[Sally C]

When my husband's neutrophils hit 0.0, our oncologist gave me a piece of Rx paper. She wrote 4 things for me to do if Don started running a fever. Go straight to the ER, take his CBC with us (with the 0.0 neutrophils), tell them to start an antibiotic STAT and get the on-call hematologist to ER STAT. He started a fever that very night and we went to the ER. With paper in hand I was very calm as I knew what to do and say. And when you start throwing medical lingo around like "STAT" - it does get their attention.
He was in the hospital with an IV of antibiotics 24/7 for 2 weeks and then sent home with IV antibiotics through his PICC line for another 2 weeks. She treated him as if he had sepsis. She told us no buffets (which we still don't do) and not to drink tap water. When I went to our water department web site I understood why she said that. It's amazing what is allowed in public water. As Birgitta said - you have to be really careful when your WBC/neutrophils get so low. This was when Don was on our oncologist's "death list". I don't mean to scare anyone but it is very serious when the immune system is so compromised. Masks, no company in the hospital or at the house - not even family - and especially!! not to be around small children. We were told we couldn't be too careful.
God Bless,
Sally