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Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Tips For Using Penguin Cold Caps

As I mentioned I wanted to share more about my experience using Penguin Cold Caps to keep my hair through chemotherapy.  I in no way work for the company or anything, I am just a patient that used them and had success.  I want to help other women that may be considering using the cold caps to keep their hair through chemo.  Here are a few tips.

Supplies For Chemo Days:
  • Extra thick moleskin (I used this on my forehead and at my temples while wearing the caps to keep the cold off my skin).  I pre-cut the right sizes I would need the night before and just put them in a baggy.  That way they were ready to go when I got to the infusion center.
  • Panty liners - (yes, I said panty liners!)  I cut these to the shape of my ears and stuck them on my ears while wearing the caps so my ears would not freeze.
  • Hair pick - I made sure to lightly comb through my hair and change my hair part every time a changed my cold caps.  This prevented me from getting any frostbite along my part line.
  • Hair rubber band - I had long hair and I loosely put the rubber band in to keep the hair out of the way so it would not get stuck in the velcro on the caps.
  • Ativan (I asked my medical oncologist for a prescription) - this helped keep me calm and helped me tolerate the cold while wearing the caps
  • Extra Strength Tylenol - I was afraid I would get a headache from the cold so I took some before my first cap (I did not get any headaches)
  • Electric Blanket - I purchased a twin size one from Amazon.  I wrapped it around me all day and it kept me warm!
  • Socks, knit gloves and sandwich baggies - I decided to ice my fingers and toes during taxotere to avoid neuropathy.  I filled the baggies with ice (four) and put two on the floor.  I put my foot on them and then folded half of the baggy up over my toes to keep my nails and toes cold.  For hands, I put on my knit cloves and grabbed a baggy full of ice in each hand.  I pushed my fingers down into the ice and then had my husband pull a sock over my hands/forearms.  This way I did not have to hold the bags the whole time.  They would stay in place from the socks. 
  • Scissors (in case I needed to cut more supplies)

Supplies To Have At Home:
  • Hair pick or wide tooth comb - no use of hairbrushes while going through this.
  • Organic Shampoo/Conditioner - I wanted to avoid parabens, sulfates and as many chemicals as possible.  I used Burt's Bees and Organix brand products through chemo. 
  • Colormark - I used this to cover my roots.  It is applied like a mascara and washes out when you wash your hair.  I bought it at Ulta.  It is not the best but it does help cover roots.  At the beginning it worked fine but as the roots got super long it was harder to cover them!
  • Soft Covered Elastic Hair Rubber bands - the Penguin Cold Cap website does not recommend using hair rubber bands but I did.  I exercised daily and had long hair.  I was very gentle with my hair when I used them and made sure not to put them in tight or pull on my hair when removing them.
  • Thin, soft elastic headbands - I used these to just keep the hair out of my eyes.  I got them at Walmart in a six pack cheap.
  • Deodorant - PCCs recommends you use organic, chemical free and aluminum free deodorant while using cold caps.  I used Bumble and Bee (I ordered this online) and also Nature's Gate deodorant (I got this at Meijer's).
  • Organic or Chemical Free/Aluminum Free Mascara - I figured if PCC's tells you to avoid chemicals in the hair under your arms, why not for your lashes?  I used Physician's Formula Organicwear Mascara for a while.  It was OK bur ran horribly if you got it wet.  It was easy to get off though without using much soap or any tugging on the lashes.  Later I switched to Tarte mascara (from Ulta) which is not organic but avoids aluminum and most other bad chemicals.  I managed to keep my lashes through chemo but they fell out about 7 weeks after finishing chemo.
  • Latisse (I had my medical oncologist give me a prescription).  My lashes stayed through chemo but fell out later.  I started using it regularly after finishing chemo.  My lashes grew back so fast and were super thick and long.  It is expensive and not covered by insurance but I believe there are generic and over the counter options available too.  I also used it on my eyebrows which thinned but never fell out (yea!).
  • Organic and Chemical Free Hair Styling Products - PCC's probably does not recommend use of these items but for special occasions when I needed to look better I did try some Giovanni and Organix hair styling products to get the frizz under control.  I did also use Aveda's Be Curly to wear my hair wavy/curly on humid day.
  • Cute, Lightweight Hat - I know PCC's does not recommend use of hats during chemo but I did use hats on the really bad hair days.  I experienced no ill effects from it and it made me feel better about how I looked. 
  • Thick Cotton Headbands - again PCC's probably does not recommend the use of them, but I did wear them to help cover roots as my hair started growing out towards the end of chemo (my roots were at least 1 1/2 inches long as my hair continued to grow at a normal pace through chemo!).
  • Satin Pillow Case - I did use this since I had long hair to help prevent pulling on my hair while I was sleeping. 
  • Hair Extensions - I had some clip in real human hair extensions I got at a local beauty supply store.  I know PCC's probably does not recommend the use of these, but I did use them towards the end of chemo and after chemo when my long hair looked thinner at the ends. 
  • Handheld Shower Sprayer - I got one that attached to the tub faucet and that had a sprayer on it.  I found it helpful to wash my hair since it was so long.  It allowed me to get the cold water right at the roots of my hair easier than using a cup and pouring water over my head.  I washed my hair leaned over the tub once a week with cold water as recommended.
Hear is what I looked like with moleskin and panty liners on before putting my first cold cap on:  (this is definately not me in one of my finer moments in life...)


