High WBC after 1st taxotere/cytoxan Tx

I have a friend on T/C chemo for stage lllA intraductal carcinoma.  The mass was found when she was being "cleared" for ortho foot surgery, her internist happens to be an oncologist.  She had the foot surgery, was casted; She had a mammogram and ultra sound and needle biopsy all shortly after that. Then a lumpectomy and full nodal dissection 14/18 +. Of course,she was very stressed, emotionally and physically. She dev'd mild cold but her onc said that wasn't a contraindication to starting the chemo. Subsequently she has developed a very persisent, "harsh", mildly productive cough.She is now 2 weeks post 1st infusion w/c will be Q3 wks.CBC w/mild anemia but her white count was 18,000.  She doesn't see her MD till next infusion, but his nurse called and said "your white count is really high, which is great!" My friend prefers to be in denial, and hasn't notified her MD of her cough but isn't it likely that this is a sign of an infection that should be treated? I know w/o the differential you can't be definitive. Or is this poss S.E of C/T? Thank you very much for any input you can give me. I'm a psychiatrist, so this is out of my league, but I'm really concerned about the possiblity of an untreated URI that could become or is,eg, pneumonia.