Side effects from chemo, that Hannah had to endure. Part 2

Rashes

She’s had various rashes over the course of her treatment.

One was an allergic reaction, she came out in a full body rash (a nurse said she looked like a red lobster), called the Red Man Syndrome, due to the antibiotic vancomycin, she will now always need a pretreatment when receiving this antibiotic.  She also needs a red hospital band, this indicates that she’s allergic to something, doctors will then double check before they give anything to her.

Another time, she also came out in an unusual rash all over her body, it looked like various types at once, the worst areas being her back, neck and nappy area on top of her already sore and weeping nappy rash, it was thought to be a fungal type rash and she needed 3 different creams and ointments, these eased it in a day and it was completely gone in a few days.

Immunosuppressed

The chemo lowers her immune system, which means she is susceptible to all sorts of viruses, the common cold could be devastating for her.  She spent most of the intensive stages in isolation, either too sick to enjoy her childhood, or others were sick, so she couldn’t participate.  During maintenance, she was able to experience and explore, but we still had to be cautious.  If she was sick with a cold, we kept her home, not only to make sure she didn’t get worse, but also to make sure the other children going through cancer treatment, wouldn’t get sick too.

The same applied when she started nursery, she had missed out on a lot of social interaction due to treatment, and she still prefers adult company rather than being with her peers, thankfully her nursery is helping her to adapt.

Many schools, are focusing more on attendance, rather than the health and wellbeing of our children.  There are many other immunosuppressed children who have to deal with this issue, and it’s hit and miss with how accommodating schools can be. This is a hurdle we have yet to overcome, but I know that when Hannah is of school age, I will be mindful of the children surrounding her.

Please check with your children’s schools, is there an immunosuppressed child that needs your cooperation and understanding?  Does your child really need to go into school sick?