Once I got my moleskin and panty liners on, I took that ponytail out and put a very loose, low ponytail in to keep my hair out of the velcro on the caps.


Here I am with my first Penguin Cold Cap on:

65 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for sharing all of this detail. I am starting chemo on Tuesday, using cold caps. You are giving me great confidence and motivation!
    Roxanne from CA

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  2. Good luck! You can do it Roxanne! Keep me posted on how it goes.

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  3. Your blog has been a big help to me - thanks for all the detail. I had my first chemo today with Penguin cold caps. I am lucky to live in a city that has a PCC rep, and she came today to teach one of my helpers. The process of getting the caps on properly seems really hard for the novices, and I'm a bit worried that the caps weren't in good enough contact with the upper back part of my head. My chemo is weekly for 12 weeks, so I have a long road ahead of me and a lot of work for my helpers!

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  4. 61 days post last TCH infusion. Still having significant shedding. When does it end?? Will it ever stop or is penguin cold cap just a slower way of going bald. Very frightened. Please respond to arista711@aol.com

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  5. Hi, your blog has gave me so much inspiration. My name is Anna and I'm 26 years old and was diagnosed last month. I have to start chemo this month and I would really really like to speak to you. I have been looking for an email or way to contact you but couldnt find anything. I really would like to get some information about your experience with cold caps. Is there anyway you can please email me at khush786@hotmail.com and I can reply back or give me your email address and I can contact you. I am in desperate need for your help and hope to hear from you soon. Thank you

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  6. I appreciated your blog so much! And you were right about the ativan. :)

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  7. Knowing this blog full of my ramblings has provided hope and help to someone makes me smile!

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  8. Thank you for the INCREDIBLE and detailed journey you had with your cold cap use. I have read many concerns of women who talk about the shedding after the 4th cold cap treatment, straight to after the final chemo treatment. Would you know how long this "shedding" actually goes on for?

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  9. From what I understand by talking to many cold cap users, it really varies for everyone. Many people don't shed very long after their final chemo, but others do. It seems like the longest I have been hearing that people continue to shed more than usual after completing chemo is about 4 months. There is no way to know how much someone will shed or long they will shed. Despite the shedding, I am so grateful for the Penguin Cold Caps. It allowed me to maintain some dignity and privacy while going through breast cancer and chemo.

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    1. I just finished my last treatment. Have my hair---thank you Penguin Cold Caps. I completely agree with your statement about dignity and privacy.
      I have my hair and no one needs to know my "stuff" unless I choose to tell them.

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    2. Congratulations on being done with chemo! I am so glad the caps worked for you too! Now you can move on with your life with your hair! Good luck!!!

