No Visitors Allowed

Ok, good news first: No, I do not have coronavirus, and I am not ill (besides the cancer, but y'know...). I am practicing a lot of social distancing and self-quarantine.

There are a variety of infographics, diagrams, and charts out there that explain in detail what social distancing means, so I won't go into that in a whole lot of detail.

Instead, I want to address the many people who have discussed or requested a visit with me.

The thing is, because I have cancer, I am immunocompromised. I am not as immunocompromised as I was during daily chemo/radiation, but my body is still spending time fighting the cancer, which means that my immune system is not fully equipped to fight off additional illness.

Last week, I had a follow up with the Rockstar Neurosurgeon to get the stitches out. He likes the way the incision is healing, but it is not completely healed yet.

We had a discussion about corona while The Husband and I were in the Rockstar Neurosurgeon's office. He broke it down for us. Individually, the chances of any one person catching corona are low-ish, but the nature of this illness is that eventually, it is a matter of when, not if, some individual will be exposed.

He recommends caution, and I'm all for that, which is part of why I rarely leave the house, and never leave without a mask and hand sanitizer available. We've been avoiding crowds and basically keeping distance from people. No hugs, no handshakes, no one closer than 6-10 feet during conversation.

I miss having the chance to socialize with friends, but the scary reality is that the Rockstar Neurosurgeon very clearly advised me that if I get this virus, I will end up on a ventilator, just by nature of being immunocompromised. In the past nine months, I've been hospitalized four times. I don't know if you know this, but being stuck in the hospital suuuuuuuuucks. The absolute last thing I want is to be back in a hospital any time soon. A Twitter friend posted this the other day, and I think it's important to share it as widely as possible:

Not sure who needs to hear this, but I haven’t survived almost a year with #Glioblastoma only to die from #COVID19. Stay home, folks. Protect the vulnerable. #btsm

— Aaron (@amhoov) March 11, 2020

Lots of people tell me how strong I am, which is very sweet and very kind, but I have a literal hole in my skull. I am part of "the vulnerable".

I have a close friend who lives in the Midwest-ish(?) who was going to try to come visit me. As we were keeping a close eye on this situation, we quickly realized that although we haven't seen each other in maybe 5 or 6 years, out of an abundance of caution, infection was not a risk we were willing to take, for either of us but especially for me. Her trip was canceled, she is still at home, and we are sad that we didn't get to see each other; however, so far I have managed to maintain my health, such as it is.

Making these difficult decisions is the opposite of fun, but we have to be realistic. We have to understand the risks. Don't panic, you probably have enough toilet paper, and you don't need hand sanitizer in your own house if you actually wash your hands with hot water and soap for at least 20-30 seconds. It doesn't even have to be anti-bacterial soap, considering it's a virus.

Anyway. For the time being, I have a stock answer for those who want to come visit.

If you absolutely must be in contact with me, write me a letter. I really do prefer pen pals more than text, email, etc. Send me a card. Write a quick note. Do you know how much it lifts my spirits to get mail that isn't hospital bills??

PO Box 203
La France, SC 29656

In the meantime, be safe, wash your hands, and cover your cough. You may be generally healthy and strong, but remember, not all of us are so lucky. Protect the vulnerable, the elderly, those of us at higher-risk. It's the right thing to do.