Leslie ▶ NC

Leslie | NC
Age: 60
Diagnosis: HER2 positive breast cancer
Chemotherapy Regimen: TCHP 
Total Treatments: 6 
Infusion Center: Cone / Wesley Long Hospital Cancer Center

Tell us about yourself.
I’m married and a Real Estate Broker working full time.

How did you find out about DigniCap?
Before learning about my diagnosis, I had never heard of scalp cooling. Thank goodness the care team told me about the possibility of saving some of my hair during the 6 rounds of chemo I was facing.

Did you have a successful experience using DigniCap?
Although my insurance will probably not cover it, I was determined to see if it would help. For the first 3 treatments, I lost very little hair. I was happy and surprised. My treatments were 3 weeks apart. Between treatments #3 and #4, the shedding really came on strong. It was scary. The shedding has continued and seems to be slowing down. I am through all 6 treatments and 4 weeks later, I have about 35 to 40 percent of my hair left. It is very thin but it covers my head.

What DigniCap provided me was a way to get through 4 1/2 months of treatment without having to shave my head and feel the mental side effects of no hair. I would do it all over again. My Doctor. said if I had not followed the cold cap process, all my hair would have been gone after treatment #2. In the beginning, I cut 7 inches off my hair because of the weight and tangles trying to be careful not to cause stress on it during the process. I used organic baby shampoo and conditioner only washing it 1 time per week. I followed all directions from DigniCap plus the nurse who fit my cap told me to sleep in a satin or silk bonnet. I did that too. It meant less friction on my hair. I even had satin pillow cases.  Now I mostly wear my hair pulled back in a loose clip to hide how thin it is and it looks OK. The staff at the treatment center say that because I used DigniCap, my hair follicles were more protected from the harsh chemo drugs and my hair should start coming back faster. Wearing the cold cap for the first 20 minutes is hard and hurt my head, but after that it did not bother me. I used lots of blankets to stay warm. We wet my hair very well around the roots to make sure it was really cold. I also left the treatment center with the cap on so it would naturally thaw even after sitting an extra 2 hours to finish the process. I hope this helps another person going through this stressful time in their life.

“I decided to do everything I could to feel normal during the 6 treatments and saving my hair was a wonderful feeling.“

Why was keeping your hair during chemotherapy important to you?
When I was told that I had breast cancer and the first treatment would be chemo, it was so hard to believe this was really happening and those words were next to my name. I decided to do everything I could to feel normal during the 6 treatments and saving my hair was a wonderful feeling.

How did keeping your hair affect you, and those around you?
My support group thought it was a great idea to try out the system. After the last treatment, my hair continued to shed so I eventually cut it all off. It had been highlighted for 40 years so it was dry. My hairdresser said my hair will grow back more healthy than if I cut it off. He said that by using the freezing, I saved my hair follicles and that is very important. In under 60 days after my last chemo treatment, my hair is growing back thick and soft.

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?
Using DigniCap was worth every penny because I got to go through the worst part of my treatment with my hair.

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