Diagnosis: Invasive ductal carcinoma
Drug regimen: Taxotere and Cyclophosphamide
Jamie says: “People I meet have no idea what I’ve been through just by looking at me.”
Jamie is a busy working mom with two kids aged 8 and 10, successfully juggling the pressures of a career in healthcare sales with the demands of a young family. And then, out of the blue, in October 2021, she was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma in her left breast.
Jamie’s diagnosis and treatment
“I was in complete shock,” explains Jamie, “I consider myself a very healthy person. I have never smoked, barely drink alcohol, and am very active. I love everything about my life. I have a great marriage, a wonderful career, and thriving kids. I felt like I was just getting started, and I did not want my life to come to a screeching halt.”
“I had a left mastectomy the day before Thanksgiving, in November 2021. My final pathology indicated a 4 cm tumor at stage 1-A – luckily, it had not spread to my lymph nodes.
“My initial oncologist told me I did not need chemotherapy, but I wanted to be sure. I received a second opinion from Stanford, who suggested chemo would be beneficial, so I decided to undergo the recommended four rounds of Taxotere and Cyclophosphamide chemotherapy.”
Why was it important for you to save your hair?
“Telling my kids and my parents was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. It was tough to think about the emotional burden I was putting them through. Especially my youngest, who was seven at the time – he definitely did not want me to lose my hair. He pleaded with me, ‘Please don’t lose your hair, Mom, it’s one of my favorite parts of you’ – how could I let him down?”
Jamie promised her son she would do everything she could to keep her hair. She says, “I think for a 7-year-old if I looked sick, he would worry. And if I didn’t look sick, he thought everything would be fine.”
Why did you choose Penguin Cold Caps?
Jamie says, “I discovered cold caps from stories by other cancer patients on Instagram, and so I started researching online and felt Penguin Cold Caps had the best reviews out of all the providers. And that’s ultimately why I chose to go with them.”
Tell us about your experience of cold capping
“I bought the dry ice the day before my chemo treatments,” explains Jamie. “In the mornings, my husband put my caps on ice, and we would wheel the ice chest to the infusion center. Luckily for me, my husband was my cold capper and took his job very seriously.”
What were your results?
“I’m almost two months post-treatment and, while I did shed, it never fell out in clumps. The best thing is that people I meet don’t know what I’ve been through just by looking at me.”
Would you recommend cold capping to others?
“I would absolutely advise others to use cold caps to save their hair on chemo,” says Jamie. “It has helped me tremendously on an emotional level. I still feel attractive to my husband, and my kids love that I still look like me. As soon as the treatment was over, I could quickly move on with my life.”
Get in touch
If you’re about to undergo chemotherapy and want to find out more about cold capping, why not request a call back. Our reps can provide more information, and answer all of your questions. Just click here, complete the form and your local rep will be in touch.