Category: coronavirus

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Conversations & Coffee – All Of Us!

It all began in the Fall of 2019. Conversations & Coffee was off to a great start, hosting in person sessions. With the holidays and the New Year upon us, the plan was to pick up in the Spring of 2020. However, as 2020 rolled in with its own plan, we quickly shifted to Zoom. The concerns were varied as the lock down placed a pause on treatments, hospitalizations and screenings.

The struggle as you know it, was really real. Many cancer patients were afraid to go to their appointments. They expressed their concerns with being exposed to the virus, as the health care professionals themselves, were most likely exposed. The fear of missing appointments and the fear of getting COVID-19 was overwhelming. It was a nightmare.

In the summer of 2020, the sessions included speaking to families who were grieving the loss of a loved one who died of COVID-19. We explored the possibility of a vaccine and the concerns that come along with it. It was a difficult season for everyone.

The participants varied from millennials to seniors. Some sessions would include families who would sit in with their loved one. It was a beautiful, thoughtful and engaging experience. We were all home bound, bonding through this unfamiliar season.

Moving forward to the summer of 2021, Conversations & Coffee hosted an informative session with the All of Us Research Program presented by La Keshia Jones, Engagement Manager and Retention Lead – NYC Consortium at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. It was time to expand our topics to include being a part of something bigger. The pandemic was certainly an experience that served as a major disruptor to assess our overall health. One thing is certain, the health disparities remain disproportionately high within the minority population.

 
Through the All of Us Research Program,  participants will learn how it can offer the important information of their family’s health history and their genetic makeup which is essential in how each individual receive medical care. The DNA will also provide an insight to their ancestry line. The participant will also have the opportunity to meet with a genetic counselor in the event that they identify any risk factors for certain diseases – and the best part of it all – it is free!

Summer 2022 is upon us, and we have hosted a few more sessions with Jekolbi Brown, Director at Pyxis Partners. The main goal is to get as many participants as possible to enroll and spread the word. In the meantime, go grab your favorite cup so you can sip while you click the link to learn more about the All of Us Research Program.

Dr. Francis Collins (former Director of the National Institutes of Health)
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New Year! What’s The Plan

We’re well into the first month of the 2021 with COVID19 and the new strains of the virus, schools are shutting down due to positive cases, many places of businesses have closed, people are working from home, millions are unemployed, yet there has been a sense of hope for a turn around in 2021.

The COVID19 Vaccine offers an optimism from researchers, medical professionals as well as the general population at large. While Pfizer and Moderna are currently being administered to various members of the population, Moderna is working on a booster shot for the new South African strain of the virus. Not that we need this in our lives right now, but the new strain of the virus in the United Kingdom is reported to be even more deadly.

We all want to go back to living our lives the way we used to, but alas, here we are adjusting to this new way of life and quietly praying for things to get better real soon. It’s important that we adhere to the simple guidelines as suggested by the Center for Disease Control;

  • Wear a mask to protect yourself and others and stop the spread of COVID-19.
  • Stay at least 6 feet (about 2 arm lengths) from others who don’t live with you.
  • Avoid crowds. The more people you are in contact with, the more likely you are to be exposed to COVID-19.

One thing for certain, 2021 can be the year we use the experience of the countless lives lost to the virus, to adhere to the guidelines. Let’s make every effort to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe by doing everything we can to prevent the virus as far away as possible.

So what’s the plan?

Prevent getting sick

Photo by Askar Abayev
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Falling for Fall

As we enter into the fourth quarter of the year, we can only look back with great wonderment of what we have experienced within the last 8 months of 2020. Last year this time, we were out and about with a sense of knowing how to best navigate through our day. Whether it is going in for a cancer screening, doctor’s appointment, therapy, work, shopping or just running some simple errands – those days are long gone. We are now living in the era of a pandemic that is taking the world by it’s throat.

The new protocols are set to help us mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. While there are some people who are resisting the guidelines set by the top healthcare professionals, there is a majority of people who understand the importance of taking a unified approach to not only protect themselves but to protect others.

