Chest infection in third week - Second Cycle of R-Chop

ashsaj

Hi all, My father being diagnosed of advanced NHL - Dlbcl aged 55 has gone through 2 cycles of R-Chop so far. First two weeks after treatment are always good and can say quiet "Normal", but third week of his first cycle and now again in second cycle is very tough. 
He has caught diarrhea - doc has provided Flagyl and other antibiotics and given IV infusion yesterday - as day care procedure. He has been coughing badly for past 3-4 days, and now its getting worse. Yesterday onc didnt pay much attention but after last night's continous coughing and chest pain - he said there is probably a chest infection going on and it needs to be treated soon. Onc has given Cefspan to him today, his cough seems to get worsened - although his blood counts are lower than normal range i-e 3.2 but he is not having any fever.

Can someone please share their experience regarding this? What should we do?
the cough is getting worse and there is some abnormal sound in breathing as well 

Regards,

Ayesha 

PBL

Preventive hygienic measures

Ayesha,

Your father's immune system, as you are well aware, is weakened both by his illness and by the chemotherapeutic treatment he is currently receiving.

It seems he is getting treatment for the infections he is battling now, so I won't discuss that.

However, you may want to go over the doctor's recommendations regarding prevention of such future infections, as it is no fun to be sick on top of the side effects he is already experiencing.

In particular, it might be a good idea to limit the number of people that are around your father on a daily basis - especially during the fall and winter seasons. That would numerically reduce his exposure to various germs. You may also want to ban children under age 15 altogether, as they are major carriers of many germs, which might not make them sick, but can be too much for your father to fight in his present condition.

Another essential measure is frequent and thorough hand washing (particularly, but not limited to, after going to the toilet and before eating anything), both on the part of your father himself, and also for anyone who cares for him and handles his medications, food, etc.

The way his food is washed, cooked, stored and preserved can also avoid lots of tummy trouble.

These simple measures can make all the difference in the world between being miserable throughout chemotherapy, or simply (!) having to deal with treatment-related discomfort.

Your father's doctor or nurse should be able to confirm and complete the list of do's and don't's as appropriate.

I hope this answers your questions.

PBL

lindary

Hand sanitizer

When I was diagnosed we bought a bunch of bottles of hand sanitizer. We had them in the kitchen, living room, bedroom, bathrooms and in my home office. I also kept one on my desk at work. I also had some small bottles I carried in my purse. I think some people are more likely to use the sanitizer when visitng than washing their hands at the sink. 

wish your dad all the best.