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Chemo Patients: Is it dangerous for me to be near them?


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Sorry if this is a dumb question, but I haven't been able to find an answer online.

 

Someone very close to me has been going through chemo since way before this HSV nightmare started for me. I used to go pick up lunch, take it to the hospital, and sit and visit with her while she was hooked up to the chemo. I'd spend a couple of hours sitting with her. Of course, there are maybe a dozen other chemo patients there at the same time hooked up to their drips. The closest ones to her are in fat, fluffy recliner chairs on either side of her (maybe 3 or 4 feet between their chairs and hers).

 

I never went to chemo during an outbreak because I did not have this going on at the time. 

 

Is it safe for me to be around this friend AT ALL? I'm not sleeping with her or kissing her on the mouth. I was not around her during an outbreak.

 

But what about being around her on a "normal" day in my life (whatever normal might be now, I don't know)?

 

When the dermatologist's nurse called me yesterday to give me the diagnosis of HSV (without any 1 or 2 because she said they don't know), she was giving me messages from the doctor that sounded kind of outdated. For example, she said, "You're only contagious from the time you feel a tingle of an outbreak to the time they dry up." I know from reading here on this forum and other websites that this is not true and shedding can take place when we have absolutely no idea.

 

With this friend's compromised immune system, I don't want to do anything to put her in danger.

 

Thanks for any knowledge you might have on this subject!

 

NOTE: I was diagnosed as just "HSV" without a 1 or 2, but I suspect it's 1.

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RN here. whether you have 1 or 2 makes no difference. and since your outbreak is covered up she is safe. it is not transmissible via respiratory droplets through the air, it requires skin to skin contact. it's as simple as that. also, shedding happens at the site of your outbreaks, not all over - the virus lives in the nerves and expressed in what we call dermatomes (an area of skin). you are not putting her in danger.

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that said, and obviously, you would want to wash your hands after using the bathroom. a compromised immune system means it is much easier for that person to contract the virus. so in that respect, i wouldn't take any chances. this is not to suggest that you don't wash your hands after the bathroom, but i just thought i'd put that out there.

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Except my first (and only, so far) breakout was NOT covered up — it was all over my face. What if my face touched hers during a hug? My first breakout is healed now. I know that I would be co raviolis if I had another outbreak. But what about shedding, since the outbreak was NOT covered?

 

RN here. whether you have 1 or 2 makes no difference. and since your outbreak is covered up she is safe. it is not transmissible via respiratory droplets through the air, it requires skin to skin contact. it's as simple as that. also, shedding happens at the site of your outbreaks, not all over - the virus lives in the nerves and expressed in what we call dermatomes (an area of skin). you are not putting her in danger.

 

 

 

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my understanding is the number of outbreaks you have indicate how much shedding you are doing. so, if you've only had one outbreak (in how much time?) you are probably not shedding much.

 

My first (and only, so far) outbreak started 18 days ago. From my nose down, my face was full of sores. And there were a few sores higher on my face, as well. I was pretty much all sores and disgusting-looking.

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i would say if there are no open sores, it's fine to visit. it's fine to hug. don't kiss her, just to be safe. it sounds like you just contracted the virus and your body is probably a little haywire right now trying to figure things out. when i contracted hsv1 i was sick for a long time, i wasn't your typical patient. knowing that things can take a while to truly settle down, i would avoid skin to skin contact. are you on suppressive therapy or just for outbreaks?

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On day 2 of the outbreak, my MD misdiagnosed me and started me on antibiotic pills and antibiotic cream. If course, this didn’t help.

 

On day 6 of the outbreak, I saw a dermatologist who prescribed Valtrex twice per day.

 

Also on day 6 of the outbreak, I saw an ophthalmologist who increased my Valtrexwto three times per day because it got in one eye.

 

I was exposed either the previous weekend or the weekend that this outbreak happened.

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