Fall is here and the chill is in the air. It is the time where we stay indoors more often. Families are huddled at home keeping warm. Not to mention those who live with room mates where there is limited control on the comings and goings of each person, including whom they may bring into the space. There is also the homeless shelter mixed with families and others who are also sharing a space. Why are we considering these people? We are a part of society. We travel to and from work, use the public transportation, open and close doors, shop in the stores, ride in car services, among other things. The people who have the highest risk of dying from COVID-19 are those who have pre-existing conditions. If you have cancer or even as a cancer survivor, it is important to avoid being exposed to the virus.

It is very important to make every effort to adhere to the standards of keeping a distance from others, wearing a mask, washing your hands and avoid touching your face. When you return to your living space, wash your hands. When you bring your groceries in, wipe them down with a disinfectant, wipe down the handles of the appliances, the door knobs, the faucets, any handle that is frequently used should be disinfected – including the handles on the toilet as well. I know it all seems to be a bit much but as we are still learning more about the virus each day, we cannot afford to let our guards down. With her most nurturing efforts, my mother would say – an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure. If only we could all take that approach, we may be able to get through this pandemic with less fatalities than we had in the height of the Spring and Summer season.

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Cancer and Coronavirus

The challenge of cancer during a pandemic

Summer is here and what a year it has been. We are half way through the year and as it was just a mere six months ago when everyone who endured the winter season, looked forward to the warm weather and just before Spring arrived, we were faced with a terrifying virus that caused the country to ask their citizens to shelter in place while they figured out how to contain the coronavirus.

Everything changed within a matter of days. The number of cases climbed so high as hundreds of people were dying daily, then it was thousands and the hospitals were overwhelmed. New York was preparing for the worst using every resource available, including make shift hospitals in Central Park and the Jacob Javits Center. The Navy Hospital Ship Comfort came to help with the non-covid patients as the hospitals were running out of space and could not accommodate their regular level of patients.

It was just too much to take in. The news coverage was focused on hearing from the healthcare experts, while they too figured out how to address this relatively unknown monster. First, they said, just wash your hands and avoid touching your face, you’ll be just fine if you follow these simple rules. “Don’t wear a mask!” they emphasized, “Leave that to the health professionals.” We quickly learned that the advice was not enough. They initially thought it was most likely going to affect the elderly and immunocompromised – until it was not the case. The death rates were highest among the minority population, but make no mistake, people from all ages and races were dying. Yet, while all this was going on, some people pushed back and refused to take COVID-19 seriously they failed to adhere to the precautionary and safety measures. Somehow, it became about their constitutional rights.

However, for those with cancer, the concern is grave. What about the treatments? Will it affect my chance at survival? Can I go to the hospital for treatment? Will I catch the virus if I go to the hospital or my doctor’s office? How will I get there? Do I have a chance at all? Cancer patients are most vulnerable during treatment and cannot afford to be exposed to anything, not even the common cold. The body needs to work on regaining its health and as it is literally in the fight for life mode, the last thing it needs is to contract a virus, especially the coronavirus.

The plea to all is simply, wear a mask. Avoid large crowds, stay home, stay safe, try to keep your loved ones free from exposure even if you don’t feel sick or have any symptoms, you may be a carrier. In the event that you do not live with your family or have no plans to visit, be mindful that there are others who are merely trying to keep themselves and their loved ones safe.

In the meantime, for the cancer patient, avoid going out unless it is absolutely necessary this summer. Stay home, wash your hands whenever you are handling anything from the outside, clean it off. Disinfect your your door knobs, the handles or the area where you open and close the refrigerator door, your toilet handle, the faucet knobs/handles, any area where others may have touched the surfaces, you want to keep your environment clean. If you have a backyard, go out and plant some flowers, vegetables or plants. Read a good book, watch some movies or binge watch your favorite shows, try out some new shows. Be creative, cook, draw, paint, bake, write, join an online group that features your favorite hobby, watch some things of interest on YouTube. Whatever it takes to keep you occupied, take this time to make the best of being indoors. Most importantly, wear a mask, even when you are home and someone comes to visit.

Summer 2020 will come and pass, make it a safe and enjoyable one.