Hi Everyone. I was diagnosed with triple negative grade 3 breast cancer in November. I started my neoadjuvant chemotherapy on 29th of November and another is coming up on 13th of December. Side effects weren’t too bad except I felt down in the dumps for the whole week. Walked everyday and did some exercise but it didn't make my mood any better. I went to shopping centre yesterday and I felt alive again... but friends keep telling me that I should avoid public places like shopping centres because of crowd and possibility of getting sick with low immune system and etc... Did you avoid going to shopping centres during your chemotherapy? Did you avoid eating out in restaurants?A little about me; I am 38; mum to a beautiful 5.5 years old boy and wife to a lovely husband. I have supportive parents and good bunch of friends around me but since chemo I can't focus and see happiness in my life anymore. I am not sure if it is chemo side effect or it has just hit me that I have cancer. I was okay right before chemo...P.S. I have started to read the posts here since day 1 and it really helped me a lot. Just wanted to thank all of you that take the time and post and respond. You are so caring, kind and lovely. Thanks for being here. Ellie.

I had forgotten about the GP - mine told me that whenever I had an appointment to ring reception and tell them I was waiting outside until I was called.

@Elli_Goli Good grief. Cancer takes away enough. Go shopping! Enjoy. Do what cheers you up. Having an outlet is what helps us get through.

As someone with mets, there is nothing that will stop me from doing normal things.My medication makes me have low neutrophils but I work in a school and swim in a public pool. For me, it is all about quality of life. AND when I was having I.V. chemo., I couldn't wait to finish that day's treatment so that I could go to work for a couple of hours. I was so bored.

I was the opposite ;) !During my 12 weeks of chemo (HER2+) I laid low and stayed away from crowded places and public transport during and also for a while after chemo as it was flu season and I didn't want the flu shot on top of all the other muck in my body. I used Dettol hand sanitiser but too much of it gives me dermatitis. My daughter buys a lovely one from Flora and Fauna which is lavender based, I think its called Dr Bronner ??, effective but expensive if you use it all the time. Good luck with everything @Ellie_Goli ! So glad you have wonderful support and a bright little boy to keep you grounded but go easy on yourself as everything will test your energy levels and sometimes it is all about you. I'm coming up to my 2 year op anniversary next week so can really relate to you being diagnosed near Christmas, enjoy it with your family !

I can understand that! I did the same when I was having chemo. But of course I could not have done it in a sea of nausea or fatigue. I was always grateful that 'normal' stayed with me through treatment, that I could choose to redefine it after treatment (and have been NED to date, which is an added benefit) and did not have to cope much with imposed and undesired changes to what I could do or wanted to do. We are not defined by having cancer, but side effects can block the horizon sometimes.

Should I avoid shopping centres during Chemo?

23 Replies

Brenda5
Member
7 years ago
I would suck on an antibacterial strepsils when I had to go shopping. I also stuck to areas where there were seats handy for if I got a little light headed.
Blossom1961
Member
7 years ago
My GP clinic takes me to my own separate waiting space. Usually an unoccupied doctors room.
Zoffiel
Member
7 years ago
I agree with Patti and Sister. The GP waiting room is best avoided during chemo, set up a system where you wait outside or in your car and have them call you when they are ready to see you. Same applies in the waiting room at your oncologists. This should be simple enough, though the door bitch at my oncologist didn't want to do it. She's a horrible cow, but she's an amateur compared to me so in the end I got my own way. I had to laugh "If we do it for you, we have to do it for everyone.' Yep, you just might. Suck it up.
Patti_J
Member
7 years ago
@Sister. When I go to see my G.P. every month, for my Xgeva injection, I wait in the nurse's room. Doctors' rooms and hospitals are the worst places for catching an infection.
Sister
Member
7 years ago
I had forgotten about the GP - mine told me that whenever I had an appointment to ring reception and tell them I was waiting outside until I was called.
Sarnicad
Member
7 years ago
I didn’t avoid the shops or functions we had so many in the initial round of chemo. I went a sell out football match caught public transport, had about 5 school functions and didn’t use hand sanitizer once! If I was going to get sick sleeping n3xt to my husband who has had a non stop sinus infection was going to be my problem. The only place I took precautions was at the gp - that’s where the sick people are

obviously I didn’t go out of my way to get infected but I didn’t put my life on hold except for when I was feeling too ill to move
Beryl_C_
Member
7 years ago
Eucalyptus oil is one of natures 'anti-bug' gifts. It only takes a drop in a cup of water to be anti-bug, I put this into a small spray bottle, like the Orange Power spray bottles, and carry it in my hand bag. Lavender is also pretty potent. I made sure I bought a pure essence lavender but the eucalyptus is off the supermarket shelf from the laundry dept. I have become very sensitive to all artificial scents/perfumes since beginning treatment. I also spray the handles of shopping trolleys - is that going to far? Ellie_Goli sounds as though you are set up and feeling better is always a good place to be.
Riki_BCNA
Member
7 years ago
Hello @Ellie_Goli and welcome. Please don’t hesitate to call us at BCNA on 1800 500258 for any information or support. Wishing you all the best for your next cycle of chemo.
Ellie_Goli
Member
7 years ago
Thank you ladies. I went to shops again today and got the sanetiser, wipes and hand cream. Even buying these stuff made me feel better 😅
primek
Member
7 years ago
Most grocery shops have those wipes now, so I used to just wipe down the handles and upper areas of the shopping trolley . I didn't really avoid anything except people with heavy colds. Then just didn't hug abd kiss them as precaution. When travelling I carried bacterial wipes for the public loos (and some peoples homes) and just used hand bacteria if no soap available..