Has anybody in the UK managed to follow an icing protocol using mittens and socks with frozen gel packs rather than the electric machines?
Hi JBUK99
I’m Anne, one of the Community Champions here on the Online Community and, although I'm not a member of this group, I noticed that your post hadn't had any replies yet. Responding to you will 'bump' it back to the top of the discussion list again.
While you're waiting for replies, it would be great if you could put something about your diagnosis and proposed treatment into your profile as it really helps others when replying to you and also when looking for someone on a similar pathway. It also means that you don't have to keep repeating yourself. To do this click on your username and then select 'Profile'. You can amend it at any time and if you're not sure what to write you can take a look at mine by clicking on my username.
"Never regret a day in your life, good days give you happiness, bad days give you experience"
Will do 
I did it!
I started after the flush when the odansetron and dexamethasone were infused - so about 20 minutes before the Oxaliplatin started. I stopped after the flush through at the end so about 15 mins after the Oxaliplatin stopped . It meant total infusion time was no longer than it would have been without icing One of the concerns initially raised by the unit.
I had lovely nurse - sadly he is leaving the unit.
Got a very assertive lecture from another - She said oncologist only agreed if I could keep icing kit at exactly 11 degrees
- no chance ! I was working with an electric cool box and frozen gel pads, with no thermometer. I wasn’t put off and stuck to my grounds despite her very disapproving looks. “Oncologist says …. etc.
But, I am a Scorpio. 
!
My nurse, he was happy with it as long as I knew it was at my own risk,
But the story does not stop there …….
So as soon as the unsupportive nurse finished her assertions. I see just the top of an icing mitten waving to me from the next bay, through the hatch, it was quite surreal. As my husband went past, the owner of the mitten, called him over. A lovely lady in the next bay who had heard the conversation.
She was on the same drugs as me but has done lots more cycles already and her oncologist is very supportive and said if she wants to do it just go for it, manage it however she wants . She didn’t get lecture and says she just does it every time - she has no hand and foot symptoms, and her nurse helps her change the socks, as she does it without support.
So you can imagine all the chat now in our part the unit is about icing, but suddenly going quiet every time the unsupportive nurse passed by ( maybe she was just having a bad day, we all do).
Another lovely lady in the same bay as me was there with her son. He’d asked if she could ice before she started treatment and was told a flat no. She’s been on paclitaxel. Now she has no feeling in her fingers- she had to order all different aids on Amazon (eg ones to do her buttons up)
I made it clear in my chats, that i know it doesn’t suit everybody but as other icing lady said , “it’s my body!”
Profile updated
A good day today