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  10. Thank you for all your info this helps me a lot as to what I will need to prepare myself for my chemo next week. I'll be having TC X4 and I do have a question about the hair products....I have really culy hair and was wondering if you used hair spray on your hair to keep the friz down?
    I would appreciate your response

    Thanks
    Yvonne CA

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  11. Hi Yvonne - good luck next week with the caps. I also have frizzy hair as you can probably see in some of my photos. I did not really use hair spray. I just used a little Aveda Be Curly on wet hair and scrunched it and let it air dry. I tried not to get any on my roots or scalp. I hope that helps!

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  12. Thank you so much for the info. I love your site and it was very informational for me. I can't wait to get this over with. I do have another question, How was the caps? Do the first one's really hurt until your scalp gets numb? I appreciate your help :)

    Yvonne

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  13. Yvonne - I was just as worried as you are before I did my first chemo. I hated to be cold and was always cold so I was worried I would not be able to tolerate the caps. Quite honestly it was not that bad at all which shocked me! The electric blanket kept me warm. The first few minutes of the first cap was cold but once my head got cold it really was not bad at all. You CAN do this! :)

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  14. I used Cold Caps this past summer and was able to keep my hair too. They really do work. In my case I had significant shedding afterwards for 16 weeks and an overall thinning of my hair, but I still have full coverage so I am happy. I certainly feel that it is better to have a bit thinner hair than to have become completely bald.

    I am very glad I was able to use them.

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  15. SCH so glad you had success too! I wish more people knew about the caps! Hope you are well!

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  16. This has given me hope. Is it bad that my biggest fear is losing my hair? I will spend this night poring over your blog to learn all I can, I am hopeful, at last...
    Thank you...

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  17. Sissy - so glad you found my blog. Head over to www.breastcancer.org and there is a whole thread with cold cap users on there. There is lots of great information too! Good luck! The caps worked well for me and many others!

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  18. Hi there - I have a similar problem to the person who commented here on Sept 25, 2012 ( arista711) . I am now 56 days post-final-chemo ( TC X 4) and still have significant shedding! Almost seems like I've lost more hair SINCE stopping chemo than during it! when does it stop! I feel like I am slowly going bald. My once long thick curly hair is now extremely thin and scraggly and I have lost about 6 inches in length. Very dry and broken at the ends. Have very thin/balding spots on top.I feel like I've lost over 60% of my hair at this point. Yikes!! Did I do my Caps wrong? Hair care wrong? So depressing after all that work and hours spent in freezing caps! Would you have time for a quick in -person call or an email? I am at eseebold@pacbell.net. thank you so much!

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  19. I will email you now! Hang in there.... hugs!

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  20. Thanks for all of your information! I am about 2 months post TC as well, and am continuing to have hair shed. You said you did have this? Will the shedding completely stop eventually? Thanks!

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  21. Congrats on finishing chemo! I shed for a long time after finishing chemo which is not the norm. Then one day it just simply stopped. Your shedding WILL stop. Hang in there! Continue to do healthy things for your body. I was iron deficient and had low magnesium after chemo so I started taking some iron/magnesium daily. I also took biotin which suppose to help with hair. Look into these things and see what you think. Maybe it will help.

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  22. Hi, I would like to email you, I am with a company called Theradome and we would like to see if we can work with your blog. If you're interested in learning more, please send me your email address at jenae@theradome.com. (I couldn't find your email on your blog) Thanks!

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  23. Has anyone had a problem with getting your deposit back for the caps from the company? I used them successfully and was a big fan, but am now getting frustrated by their lack of response since I shipped them back. Wondering if this is typical of the company.

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  24. I did not have to deal with getting the deposit back as my medical oncology office actually had caps because they participated in some of the clinical studies. I just paid the rental fee. I hope they resolve your deposit issues soon!!!

