When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I had a mastectomy followed by 12 weeks of chemotherapy. Shortly before treatment began, a friend mentioned Chemo Cold Caps. Wearing the caps constricts blood vessels in the scalp, blocking the drug and helping patients keep their hair despite chemo. I decided to give it a try by contacting the rep and coordinating it all myself since it had recently been FDA approved. I was the first at ThedaCare to try it. It definitely worked! I kept a full head of hair with only small areas of thinning around my ears, but no one could ever tell.
The whole process of having breast cancer and treatment is extremely stressful and you feel awful. On top of that, your hair falls out after just one chemo treatment. When you go to the store with your kids or sit in a waiting room, people look at you differently and in turn, you feel differently.
Keeping my hair was such a big boost to my energy levels, my self-esteem, and my overall wellbeing. Just being able to look in the mirror and still see Suzy was great! It meant I could go out when I was feeling up to it and I could be somewhat normal for a few hours. For me, it was just one small thing during the big cancer ordeal that meant a lot.
Learn more about cancer care at ThedaCare.
“Breast cancer affects so much of your female body. It changes how you feel about yourself as a woman and you can’t help it. It’s nice not to have those feelings multiplied by hair loss.” — Suzanne Bloomhuff, MD
