Nicole | Pennsylvania
Diagnosis: Triple Negative Breast Cancer, Stage 1 – Recurrence
Chemotherapy Regimen: Taxotere/Carboplatin
Total Treatments: 6
Hearing I had breast cancer for the second time at the age of 34 was utterly devastating as you can imagine. In May of 2020, during a global pandemic and planning my then upcoming September wedding to my now husband, was the last thing I needed or wanted to hear. First diagnosed in April of 2020 with Stage 2, ER+ breast cancer & lymph node involvement at the age of 30, it felt like it was deja vu all over again. Having to go through chemotherapy for the second time was something I mentally was not ready for. Facing having to lose my hair again was not something I was prepared to do, especially after growing it back for 4 years. Needing a bilateral mastectomy too, 2 months before my wedding was more than enough to cope with. Being that my recurrence remained local, my oncologist was okay with me pushing my chemo treatments until after my wedding, so that I didn’t have to feel like a “cancer patient” on my big day, having both of breasts gone too, I didn’t need to deal with both.
Luckily while discussing my treatment plan, my oncologist handed me a pamphlet from DigniCap on how cool capping works to help save your hair while undergoing chemo. I discussed it with my then fiancé and we both felt it was the way to go. Being I was so passionate about not wanting to lose my hair again, this is the route we had to go! Thankfully, my treatment center offered DigniCap at their facility so I jumped right on the opportunity. Brittany, my DigniCap rep, was so amazing with the cold cap placement and aftercare. She was very gentle, helpful, supportive, and informative.
Immediately after the placement of the cold cap, I instantaneously felt a strong brain freeze, quite the headache x10. Luckily, my DigniCap rep informed me to have them give me Ativan in my IV prior to treatment starting to help with the adjustment period, alleviating the brain freeze feeling and helping me relax more. Being that DigniCap provided a resource for hair products from Chemo, Hair and Skin by Daniel Fields, it was a game changer for me in keeping 95% of my hair! I used the volume and detox shampoo, conditioner for dry and combination hair (only washing hair once a week, then the morning of treatment), Scalp Cooling Booster System parts 1 and 2 (mixed part 1 while at treatment; DigniCap wetted my hair with the solution prior to capping, then placed part 2 in my hair right after part 1), Intensive Eye Lash and Brow Restorer, and the Hair Growth Active Spray for color treated hair. Using the combination of these products along with the cap placement done amazing by Brittany, helped save my hair.
I only shed during washing days and some while combing my hair (with a wide tooth comb), slept on a satin pillow case, wearing a loose French braid or soft bun with a scrunchy, and used no other products beside the ones previously mentioned. Lost very minimal around my hair line due to the headband that was worn during treatment to prevent cold sensitivity, but other than that and the minimal shedding, I kept the majority of my hair. My husband, friends, family, and treatment team was amazed by the response I had to the cold capping and wouldn’t have known I was in treatment just by looking at me. It was so important to me this second time around to not look like what I been through, and to keep my hair so I can feel more like a woman since I had to have my breasts removed. It helped me have the confidence to not feel so insecure and depressed, giving me the positivity and strength to push through this second time around. I am forever grateful for DigniCap.
I highly recommend DigniCap and am 100% supportive of their mission to help us women dealing with this ugly disease, to have a chance in saving what means so much to most of us, help eliminating that extra stress we do not need. To anyone looking to do it, please don’t hesitate to do so. It was life changing for me and helped gave me the confidence I needed to push through such a dark time in my life. Please do your research, check with your insurance to see if it is covered, apply for the subsidy grant that DigniCap recommends, look into Daniel Fields hair products while in treatment, purchase a satin pillow sheet and hair bonnet, do not use any hair products outside of what I recommended while utilizing cold cap, wash your hair no more than once a week, softly comb it out at least 2-3x a week so it doesn’t matte or tangle up, and make sure you are tight and secure with the cap placement so it can do its job!
Forever grateful for DigniCap!