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  25. Thanks for all the helpful tips as I prepare to start chemo and cold caps on Tuesday. I was very happy to read that you exercised daily as i keep to a consistent exercise regime and would like to continue. I am a distance runner and running is my favorite form of exercising. I am concerned about not washing my hair after each run. Is hair washing only once a week really the recommendation? Also, I saw your note about some styling products, but am curious if anyone used dry shampoo while using cold caps? Currently, my hair gets greasy if I don't wash it every few days.

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  26. Valerie my hair got greasy for the first several weeks but slowly through chemo it got less and less greasy. I just rinsed the areas a little around my face and back of the neck area with cool water from the sink. I don't think dry shampoo is recommended. I don't know of anyone that has used it. Most of us that used caps had to deal with the greasy hair issue. I just scheduled my wash days around my activities out of the house. I also wore my hair pulled back quite a bit. Good luck with chemo and the cold caps. You CAN do this!!!!

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  27. Thanks you for creating this web site. I had my first TCHP treatment 2 weeks ago (1st of 6), and used the cold caps. They were so easy to use (I was so nervous that I'd do it wrong, or not to how to work with dry ice properly), but when the day came we found it to be quite simple. I was worried for nothing. So far, so good. I am nervous to exercise though - will making my scalp warm during exercise make the caps less effective?

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  28. I am glad my blog has been helpful. Congrats on getting your first chemo completed! I don't know for sure how exercise effects things, but I did exercise 5 days a week all through chemo and after and you can see how my hair turned out. Good luck with your remaining chemos! Have faith...you WILL have hair when you are done! :)

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  29. thank you for your blog!! This is so inspiring :)
    I start chemo in just over a week and am using the penguin caps. My hair is at my waist, somewhere around 20-22" long, and very thick. I am planning on getting it cut at least a few inches before I start so that the ends can be as healthy as possible. Any suggestions for someone with such long hair??? I worry that not being able to put it up will be hard, especially with summer heat coming, and I would also think the weight of such long hair might pull the roots too much. I'd love any info you have! thank you!

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  30. I believe Penguin does not suggest cutting your hair before chemo, so check with your rep about this before you do anything. I did wear my hair back in a loose ponytail a lot through and after chemo. As you get into the process you will decide what works for you. Please let me know how it goes! Best of luck! You CAN do this! :)

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  31. Thank you for all the info! My daughter starts chemo in a couple of weeks and her biggest fear is losing her hair. I'm going to get the cold caps for her and pray she has good luck in keeping her hair! Thank you for being such an inspiration and helping this mom to help her daughter.

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  32. I am so glad my experience has helped someone! That makes my day! Best of luck to your daughter..... :)

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  33. Hi! This is a great blog!! I was diagnosed with lymphoma when i was 23. My hair was really thick before and super thin now. I am 31 years old now and just got back from the doctor today because i have found another knot in my neck. He said he feels another smaller one in my neck and 2 in my lower abdomen area. On the left and right side. I am freaking out because i can not afford the prices on the penguin cold caps! I can NOT afford to lose anyomore hair,i feel sure that if i do end up being diagnosed (he said i will have a definate anwer in 2 weeks at the latest in the meantime they will be doing biopsy and scand etc.) Does ANYONE have a cheaper solution? Do they know of a generic copy cat brand? Or if mabye there is a foundation that donates these types of things? Even now i would feel more secure with extensions but unfortunately can not afford them. I am married and we have a total of 6 children in our home. 5 being his from a previous marriage and my son from a previous marriage so we live on a very tight budget even though we both work. If any of you know ANY way that you can help or advise me PLEASE email me at gatewayfencing@live.com. Thank you for creating this page, and thank you all who have posted. I really enjoyed reading that there is hope of not being bald. Theres actually something oput there! The up[setting part id i simply cant afford that full price. I could start saving now (i just learned about these caps last night and today reading your blog) and have a couple of hundred dollars saved up by the time the doctor has an answer (again, he said no longer than two weeks from now, all they did today was a chest xray). Thanks again for all this information you all have shared and like i said PLEASE PLEASE email me at the address above if you have any sort of helpful advise or if you just need someone to talk to who has been through cancer. Thank you and i wish you all the very best!!!

