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Frequent Fevers and Infections with Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Texts between me and Allison

When Mathew ended up in the hospital again with a fever in such a short span of time, I felt like I was doing something wrong or not doing something that needed to be done. My other experiences with someone going through cancer treatments was that they went for chemo and for the most part, went on with their lives as if they were just a bit sick. They went to work, enjoyed their homes and families. They didn’t spend each day in pain or being rushed to the hospital and having to spend days on end with fevers and infections. I thought I was failing as a caregiver.


Mat woke up with a fever so they are checking 
for infections and took a chest X-ray
Sent April 5

Ugh. Now he has to stay til white count comes back 
up. That stinks but it’s probably nothing. What did 
Dr. Knight say about the celiac block?
Received April 5


I just mentioned to the other pain 
doc that was here today and he said it 
had been brought up before but will 
mention it for reconsideration
Sent April 5


Good. I’ve seen it help a lot of people 
and it’s nice because can back off the 
amount of pill pain meds needed.
Received April 5


I went home last night for 5 hours and 
when I came back his fever was 99 and 
he could hardly put a sentence together.
Sent April 5

Then he slept for 5 hours and fever was 101.8
But is already down to normal.
Sent April 5


Hopefully no infection and just because he’s neutropenic
Received  April 5

Back on Zosyn I assume
Received April 5


His counts went up a bit
Not Zosyn something
else.
I’ll have to look
Sent April 5

As long as back on IV
I’m sure it’s 
appropriate.
Received April 5

Nope other was oral so
back on Zosyn
Sent April 5


Yeah and only gone to oral 
because no fever.
Received April 5


He has a fungal infection in his bile duct 
because of the backup, your basic 
candida/yeast infection.
Two weeks on oral meds
Will this hold up the next chemo?
Sent April 5


That’s up to Dr Reed and how real he thinks 
the infection is. That fungus grows on your skin
Received April 5


How’s he doing? ANC?
Received April 8


Home last night.
Yesterday it was over 500. 
Didn’t give us an exact number.
Sent April 8


Sees Sarcoma Dr on Thursday
Sent April 8


Finally realized that neutropenia is part of the schedule
Sent April 8

LOL yes it is
Received April 8


Didn’t realize that. Kept thinking we were
doing something wrong.
Sent April 8


So now we can ‘schedule’ things like my 
doctors appointments or for visiting in and out of home
Sent April 8

You’re doing everything right. Just par for the course.
Received April 8


Once we realized that we were less ‘hysterical’  LOL
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