We arrived for rhe second chemo treatment today. We brought dry ice this time to help reduce the risk of permanent nerve damage in her hands and feet. Last time we used regular water ice on her hands & feet but it was awkward.../1 
2/ My sister died of colon cancer 4 years ago. She had been in chemo for 10 years & had really bad "chemo hands & feet" (as she called it): almost total loss of sensation from the nerve damage. She would walk out of her shoes and not even realize it. But there's now good news...
3/ Medical studies have proven that putting ice on your hands and feet while that one drug is administered produces a statistically significant reduction of nerve damage. The medical staff here recognizes it and lets us know when it is time to apply the ice. But it is weird...
4/ Since it is proven to work, then why don't cancer centers provide it as a standard service for every patient, rather than letting some patients to figure it out and create a way to make it happen on their own, while other patients don't figure it out and don't get the benefit?
5/ I guess it is too early to have been adopted, yet. So last time we tried to use cold-gel mittens & booties we bought online. They didn't work, so while the drug was going in we switched to using ziplock baggies of water ice. (It's a good thing we brought them as backup!)
6/ This time I bought dry ice to keep the cold gel mittens & booties colder during the long day until that one drug is administered. Yesterday I found a warehouse that sells dry ice to grocery stores. When I arrived the warehouse workers told me I'm the 10th person to find them.
7/ They said that some other people in chemo had also found them to get dry ice to prevent nerve damage or to preserve their hair. They normally sell the ice for about $40 per 10 lb block. But...and this was so cool...
8/ I asked to buy 2 blocks, and the workers INSISTED on giving it to us for free. Multiple workers told me this. They told me they all want to do their part in kicking cancer's butt.
Another small thing, BUT SO ENCOURAGING.❤
So here it is in our cooler now.
Another small thing, BUT SO ENCOURAGING.❤
So here it is in our cooler now.
9/ We brought water ice & ziplock baggies as backup again in case it still doesn't work. So this is why I think it's weird that cancer centers don't just figure it out and provide it as a service for everyone. It isn't trivial to figure out or implement, and some methods fail.