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  34. There are a few other companies that do cold caps but so far they have not worked as well as Penguin from what I have heard from other ladies that have used them. There are Dignicaps and Elastogels. There are some girls on www.breastcancer.org message boards that have used them. I did recently read on there that there is an organization that can help with financial stuff on this. Someone just posted recently about it. Check it out! Good luck!

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  35. I have been using the cold caps during all of my treatments and have hair at my 6/8 chemo. I do feel however that my hair is starting to look crazy thin and wonder if at the end of all of this if I will have any hair worth saving. Did you start to feel this way? I have long wavy hair so it looks fuller but I am starting to see that wearing hats and braids looks a lot better given the thinning.

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  36. I felt the EXACT same way! Don't lose faith in the caps. It is also hard when your hair has not been colored or cut in a long time and you can't even style it normal. Once you are done and can get back to some normal hair care routine and get a trim, your hair will look better. I felt like a million bucks when I got my hair cut and styled for the first time after all my chemo. I loved my hair and I was no longer self conscious about it. Keep capping....it's worth it!

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  37. Thank you for sharing your experience re cold caps. I just invested $500 in deposit and signed up for $633 a month for five months with $600 to ship to me, plus cost of bands, a huge investment! Hope I do as well as you did! will keep you posted, Thanks Again

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  38. Which was your chemo Taxol? Were you nauseous? What did you take for nausea?

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  39. Good luck with the caps! Hope all goes well. Come back and post an update :)

    I had taxotere and Cytoxan for chemo. I had no nausea at all. I drank lots of water and exercised daily. My doctors gave me three prescriptions for anti-nausea meds, but I never had to use them.

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  40. hello, I am going for the 3rd TC treatment in a few days . I have been using the Penguin cold caps and have been working so far, just some shedding but not visible so far since I have a lot of hair and I hope it stay this way! I have noticed though that my eyebrows that are usually very thick are thinning and my eyelashes very long are getting rarer-- I am really concerned because I read that in some women do not have they do not regrow!! Did you use a band over the eyebrow? Did Larisse change the color of your eyes? I have hazel eyes and I read that they turn brown using Larisse. I am really scared by bit having eyelashes/eyebrow

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  41. Hi! I had my eyebrows thin about 50% so I had to connect the dots a little until they grew back completely. I never lost all of my eyebrows. I did not use any bands over my brows. Mine grew back just like before. I did not lose lashes until about 6 weeks after chemo. The Latisse did not change anything with my eye color. It made my lashes grow back super fast! Within about 2 weeks I had lashes. They seem a little thinner, but they are all there. So happy to see you are almost done with chemo....and still have your hair! Love hearing more Penguin Cold Cap successes! Best of luck! Hang in there :)

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  42. Thanks for your answer! Done with chemio on dec 22, terrible weight gain/ water retention almost reversed, eyebrow are back and lashes not completely gone but now I am scared by the Tamox-- I read that fifferent generics cause different side effects. It looks like TEVA causes terrible joint pain but a lot of other people have no problems-- what do you take? Any problem? Anybody else has any advice/take tamoxi generic brands (which one) that does not cause joint pain? I am very active and that would really bring me down! -- also any suggestion on some vegetable die for the hair? Al least these are still there and I am almost 8 weeks out (thanks cold caps!)

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  43. I am glad you are done...congrats!!! I do have body aches in my hands and feet these days. Not sure if it is tamoxifen or not. I am changing my diet and have cut out most gluten. That does seem to help a little bit. I wish the pain would go away....it does hinder my life at times, but I am glad I have medications to help me fight off recurrence. I used Clairol Beautiful Collection hair color (it's temporary) at first and eventually switched to Naturtint. I still use Naturtint and love it. Love hearing more cold cap successes! Be well!

