiotherapy. Is it safe for my family and especially me to be around her. I don’t want to keep her only grandson away from her but I can’t risk my own health if I’m not meant to be around her and I don’t know how safe it is for my son to see her and then come home to me? Has anyone else unfortunately had to deal with this? Thanks in advance xx

[BubbleMonkey]

Hiya. I can see your concern, but as far as I am aware both cancer and radiotherapy are things that only affect that one person. Neither are contagious or spreadable in any way.

So it should be perfectly safe for you and anybody else to be around her. Likewise Lupus shouldn't be contagious in any way so it's safe for her to be near you.

The only exception would be if she or you (or anybody else) became ill with anything contagious (like the flu) in which case it would be better for you and her to stay away from the ill person for a while due to the whole vulnerable immune system situation.

But of course I'm no medical professional so you could always double check with a doctor to be extra sure.

[honeybug]

Hi Sarahd1609😊🌸🌿🦋

I’m sorry about your mother in laws cancer.

My mother and brother both had lung radiation. There were no restrictions for family interactions with it. However if it is chemo no exchange of body fluids e g Kissing eating/sharing foods or utensils forks etc toothbrush or sex. To reassure yourself call the doctor and ask about family interactions with her.

Best wishes and take care.

😊🌸🌿🦋 🤗💕😘

[PMRpro]

Radiotherapy shouldn't be a problem - unless it is one of the sorts where there are indwelling pellets or wires or internal radiotherapy in which case there is a low level of radiation being emitted all the time and if you are very physically close then you could pick some up. That's unlikely here. The other thing that you need to keep your distance is when someone has had a scan of an organ when a radioactive tracer has been injected - then the patient is told who to keep away from (children and pregant women usually) and for how long.

These are questions for your mother to ask of the staff at the radiotherapy clinic who will explain it all. This is also a very good explanation in simple laguage:

health.clevelandclinic.org/...

[Sarahd1609]

Thank you so much everyone. I’m going to ask my mother in law to ask the question when she goes on Tuesday to discuss her treatment. It doesn’t help her mother passed away this morning so at the moment our world is turned upside down xx

[Cann]

I was with a person on chemotherapy that I didn't know about and I developed bad flu symptoms - pain all over my body. It happened after each session and I asked the person if they knew why I was bad after spending time with them. They then told me that they had cancer and had had chemotherapy on the days before the occasions I was with them and bad afterwards.

If you are sensitive which many with immune illnesses are, then either see how you are after being with them once for short time or avoid them until the treatment is over. I recovered afterwards, but it took a couple of weeks of feeling bad and even being bed ridden and I wished they had told me.

[I814u24u]

You are perfectly safe. The only time you need to be away is if the had radium implants