Your Questions About Gardening

GardenersCardiff answers:

Yes leave her out, she made you depressed. Bet she wont be sending you one. Defecate in her garden see how she likes it. Make sure you stick a bit of mistletoe on top, and if she says anything tell her it’s her christmas gift, and a little thankyou for all the cat defication she has sent to you over the years. Happy Christmas btw.

GardenersCardiff answers:

Potting soil is made to be light and drain well to make it better for containers, it is a lot easier moving a plant potted in potting soil than one with topsoil

GardenersCardiff answers:

I am also in the leukemia boat as the child of the first poster. Leukemia patients are neutropenic for far longer than most other patients, and therefore naturally get more infections.

However, while neutropenic, it is incredably easy to get an infection. You have to be very very strict with your hygiene. Constant hand washing, dailly baths and bed linen changes, do not reuse towels or clothing without washing, do not share towels or clothes, make sure the house is clean and someone else needs to be doing that cleaning. Pets need to be clean, and you shouldnt clean up after the pets. And then of course the neutropenic diet – no fresh/raw fruits or veggies, all meats must be cooked to temp, no fresh anything from the garden, no honey and definatly not the comb, and all dairy needs to be pasturized. You should not be around anyone else who is sick. If your care giver is sick, then you need to call your doc and get admitted (if you need a care giver, and most patients that sick do). You should not be around anyone who has had a live vaccine within two weeks (typically babies) and being around children other than your own is debatable, sometimes being around your own is debatable as most bacteria and viral infections are passed around through the kids at school/day care. Most patients are also instructed to wear gloves and a face mask while outside of the isolation area – either out of your room at the hosp, or out of your house at home.

I have had several infections while neutropenic, but again, leukemia patients are neutropenic more often and a lot longer.

I did go into septic shock with one infection. I had bad diareah, and had rubbed a raw spot on the anal opening. In my sleep, some of the diareah seaped out (I know its gross, but most things with cancer are gross). The raw spot by that point was an open wound. I woke in the middle of the night with a 102 fever, was in the hospital 45 mins later, and was on life support in the ICU an hour after that.

I made it through, but it was touch and go for a while.

The most common way people get infections while neutropenic is not washing hands enough, violating that neutropenic diet, and being around someone else who is sick, and not calling at the first signs of infection like a fever. It is extremly important to check your temp frequently, even if you feel fine. The rule of thumb is that if your temp is 100.5 or above, you need to call the doc.