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  44. Mine was definitely a cold cap success! It has been so important keep working and nobody asking! Now I am more than 3 months out the last chemio, just done reconstruction and I am dying for a haircolor! I usually wear my hair a few tones lighter than my natural hair but I am afraid of the peroxyde in the permanent colors. After how long did you use Naturelle? My hair feel strong but I do not want to ruin everything now! Thanks for keeping this blog, it is so reassuring knowing that someone else went through this

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  45. I waited a few months after completing chemo before using Naturtint. I did use Clairol Beauty Collection temporary color about 5 or 6 weeks after finishing chemo. It wasn't the best, but it was definitely better than not coloring!

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    1. Hi there, what a great blog. I was diagnosed with invasive ductile BC in 1 sentinel lymph node. Tumor 2.8. I doing 4 rounds of taxotere and cytoxan 1 ev 3 weeks. had my first of four chemo treatments for stage II invasive ductile BC of taxotere and cytoxan. Gregor the chemo I was given Pepcid, Benadryl, adovan,neulasta, vitamins . I had zero side affects! I was so rested it was very peaceful. However I didn't use the cold In the first procedure would it be too late for me to start three weeks from today? I know there is concern about delaying the chemo from going through the lymph nodes in your brain just in case any cancer cells travel for the lymph system in the brain. So far other than the anxiety leading up to each step the chemo was a breeze. Absolutely no side effects not being tired or anything. Actually did a 1 mile walk afterwards I feel great ! So what do you think about me doing the cold cap now? I guess the penguin brand is the best? Wasn't sure if that would help considering the drugs I'm taking what do you think ?

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  46. My sister started her first chemo (AC) yesterday. I've taking on the task of doing her cold caps to save her hair. I have to say, everyone talks about how easy it is, but i'm nervous that i didn't do it right. I changed the caps appropriately, but I felt it was hard to get the caps to the right temp using dry ice. in the containers the temps were only 1 to 5 degrees f. I ended up putting them in plastic bags with dry ice on them to get them to -45 - -15. I know this is not the recommended way, so I was concerned the entire day. I don't feel the rep from Penguin was very helpful in explaining anything through our phone calls. any advice? I'm really nervous to burn my sister and or hurt her skin. we did the panty liners on her forehead, but she was still red. we'll have to be more prepared with moleskin next time.
    any other tips?

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  47. I just saw your post. First of all, so sorry your poor sister has to endure this. As far as the caps and temps, I used a freezer so I did not have to deal with dry ice. If you want great advice from those that did use dry ice, go to www.breastcancer.org. Go to the message boards and find the section "Help Me Get through Treatment". There is a Cold Cap Thread there. Several girls that have used dry ice are on there and they will answer any questions you have. They are all happy to help -it's a great community! Even though you don't have the cancer, you would be welcomed and people will respond. Sorry I can't help more! Good luck!

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  48. Am starting Chemo, CMF on Dec. 4. Have hired a cold cap helper ( for a kings ransom) to make sure that person has lots of experience. Penguin recommends using caps 41/2 hours AFTER infusion is over. Has anyone had to stay under that long? Has anyone been able to use ear buds to listen to music or audio books during the process?

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  49. Hi, I posted the comments just above, and since I am a total newbie to the world of blogging I did not realize my posting should be directed to the wonderful Mdg, who made this blogspot possible and who provided the list of all the things I now have in my overnight bag ( especially the ativan and tylenol) ready to roll to the hospital on Friday. Mdg, Your information is so practical and for me, forewarned is forearmed. I have sent copies of your list to my cold cap helper. I have also learned from reading some of the replies above that the amount of time under the caps is most likely related to the half-life etc of the various chemo drugs being infused. Makes sense.
    So now I am just interested in hearing if you think I can use ear buds even underneath the panty-liners covering my ears, so i can listen to some mindless audio book? Or should I bring books?


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  50. Hi! Just got your comment. Sorry you have to go through all of this. Happy to answer questions. The goal is to get the caps really tight on your head so I don't know that ear buds would be comfortable if caps are tight. Quite honestly, I got tired on chemo days from the benedryl I was given and I would often almost dose off in between caps. There are really only about 20 minutes of peace with each cap on as then it's time to start getting ready for the next cap.... The days are long but worth it! Hang in there! Hoping for your success too!

