Keeping safe in the heat if you have blood cancer ☀️

Updates and News from Blood Cancer UK
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With extreme temperatures across the UK right now, and our Ask the Nurses summer health thread open for your questions, it felt like a good moment to share some practical tips from our nurse @Heidi_BloodCancerUK on staying safe in the heat.

Hot weather can be harder to manage when you’re living with blood cancer or having treatment - so whether you’re already feeling the effects or just want to be prepared, hopefully there’s something useful here.

1. Check whether your medicines make you sun-sensitive
If you’re unsure, check your medication leaflet or ask your pharmacist or hospital team.

2. Drink water little and often
Staying hydrated is particularly important for people with blood cancer, so try to drink plenty of water throughout the day.

3. Keep an eye on your temperature
If your temperature drops below 36°C or goes above 37.5°C, contact your hospital team as soon as possible.

4. Pace yourself, even on a good day
Try to take things slowly, stay in the shade where you can, and give yourself time to rest.

5. The usual hot weather advice still applies
If something doesn’t feel right, get medical advice - don’t wait.

For more information, visit: https://bloodcancer.org.uk/news/keeping-safe-sun

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Hot weather and MDS
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Great advice @Ceri_BloodCancerUK

Thank you

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Great advice. Stay safe everybody :blush:

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Thanks @Ceri_BloodCancerUK and I need to be reminded of all this advice. Look after yourselves everyone.

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Excellent advice as always

Found these helped me over the last few days

Wet flannel around the next
Cold cans resting on your legs
Putting towels in the freezer (in a sealed plastic bag)
Soaking feet in cold water

Last night slept with a few cold cans in the bed to cool down bedsheets and pillows

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I’m on duloxetine and this as with some other antidepressants can make it harder for your body to regulate its temperature sweating more than usual and longer to cool down

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Part fill a bottle with water and put in freezer
Leave enough room for expansion
When frozen you can use it on your feet, back of your neck anywhere where you can get a bit of relief

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Thanks for these tips @2DB. Also such a good reminder that sometimes it’s our non-cancer medicines affecting us or reacting to environmental causes. One of mine causes sudden vertigo when driving up- or downhill :roll_eyes:

Hopefully cooler again with you all!

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At night:-

A sheet instead of a duvet.

A hot water bottle half filled, put it in the freezer. Wrapped in a towel or a pillow case and hugged is bliss. But not for use in the winter afterwards! It could affect it and make it unsafe for hot water!

Anything damp (flannel, teatowel, small scarf), put in the freezer in a bag and when cold wrapped round your neck helps a lot.
These heatwaves keep coming and we have to learn to cope. But it is hard, and the heat is exhausting.

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@Spimula, that’s a great point about not using the hot water bottle with hot water afterwards - I’d never have considered that, thank you!

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