It is becoming difficult to keep up with the number of treatments Jimmie has had. If I didn't post it here I doubt that I could remember at all. The reactions to the chemo seems to have hit a plateau. The day following Jimmie has a terrific headache (and sometimes the day after that as well) and just feels "washed out". But he prefers to handle his office chores and keep as busy as possible to work his way through it.
We got good news on Jimmie's blood work this week. When the doctor first tried iron infusions to boost Jimmie's hemoglobin the first testing showed improvement. So we all thought, "Finally! Something that helped!" But by the next week the blood count was already beginning to slide down again. After several weeks the doctor cancelled the iron treatments as a failure. I did more Internet searches and learned that the chemo drug Jimmie takes weekly often reduces the patient's hemoglobin count. Lovely. Another side effect we have to fight.
That's when I started searching the essential oils for help. I ordered a new one and Jimmie had been letting me smear it on him for almost 2 weeks when the latest blood was drawn. And his hemoglobin jumped back up by .7 on Monday. That's the biggest improvement I remember him having at any time, even with the many transfusions in the hospital. I know it is too soon to credit the oil with helping, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed just the same. Especially since the doctor has run out of options.
- Linda
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