Fever

Hi Tobyholic - I developed a fever about a week after my first round of chemo, and although I'd been told to call right away if my temp went above 100.4, nobody explained WHY it was important to do so.  Long story short, I waited too long and ended up in the hospital with neutropenia.  From then on, I kept a thermometer in my purse and yes, I checked my temp at least 3 times a day.   Having said that, I was unlucky enough to have the more serious chemo SEs - most people do just fine.  Good luck! 

tobyholic, I could tell when my fever would rise, it only happened with A/C, never with Taxol. I would keep a thermometer by my bedside & one in my purse. The only time I was worried about it getting too high was after the flu shot...drink lots of water.....

My temp spiked on a hot August weekend evening, 10 days after final chemo. Went to the ER where they took me into a private exam room right away (it's not good for a sick cancer patient to sit around the public waiting area exposed to who knows what). 

I was somewhat dehydrated so stayed overnight on IV fluids & antibiotics although discharge was delayed due to an episode of diarrhea - c diff was suspected but I blamed lactose intolerance. Nothing ever showed up on blood, urine or stool cultures.

Be aware that some people normally run low: not everyone = 98.6! So, to them a fever is actually less than the "warning number". Best thing is to know your own self and trust your instincts.  Don't hesitate to go for treatment if you start feeling warm and get progressively higher readings over a few hours.