At a glance
- Diagnosed with breast cancer
- Dug regimen: AC / Taxol / Abraxane
- Saved 65% to 70% of hair
- Shedded evenly spread across scalp
Victoria is a 30-year-old graphic designer from Yonkers in New York City and was recently diagnosed with breast cancer.
Victoria’s diagnosis
“When I was diagnosed, my immediate fear was the unknown. I felt my life was about to change forever and I had no idea what to expect.”
Victoria was initially prescribed 16 rounds of chemo. In the end, she did 4 rounds of AC, 2 rounds of Taxol, and then 12 of Abraxane. She explains “My liver could not handle the Taxol so my oncologist changed it to Abraxane.”
It was important to Victoria to save her hair on chemo. “I still wanted to feel like myself. Cancer takes away so many things from you and saving my hair was one of the things I could control. I do not feel sick, so I did not want to look sick! I think one’s mental health is just as important as physical health when you are fighting cancer.”
Victoria’ experience with Cold Capping
Victoria had never heard of cold capping before she was diagnosed, and found out from a friend. She decided to go with Penguin because, in. her words, “I heard they were the best.”
“Ordering was very easy,” explains Victoria, “I had help from Claudia Falzarano, one of Penguin’s reps, to get me all set up. She is fantastic.”
“Using the caps feels ok. After the 2nd or 3rd cap, your head is pretty numb, so you don’t feel anything except the weight of the cap. The AC was the toughest for sure, it’s just a really long day with a 5 lb weight on your head.”
“Sometimes I took an Advil* if I had a headache but overall, I just distracted myself by chatting, reading and napping. I also used a heated blanket and neck pillow – that helped a lot.”
Victoria’s results
Victoria has long, thick and wavy hair – just before chemo she decided to cut it to shoulder length to prepare for the treatment.
“After the initial AC treatment, I retained 90% of my hair, which was amazing. I did shed more during the Taxol and Abraxane treatment but overall, I have saved 65% to 70% of my hair. Any shedding is evenly spread across my scalp so only close friends and family would notice.”
Would you recommend Penguin Cold Caps?
“100% yes. If you are hesitant about it, don’t be. For me, it was worth every penny and every minute. It is a big commitment, but I feel that it was a big part of my treatment and the reason why I was able to bounce back so quickly.”
*Always check with your medical team before taking any other medication alongside your chemo treatment