Chemo Round 4

We know this posting is REALLY late, things have just been crazy.

When Lowell went in for his fourth chemo treatment it was a week after he developed blood clots in his neck and shoulder. During that week Elaine gave him Lovenox shots in his stomach (morning and evening) and Lowell would also take a Coumadin pill at night. As a result his blood thinned too much, so they told him to cut back on the Coumadin (to a half-pill every other day) and discontinue the Lovenox shots.

Because of the bad state of Lowell’s hands (skin deteriorating and splitting) the doctor wanted to hold off on the chemo treatment until the following week, but Lowell asked if they cut the dosage slightly instead, could they go ahead with the chemo treatment as scheduled? (He wants this over with as soon as possible.) The doctor agreed to Lowell’s suggestion, then told him to get some Udder Balm and use that on his hands to see if it would work better than the lotion he had been using. (It does!) He found the Udder Balm lotion at an IFA (Intermountain Farmer’s Association) store.

The chemo is also affecting Lowell’s vision somewhat. He needs to wear a little stronger reading glasses now to see fine print, but his distance vision is a little clearer. Go figure! Chemo also helps you look at all the little things you normally take for granted. Lowell really savors a cold drink of water now when he can tolerate it towards the end of the treatment cycle.

As to chemo appetite - Lowell said, “This must be like what women experience during pregnancy. One day you feel like nothing but fresh fruit; the next day you crave something completely different.”