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  51. Hi, I just went through TC Chemo 4x and the Cold Caps let me keep some of my hair, for which I am VERY thankful. I had short, thick, curly died hair. Now I have half red, half grey thin curly wisps that do what they will! I have full coverage, but because I can't use a brush and blow dry it, it just looks like a scraggly mess. YET, I would do it over again, because it is a far cry from being bald!!!!! I really am bummed about the gray and look forward to coloring it any way I can. I see you colored your hair with a temporary rinse after 5-6 weeks post infusion. I was told don't touch it until 12 weeks. My last infusion was 12/2/15. Did you lose any substantial amount of hair after you rinsed it?

    Also, I didn't realize it at first, but during my first chemo session I was surprised when every time the cap was replaced---every 30 minutes, I had to deal with that freezing feeling for a good 5-10 minutes. That was a shocker because I was there from 9am to 5 pm (3 hours of chemo- 8 hours of cold cap). For the next 3 sessions I was more psychologically prepared and enjoyed conversing with anyone to distract from any discomfort. It really helped! So for anyone new-please find a distraction that will work for you.
    Despite having to get used to substantially thinner and gray hair, my happiest moment was when I visited my radio oncologist to get ready for Rads and he did a double take. He said he never saw anyone go through TC chemo and escape with their hair. He said I looked great. While I doubt that, LOL....it made me realize how much grief I had saved myself and how much happier I am for avoiding the hardship of loosing all my hair. :)

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  52. I just had my 5th treatment. My part is a little wider. Do you think its to late to start and do you think it would cause frostbite on my part? I have to decide today in order to have by my next treatment I had very thick hair but my hair has thinned some and making the part wider. Im concerned about the part and if i would shed to much evern using the caps if this would save enough hair.

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  53. Hi mdg,
    Thanks so much for all of your great tips. Just had my second dose of Adriamycin, Cytoxan. So far so, good. Am shedding a little and it's making me very nervous. I will be getting Taxol after the AC. Anyone out there doing the same regimen as I? Would greatly appreciate any tips. Thanks.
    And mdg, so glad you've done so well. Wishing you all the best.

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  54. Do you have any advice on how to stay warm during treatment. Between the penguin cap on the head and the icing of hands and feet I am very nervous about being freezing. I know a heated blanket but how many layers should I wear? Any other things I can do to help stay warm?

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  55. Hi mdg,

    I'm prepping to go through chemo and use the cold caps, but very concerned about exercise. I'm an avid runner, cyclist and yogi and I've read you are supposed to minimize sweating on your scalp. I realize activities with helmets are probably not the best idea, but did you have any issues with your hair and working out? I went through chemo for 2 years for leukemia and exercise is absolutely what got me through. With having to deal with breast cancer now quite unexpectedly, I am going to need exercise more than ever! Thank you for sharing your story!!! - JH

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  56. Hi, thanks for sharing your experience. It's been so helpful to read your blog. I'm also doing pcc, lost a lot of hair but still holding on. Going for my 4th ac next week and then taxol. Hopefully i'll have hair to work with by the time i'm done. I wantd to ask you how frequently did you wash your hair. They guy helping me with the caps said once a week but the rep said every 2-3 days to wash out chemo build up. I've been doing it every 3 days but i feel it is thinning and breaking a lot plus it is very dry and wondering if i should just go for once a week. Thoughts?

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  57. Thank you for doing your blog, it has helped me a lot. Got my first treatment this Tuesday.

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  58. @mc I am about to start the same regimen - 12 weeks of AC and 12 weeks of Taxol. How did everything work out for you? Fingers crossed you were happy with the results by the end.

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    1. How did it go? I just started the same regimen as you? I'm shedding a lot and have 2 more rounds of AC

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  59. I am trying to find information about hair between chemo treatments and how to make it manageable. Noone seems to address that and my DIL just had her first treatment and is feeling like her hair is just all frizzy on the top of her head and is being told she can't do anything to it to make it manageable and look professional to feel good about going to work. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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