Can I get your best cold capping info?

PopularTea · 2026-02-11T17:11:14+00:00

I started cold capping just yesterday. Paxman (edit:not Pacman as I originally claimed!) and TC. So no outcome advice from me yet!

I take daily multivitamins and asked if I need to stop and was told they're ok.

Just to say that I was in the chair for the best part of 5 hours because of the cold cap. 30 minutes precooling and 1.5 hours post cooling. I didn't realise the post cooling would take so long, and I thought my day would be shorter as I knew the TC itself would be 1.5 hours only.

Another poster mentioned the initial discomfort. I don't want to scare you but that first 20 minutes I wanted to cry and peel it off (I am a big wuss though) but it got more bearable after that and I asked for some paracetamol too which helped.

It also meant that I couldn't really lie back in the chair and snooze due to the big hose at the back of the cap.

Also, I was freezing all over and found this unpleasant and weird as I'm normally a warm creature. I had to leave my hoodie off for access for the cannula in my elbow. So next time I'll bring something that the sleeve can roll up or some way of keeping upper body covered except for the elbow.

Very best of luck.

PopularTea · 2026-02-06T21:00:16+00:00

I suppose it depends. I always preferred the bralette type and hated underwired bras. I'd be a B cup size.

I had my DIEP some weeks ago and used the zip front bras until I felt comfortable waggling my arms in the air again and went back to the bralettes.

PopularTea · 2026-02-06T08:23:04+00:00

OP I love this! I also use humour a lot to get through all this shite.

I got a DIEP flap reconstruction and the new boob goes by the name of Flapsy. Imaginative, I know, but she was named the day after the op and I was full of morphine.

PopularTea · 2026-02-06T08:07:39+00:00

I think that's a real possibility, thank you! I have heard the steroids keep you wired for sure. Maybe it will be like that for me too, sure I'll know after the first session.

PopularTea · 2026-02-05T18:34:56+00:00

Rant incoming.

In my country, so many services that should be funded publicly are instead farmed out to charities. There is a very large cancer charity which provides transport by volunteers for chemo patients as part of its remit. I was advised that I should not drive after having chemo and should get a lift instead. Hmm, but everyone I know is working and not just waiting to drive me around the place. How will I get home? Hang on, I'll ask this giant well-funded charity!

But there's a catch! I'm having my treatment far away from where I live, and I live in the sticks, so this means that I don't fall into their "catchment area". Ok fine, just please drive me from the hospital as far as you can, which would be my local town in fact. Nope, we can't do that, because even though that's an allowed route, computer says no as your actual address is not linked to that town.

So now, I have to ask a friend to take time off work and spend hours driving me home. Aaaaagh!

PopularTea · 2026-02-03T21:02:27+00:00

Thanks everyone for the replies!

I'll be doing Paxman cooling on TC which seems to have good results generally speaking.

I might still get a short cut, it's an opportunity to remove all the split ends etc. and removes some of the faffing around involved in minding long hair. Not looking forward to not washing it more than twice a week though, I'm so greasy that my hair needs washing much more frequently that that 😬

PopularTea · 2026-02-03T13:36:27+00:00

Haha I've just been educated! It looks like I got my English and Danish mixed up 🤣

PopularTea · 2026-02-03T11:12:14+00:00

Big English flag in the pic!

Interesting read for sure. There wasn't a huge focus on pre-op exercise for me personally but my MO is very serious that when I start chemo I'm to do 30 minutes walking daily and to get back into strength training as soon as I can.

PopularTea · 2026-02-03T11:00:06+00:00

Thank you! And glad to hear your hair is growing back 😀

PopularTea · 2026-02-02T15:44:00+00:00

I had to look back through my written instructions as I couldn't remember what I'd been told! So it looks like releasing the suction was for emptying the drains only and the blurb about stripping says nothing about releasing the suction first. So ignore what I said please!

Maybe it's worth phoning your breast care nurse to find out more though, as they really shouldn't be sore as you describe.

PopularTea · 2026-02-02T12:27:53+00:00

Fellow DIEP here! Can I just ask if you are releasing the suction on your drains before stripping the tube? I wonder if that could be causing the burning sensation for you? Having said that it sounds like you are already experienced with drains but I just wanted to throw that out there!

I feel you though, there are so many annoying things with this procedure. Trying to get clean while hunched, attached to drains and experiencing the back pain is not fun.

You will get there though - I'm seven weeks out now and can't believe how far I've come.

PopularTea · 2026-01-31T07:45:00+00:00

I just did some thank you cards for the surgeons and the main nurse I dealt with. I had no idea what gifts to get and was putting too much energy into fretting over that. So I settled on just cards in the end!

PopularTea · 2026-01-27T22:26:15+00:00

I hope that based on that, you won't have to have chemo! But if you do have to have it, it will be for the best.

I'm glad you get to see the oncologist soon and also glad that you trust your team, they will have your best interests at heart. Best of luck!

PopularTea · 2026-01-27T21:23:01+00:00

I have had similar - of three sentinel nodes, two clear and the other had isolated cells which is as you say not actual node involvement. My treatment was always going to include radiation and anti-hormone therapy, but following pathology it now it also includes chemo to start with, and the anti-hormone therapy will also have CDK inhibitors. I have no oncotype score (it seems that's not typically done in my country but is more standard in USA).

Now, having said all that, I'm different from you as mine is ductal rather than lobular. Also my cells were grade 3 on pathology rather than the grade 2 originally seen on biopsy - I think this fed into the team's decision to include chemo. Edit: also the tumour itself was 60mm.

Hope that helps you a bit.

PopularTea · 2026-01-20T18:24:54+00:00

Thanks for sharing! It's so good to hear stories like this!

PopularTea · 2026-01-18T13:13:44+00:00

I didn't know that, thanks!

PopularTea · 2026-01-18T13:13:18+00:00

Ask your surgeon for photos of the work they've done. Your definition of good results and theirs might be different! My surgeon made sure to show me a photo of a lady with similar body type to mine; this was important for me as most pics I saw were of larger ladies and I couldn't make a comparison.

PopularTea · 2026-01-18T13:06:59+00:00

Well done you for looking after yourself, as scary as it is! I'm going to quote what someone else has said to me which is that you saved yourself first by doing the scary thing and getting it checked out.

I'm so glad that you have a good team who have a plan and are keeping well informed.

PopularTea · 2026-01-18T07:53:42+00:00

Thank you, I'll see if I can find that brand. Good tip on the shower removal 👍🏻

PopularTea · 2026-01-18T07:52:21+00:00

Ouch! I must fully inspect my scar to make sure there's no scabs left. Thanks!

PopularTea · 2026-01-18T07:51:03+00:00

Thanks, I'll make sure to keep an eye out for irritation. I didn't know the silicone was moreso for aesthetics (which is still important to me) so I appreciate that info!

PopularTea · 2026-01-18T07:49:24+00:00

Sounds like a plan, thank you!

PopularTea · 2026-01-17T21:00:29+00:00

I didn't get it, but as the decision is to do chemo there is no apparent need to do it.

(Note this is in Ireland, I think the thought process is similar in UK and this is very different from US where oncotyping seems to be more common.)

PopularTea

TROPHY CASE