A woman with stage three breast cancer has shared why you shouldn't use the same toilet as someone undergoing chemotherapy treatment.
Misty Myers, who goes by the handle @Lifewithmisty8 on TikTok, is currently fighting stage three triple-negative breast cancer.
The 28-year-old uses her social media platform to document her breast cancer battle and rigorous chemotherapy, which has led to extreme side effects such as tooth loss, for her 35.4K followers.
This week, the mother-of-eight shared a video revealing that friends and family could become vulnerable to side effects of the harsh treatment if they use the same bathroom as someone undergoing chemotherapy.
Watch the video below:In the clip, Misty said: "If you have someone in your family that has cancer and they're going through chemotherapy, it is recommended that the person that is receiving treatment use a separate toilet than everyone in the house."
For households where separate bathrooms aren't feasible, the TikToker explained that the person undergoing the treatment should follow strict protocols.
"We not only flush the toilet three times with the lid down, but we clean that toilet immediately after using it," she continued, explaining that this is because urine and feces can have traces of chemotherapy and lead to severe side effects.
"If we use the toilet and we don't close the lid, when you go to flush it, and the water kind of sprays up and becomes airborne or gets on the surface of anything else," she said. "Someone who does not have cancer and is not receiving treatment could end up with dizziness, rash, nausea, vomiting, skin conditions, all types of bad side effects."
Misty also emphasized that the potential long-term effects of being exposed to chemotherapy are "especially serious for healthcare workers".
The TikToker warned in the video, which has amassed over 7 million views, that people who are exposed to chemotherapy drugs may have an increased risk of developing cancer.
Furthermore, those undergoing treatment may not be able to "conceive down the road," adding: "Not everybody, obviously some people still have babies after receiving treatment, but it is a higher risk."
She then concluded her clip by urging people to "use proper precautions in your house", and "clean things the way that you're supposed to be cleaning with Clorox, Clorox wipes, things like that".
"You're flushing your toilet with the lid down multiple times and then you're cleaning the toilet," she said. "You're just being safe for everybody around you."
Many people took to the comment section to thank Misty for sharing the important video about chemotherapy.
"My stepdad is starting chemo on Monday. Thank you for sharing this bc I had absolutely no idea. I just sent this to my mom," one person wrote. "Really never knew this…and my mom was on chemo," a second added.
Misty has set up a GoFundMe to help her with the costs of chemo, radiation, surgery, and medication.
