Ashley ▶ IA

Ashley | Iowa
Age: 40
Diagnosis: Breast Cancer
Chemotherapy Regimen: TCHP
Total Treatments: 6 
Infusion Center: Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center at University of Iowa 

Tell us about yourself.
I was diagnosed at the beginning of February 2023 with breast cancer. I turned 41 this year and I am a mother to two children aged 14 and 16. I have been married for 17 years. I have been a Medical Assistant for 17 years and most recently have been working as a Billing and Insurance Specialist.

How did you find out about DigniCap?
My daughter saw something on Tik-Tok about scalp cooling. I did some more investigating, and I found that the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center at University of Iowa offers DigniCap.

“I truly recommend DigniCap. It is beneficial to keep your hair to somewhat feel like yourself during such a terrible time!”

Did you have a successful experience using DigniCap?
My first treatment was in March 2023. I did lose hair in pieces here and there, but no chunks were missing, and no bald spot was showing. I completed all six treatments with DigniCap and was able to keep most of my hair. I was still able to feel like myself during my treatments. My hair still feels the same as before, not dry or brittle.

Why was trying to keep your hair during chemotherapy important to you?
I wanted to keep my hair as to try to keep looking as normal as possible for my children and also for myself – to remind me that I can beat this awful disease and not have to look in the mirror and see myself with no hair and looking sick.

How did keeping your hair affect you, and those around you?
I told myself that I only had to do 6 chemo treatments and after researching scalp cooling the benefits outweighed the negative. I decided I wanted to give it a try to keep my hair and hopefully look as normal as I could. I believe that if you can afford it and want self-esteem during treatments, that I would do it. I will say that my experience was painful and I worked with my nurses during my chemo treatment on a regimen that helped with the pain.

What advice would you give to someone who is going through a similar experience, or who has recently been diagnosed and is considering scalp cooling?
I truly recommend DigniCap. It is beneficial to keep your hair to somewhat feel like yourself during such a terrible time!