Cheryl ▶ CT

Cheryl | Connecticut
Age: 59
Diagnosis: Breast Cancer
Chemotherapy Regimen: Taxol
Total Treatments: 12
Infusion Center: Hartford Healthcare Cancer Institute 

Tell us about yourself.
In March 2023 I was unfortunately diagnosed with an aggressive breast cancer. One of my first questions was “am I going to lose my hair?

How did you find out about DigniCap?
It was my surgeon, Dr. Beth Sieling, that first told me about DigniCap. She immediately put me in touch with a patient that had used it. Fortunately, my surgeon sent me to Hartford healthcare‘s Cancer Institute in Plainville where my nurse navigator, Lisa Beckman, helped set me up with DigniCap.

“I could go on and on shouting from rooftops of how appreciative and thankful I am for DigniCap!”

Did you have a successful experience using DigniCap?
I had 12 weekly Taxol treatments where my nurse Lillian painstakingly wet and combed out my long, thick hair every week. She knew how important keeping my hair was, and every week she made sure the cap was properly fitted. Although I did lose some hair, which was mostly around my hairline, most people could not tell thanks to DigniCap. It was one less thing to help ease my mind during such a difficult journey. I am forever grateful! I could be a spokesperson for DigniCap I was so happy to be able to have it!

I reached out to DigniCap Patient Support and they were extremely helpful. They knew of the short time frame I was working in and made sure I had everything I needed for my first chemo treatment. I had 12 weekly treatments of Taxol which I completed on June 16, 2023. I also had Herceptin and Perjeta every 3 weeks for a year which I completed on March 22, 2024. Fortunately, I did not need DigniCap for those drugs.

My husband and nurse Lillian at the Cancer Institute in Plainville, CT worked so hard every week making sure my cap was done correctly. It was certainly a process with all of my hair! Aside from not being able to color or use any styling products or heat, it was all well worth it! I believe I had to wear it 30 minutes prior to Taxol began, then 1 hr for Taxol to be administered and then a 90-minute cooling down period.

Why was trying to keep your hair during chemotherapy important to you?
I have always been known for my long thick hair, and I was immediately worried about losing it. Along with the thought of that both my sons were getting married in 2024, so saving my hair was a huge factor! In fact, one of the first questions to my surgeon was “Will I lose my hair?”

How did keeping your hair affect you, and those around you?
For me, not “looking” like a cancer patient helped my self-esteem and also gave me the confidence to continue working throughout most of my treatment without anyone knowing what I was going through. It was a game changer for sure! Not to sound vain, but as a woman it allowed me to still have some normalcy during a very stressful, un-normal time in my life. In fact, it was overwhelming to say the least. In my opinion, it should be offered to every woman and insurance I feel should cover it. I understand some do, but my Anthem plan did not cover it in my case.

A cancer diagnosis should also take into consideration a woman’s mental health as it affects so much when trying to manage everything that is coming at you at once. Having DigniCap gave me some peace of mind and control because we all know there is not much one has control of when dealing with cancer.

Feeling like I could still be “me” and not have everyone look at me differently did so much for me! I did shed about 40 percent of my hair, but no one would ever be able to tell. It was easy to restyle my hair to hide it.

I could go on and on shouting from rooftops of how appreciative and thankful I am for DigniCap.