Fever and Chills

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Hopefulprayers79
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Aug 03, 2017 3:00 pm

Fever and Chills

Postby Hopefulprayers79 » Tue Aug 22, 2017 11:31 am

Hey everyone!! I just wanted to see if any of you have been through this. My husband hasn't even started chemo yet (he starts tomorrow) and he has been getting sudden, unexplained fevers. Yesterday he said he started feeling hot and sweating and chills and he checked his temp and it was 104. He took two Tylenol and drank lots of water and felt better. He started having chills again in the middle of the night. He checked his temp and it was only 98.3. What could be causing this? He has had his final PET scan and it confirmed that the cancer has not spread. All his blood work was good except his white blood cell count was a little high. I am just worried because he hasn't even started chemo and radiation yet. What can I do to help him when it happens? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks,
Wife of Husband 43yrs old
Stage 3 Rectal Cancer
No family history

DarknessEmbraced
Posts: 3816
Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2014 4:54 pm
Facebook Username: Riann Fletcher
Location: New Brunswick, Canada

Re: Fever and Chills

Postby DarknessEmbraced » Tue Aug 22, 2017 12:00 pm

I'm sorry your husband is having a hard time!*hugs* I would call his doctor. I hope he feels better soon!*hugs*
Diagnosed 10/28/14, age 36
Colon Resection 11/20/14, LAR (no illeo)
Stage 2a colon cancer, T3NOMO
Lymph-vascular invasion undetermined
0/22 lymph nodes
No chemo, no radiation
Clear Colonoscopy 04/29/15
NED 10/20/15
Ischemic Colitis 01/21/16
NED 11/10/16
CT Scan moved up due to high CEA 08/21/17
NED 09/25/17
NED 12/21/18
Clear colonoscopy 09/23/19
Clear 5 year scans 11/21/19- Considered cured! :)

Utwo
Posts: 285
Joined: Mon May 23, 2016 10:14 am
Location: T.O.

Re: Fever and Chills

Postby Utwo » Tue Aug 22, 2017 12:37 pm

Hopefulprayers79, please update your signature.

Specifically, what was the date of his surgery?
58 yo male at diagnosis: T1bN0M0, 0/15 nodes, low grade/moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma
03/2016 colonoscopy: 2 small polyps removed in left colon; CEA = 1.3
04/2016 colonoscopy: caecum sessile 3.5 cm polyp piecemeal removed with kind of clear margins
05/2016 "prophylactic" laparoscopic right hemicolectomy - bleeding, leak, infection
06/2017 CT scan, colonoscopy OK; CEA = 1.6
A lot of funny stuff discovered by CT scans in liver, kidney, lungs, arteries, gallbladder, lymph node, pancreas

Hopefulprayers79
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Aug 03, 2017 3:00 pm

Re: Fever and Chills

Postby Hopefulprayers79 » Tue Aug 22, 2017 2:07 pm

He hasn't had surgery yet. He had his port installed last week and he starts chemo tomorrow.
Wife of Husband 43yrs old
Stage 3 Rectal Cancer
No family history

Lee
Posts: 6207
Joined: Sun Apr 16, 2006 4:09 pm

Re: Fever and Chills

Postby Lee » Tue Aug 22, 2017 3:26 pm

If his temperature hits 104 again, it may be time to see the ER. I believe your husband is fighting off some infection and 104 is serious. Let the Onc know this, there is a chance they might hold off chemo for a few days.

Hope he's better soon,

Lee
rectal cancer - April 2004
46 yrs old at diagnoses
stage III C - 6/13 lymph positive
radiation - 6 weeks
surgery - August 2004/hernia repair 2014
permanent colostomy
chemo - FOLFOX
NED - 16 years and counting!

Hopefulprayers79
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Aug 03, 2017 3:00 pm

Re: Fever and Chills

Postby Hopefulprayers79 » Tue Aug 22, 2017 7:55 pm

Thanks Lee! He seems fine today but I already told him I was definitely taking him to the ER tonight if he has another fever. Could it have anything to do with the port they just installed last Thursday?
Wife of Husband 43yrs old
Stage 3 Rectal Cancer
No family history

Basil
Posts: 275
Joined: Thu Mar 16, 2017 12:33 pm

Re: Fever and Chills

Postby Basil » Tue Aug 22, 2017 8:03 pm

He should be experiencing pain and tenderness at the port site if there is an infection from surgery. But I'm no doctor and can only tell you that 104 is a very high fever. I'm generally not in favor of rushing to an ER but that 104 number is pretty scary. Sorry I can't tell you anything more concrete. Hopefully it will stay down from here on out.
40 y/o male (now 46), kids 11 & 14.
Dx 3/16/17, rectal cancer s3,t3,n1,m0
PROSPCT trial (FOLFOX in lieu of chemorad)
FOLFOX 4/5/17 - 6/26/17
LAR 7/31/17, temp ileo
pathological complete response
Adjuvant chemo cancelled (IDEA Study)
Ileo reversed 9/25/17
NED
1 year scans - clear
2 year scans - clear
3 year scans - clear
4 year scans - clear
5 year scans - clear (considered cured)

jhocno197
Posts: 817
Joined: Mon May 11, 2015 9:33 pm

Re: Fever and Chills

Postby jhocno197 » Tue Aug 22, 2017 8:04 pm

Need to at least call and inform doctor.
DH - dx Dec 2014, stage IV with bladder & peritoneal involvement - non-resectable
Colostomy
FOLFOX failed
FOLFIRI failed
Tumor actually distending pelvic skin
Not a candidate for last-ditch pelvic exenteration
Stivarga finally begun 2/19/16
Tumor growing/fungating
Lonsurf started 11/18/16
Died 3/10/17

Lee
Posts: 6207
Joined: Sun Apr 16, 2006 4:09 pm

Re: Fever and Chills

Postby Lee » Tue Aug 22, 2017 8:26 pm

Hopefulprayers79 wrote:. . . Could it have anything to do with the port they just installed last Thursday?


From my experience no. When I had my port installed many years ago, no fever of any kind. As expressed above, pain, some swelling and maybe a bit of weepy around site. I got chemo the next day.

Many years ago I had strep, waiting for throat culture to confirm. I hit a temp of 104 that evening. My Mom called the hospital, Cold baths and lots of 7-up that night (to this day, I can not touch that 7-up ever again). Anyway if fever hints of going to 105, Rush to the nearest ER as brain can fry at 105. Temp 104 is serious.

Good luck,

Lee
rectal cancer - April 2004
46 yrs old at diagnoses
stage III C - 6/13 lymph positive
radiation - 6 weeks
surgery - August 2004/hernia repair 2014
permanent colostomy
chemo - FOLFOX
NED - 16 years and counting!


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