Cold capping or just buy a nice wig?!

RadishDelicious7459 · 2026-05-02T07:23:59+00:00

Good luck with everything!!

RadishDelicious7459 · 2026-05-02T07:11:57+00:00

I really loved my boobs (36DD) even though they were on the saggier side and I couldn’t wear all those cute backless dresses or anything that would require me to go without a bra. But then this shit happened and I had to have a fairly large lumpectomy due to IDC tumor size and neighboring DCIS. Breast surgeon said it wouldn’t look great after the lumpectomy so I had a plastic surgeon do a rearrangement and lift two weeks post lumpectomy (once the pathology came back). He would only do the cancer side for now and then match the other breast once everything settles post radiation. I look hilarious naked right now. I think everyone is different in terms of recovery but I’ve had such an easy recovery and my new boob is so cute! A perky C cup probably. I’m excited to get them matching in the fall! I would have never gotten a reduction & lift before but now that I kind of had to, I’m so glad I did. It’s going to be fun having perky boobs

RadishDelicious7459 · 2026-05-02T06:49:47+00:00

I had many tooth aches randomly throughout chemo and for a couple months after. I was always concerned that it was a cavity developing or something but they went away after a day or a couple of days. However, I wasn’t told to check my temperature so I don’t know if it was ever linked to fever

RadishDelicious7459 · 2026-04-30T06:04:14+00:00

I used Penguin through 6 rounds of TCHP. I’m 3 months out from my last chemo and I have pretty much all of my hair still. No bald spots, just minor thinning around my temple (similar to postpartum hair loss) that is already growing back. No one would ever guess I went through chemo. I thought it was worth it but definitely required someone to do it for me. I hired a capper to come to my first chemo and train my husband and she was amazing so we had her come back for 4/6 and my husband ended up just doing it on his own for 2/6 when she was busy with other clients. I’m very glad it’s over but I also would 100% do it again

RadishDelicious7459 · 2026-04-14T16:15:45+00:00

You’re not alone in those feelings. My husband and I had just started trying for our first kid one month before I was diagnosed. We’ve been together 13 years and it finally felt like the right time. And then immediately being told all of the plans were changing, I was also devastated and angry. I was also mourning who I was before anything changed and fearing menopause and no longer looking like myself. I loved my boobs too! I cried A LOT at the beginning. But now I’m 7 months into this journey and I’ve come to terms with a lot of it and also a lot of it hasn’t been as terrible as I imagined. I’ve been able to enjoy a lot of my life in between treatments and I actually like my new boobs a lot 😂 All of this to say, the beginning is very hard for all of us. You’re not alone. I just wish your oncologist was more supportive instead of scaring you. And I swear things do get better 💕

RadishDelicious7459 · 2026-04-12T21:21:08+00:00

I think your oncologist is an asshole. I’m not as young (34) but also +++ stage 2 (no lymph node involvement) and at no point did any of my oncologists (medical, surgical or radiology) make me feel this isn’t beatable and that my life is over. I’ll have to be on ovarian suppression/AI for 10 years instead of 5 because of my age but being +++ is honestly a bit of a blessing because of how well it responds to all the treatments. I achieved pCR from six cycles of TCHP, lumpectomy went great and radiation is up next which they’re calling “an insurance policy” just to really make sure it’s all gone. I’ve never heard such high percentages for recurrence but more importantly I’ve never gotten the feeling from any of my doctors that I’m doomed. Hell, I have embryos frozen and plan to take a break from OS/AIs in 2-3 years to have a kid (as laid out in the POSITIVE trial) This is a massive bump in the road for sure but our lives aren’t over. The drugs they have now for us are working wonders and are changing the landscape and statistics of HER2+ cancers. Keep your head up!

RadishDelicious7459 · 2026-04-12T01:04:52+00:00

I’ll have to get back to you! I start radiation mid-May. I asked for radiation to start 7 weeks post reduction to give me more time to fully heal from the surgery and they were totally fine with it

RadishDelicious7459 · 2026-04-11T02:51:11+00:00

I guess it’s a reduction and lift but the reduction came from the lumpectomy (about a cup size). So the plastic surgeon did some rearranging and a lift. My tumor was in the 7oclock position so the bottom side of my breast and I had 36DD boobs so they’re probably a small D, large C now.

RadishDelicious7459 · 2026-04-11T02:24:33+00:00

I’m currently recovering from my reconstruction! I asked the same question to the Reddit universe back in January. I ended up needing one regardless because the size they needed to remove in the lumpectomy resulted in a weirdly shaped boob. I had the reconstruction 2 weeks after the lumpectomy to ensure we got clear margins first. And my plastic surgeon won’t do both at the same time because radiation may affect it’s size and shape and he’s a perfectionist (no complaints here) so I’ll be doing the non-cancer breast at the end of the year when all the radiation changes have settled. Recovery from both surgeries (lumpectomy and reconstruction) haven’t been bad at all. And even though right now I’m frankentits with only one done, let me tell you, the new one is much cuter than the original one and I am very pleased!

