Bag Balm to the Rescue

I went to my Catskill oncologist today to have my blood work reviewed (CBC normal) and set up an appointment for next week's round of Vidaza shots. I showed him how awful my skin looks. He repeated what my NYC oncologist says: your new immune system is fighting you and the leukemia. The fight has ramped up considerably in the past 6 months. I guess this means my leukemic cells are trying to reproduce and mount a battle.

I've tried every cream and lotion available, retail and prescription. None of them work for long. My husband suggested I try Bag Balm, an ointment originally used by farmers to soothe overworked cow nipples. It's been marketed for human use for a long time (we used to use it years ago on our hands), but isn't easy to find. After trying several drug stores, my husband found it at Agway, an animal feed store where we buy our dog's food.

I applied the Bag Balm liberally last night before bed. It's a bit greasy since it has a petroleum lanolin base. The only other ingredient is 3% B Hydroxy Quinoline Sulfate. For the first time in weeks, I wasn't itchy as soon as I hit the sheets. My hands, which are covered with small white non-itch but annoying bumps, seemed a little better today. I did a second hand treatment before I went out to do errands, keeping thin gloves on so I wouldn't leave grease marks on my travels.

Who knows whether Bag Balm will be the miracle I want it to be. I'll use it for a week or so and see. At $10 for 10 oz. it's relatively cheap, and if it works, I can probably order the cow size.