There’s No Place Like Home

I guess I spoke a little too soon. Mike’s blood counts did in fact drop late last week, and it made it harder for him to fight off the head cold he picked up around the time he began chemo. Two of Mike’s sisters had taken me out to dinner Friday night, and Mike called me around 10:00 to tell me he was running a small fever. I came home and we spent the next few hours on temperature watch (a temperature of 100.5 or greater means we have to call the doctor and then go into the hospital). Over the next several hours, the temp fluctuated between normal and 100.3. At around 2:30 AM we finally decided to get some sleep, but when Mike took him temperature at 7:00 AM, it was over 101. So, in to the hospital we went. They admitted him and started and antibiotic IV, along with doing a CT scan of the head and a chest X-ray to see if anything else was going on. Both tests were clear. His blood work showed that his counts did dip, and due to the low white blood cells counts, he was considered “neutropenic.” That means he had a very low immune defense, and had to wear a mask if he left his room, and everyone coming in and out had to wash their hands. He also couldn’t have any raw fruits or veggies – only cooked foods.

Fortunately, he had a private room up on the oncology “overflow” floor, which is a lot nicer and is generally used by the more well-to-do patients. Of course, as Mike will tell you, the better floor doesn’t translate to better food. It still tests your gag reflex. I was able to stay with him all weekend, save for one trip home Saturday afternoon to get changes of clothes and some miscellaneous items. Gradually, Mike’s counts began to improve, and his fever eventually broke. He was released yesterday afternoon and we were able to come home.

I swear, when something like this happens (and it is common for patients undergoing chemo), you almost forget about the cancer because you’re so concerned with clearing up the immediate fever/infection threat and re-building the body’s defenses. Is it any wonder these treatments often scare me more than does the cancer?