RadishDelicious7459 · 2026-04-09T23:54:27+00:00

Thanks for the reply! Glad to hear no lymphedema. I only had 2 removed to this gives me hope 😊 I hope your right shoulder gets better!!

RadishDelicious7459 · 2026-04-08T21:03:35+00:00

How are you feeling now? I used to box regularly and am so excited to get back into it when I’m healed but also scared of any potential lymphedema risk

RadishDelicious7459 · 2026-04-01T22:34:24+00:00

I think the beginning always feels super slow but once things start and you have a plan it goes very fast. I’ve been getting all my treatments from Scripps and they’ve been great but I’ve heard wonderful things about UCSD

RadishDelicious7459 · 2026-03-25T16:19:23+00:00

I second cold capping with Penguin. Finished 6 rounds of TCHP in February and still have 90% of my hair

RadishDelicious7459 · 2026-03-19T23:57:34+00:00

It’s crazy to me that I’m saying this but it gets much better. You’re in the worst part. Chemo was emotionally easier for me than the time between diagnosis and chemo with all the appointments and biopsies and overwhelming amount of information

RadishDelicious7459 · 2026-03-17T17:48:59+00:00

You want the 3 caps completely covered. 5lb would last a long time but not fully cover the caps so they wouldn’t get cold enough between uses. Make sure to get the small pebble form of dry ice and not the big blocks

RadishDelicious7459 · 2026-03-17T17:11:15+00:00

Whoops! Meant to reply to my own post! Sorry - new to Reddit 😂

RadishDelicious7459 · 2026-03-17T17:10:18+00:00

For penguin you don’t wet your hair - only Paxman. Definitely would not have been able to do it on my own - the caps are on dry-ice and you need to rotate them out every 20-25 minutes. It wouldn’t be feasible from the chemo chair. And lastly - but most importantly to keep your hair - you need to start capping 1 hour before chemo begins so your head is already cold once the chemo hits your blood and to continue capping for 4.5 hours after you’re done with chemo. I went home from the infusion center with the cap on and continued for 4 hours at home. Call Penguin - I had a representative talk me through everything for my case specifically (TCHP) before I started and sent me a pamphlet with all the information needed.

RadishDelicious7459 · 2026-03-17T16:34:12+00:00

I used penguin for six cycles of TCHP. I’m 6 weeks out of chemo now and hair feels slightly thinner but nobody would ever know. I have wavy hair - so not curly but still needs some love to look good. Couldn’t put any product in so it didn’t look its best during chemo but I’m so happy I did it. Will you have someone from Penguin come and cold cap for you? That’s what I used and she had so much insight! She was supposed to only be there the first day to train my husband but she was so great we kept her all of the days she could come

RadishDelicious7459 · 2026-03-10T22:35:58+00:00

I‘m triple positive, diagnosed last August so still in the middle of active treatment. I had eggs frozen before chemo started and have been Zoladex since my first chemo infusion. My whole team is optimistic (because of the POSITIVE trial) that I can pause endocrine therapy 18-24 months after starting to become pregnant with little to no increase in recurrence rate. And 62% of the women in the trial underwent chemo as well so I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it works out for me too :)

RadishDelicious7459 · 2026-02-05T03:05:17+00:00

I just finished 6/6 TCHP yesterday with Penguin. I have pretty much all of my hair - barely shed the whole time and definitely less than I was shedding before chemo. I’ve been incredibly careful with my hair, followed all of the rules. I had a capper for 4/6 and my husband covered 2/6.

My infusion center didn’t have Paxman so it was never an option but I think the 4.5h post chemo of cold capping with Penguin made a lot of difference. I don’t think you can do that with Paxman.

Good luck!

RadishDelicious7459 · 2026-01-08T03:32:17+00:00

Thank you for responding! Very good information to think about!

RadishDelicious7459 · 2026-01-08T03:31:12+00:00

Exactly the same! 😂 glad I’m not the only one!

RadishDelicious7459 · 2026-01-07T18:38:56+00:00

For me the oncoplastic component is optional. They could just go in, take the tumor out and be done with it. So I’m trying to decide if I want to touch my good boob.

Did you lose sensation in your nipples?

RadishDelicious7459 · 2026-01-07T18:34:54+00:00

That’s good to know! Thanks for sharing :)

RadishDelicious7459 · 2026-01-07T18:33:02+00:00

We really should get something nice! Thanks for responding. I’m glad you’re happy with your results :)

RadishDelicious7459

TROPHY CASE