Cold Caps Users Past and Present, to Save Hair
Comments
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Elastogelgirl: I often had those scalp pains you've mentioned. I still have them sometimes. I don't think that I ever lost more hair when I was really bothered by that tenderness/soreness. Hope that helps a little.
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Thanks for sharing Keshla! What cold cap brand did you use? Penguin suggests not to color for 4 months. I can't wait, the WOW color powder is working wonders but in 4 months I'll have so many more roots showing!
IL311-- how's the color wash going for you?
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willa216-thank you for letting me know about your experience with the scalp pain sensations.. Less worry is always good! Just by having these weird pains I'm constantly reminded that I need to be really careful with my hair. I used to have a very tough head of hair like a cave woman. My scalp was bulletproof!
Hugs elastogelgirl
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Kechla- wow great haircut! Light at the end of the tunnel! Thanks for photos!
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elastogel i had the scalp pain prior to losing hair. very uncomfortable. i finally did sink my head under water while in the bath because i felt like it might give some relief. i think the best thing for the tenderness is to not touch your scalp or move your hair about. hope it passes soon without much shedding
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deemendoza - Thank you for the tips!
Pamela23 and Elastogelgirl,
It turns out my "8-hour" Taxol infusion was more like 3 hours (thank goodness for clear and speedy ports!), and there was a ton of futzing around beforehand with tests and pre-meds, so we had about an hour under the cap before the infusion began in earnest. I then kept the caps on for the post-infusion period and the ride home (switching twice), which amounted to 4 hours post-Taxol drip. That may be overkill, but since that is my longest and most high-hairloss-risk infusion, I didn't mind.
I am using 5 Elasto-Gel caps on loan from a local cancer care foundation. If it wasn't for the price tag (free plus my cost for dry ice), we probably wouldn't have had the balls to give it a try.
After cap #1, I did try and remove the shower cap to get better contact/coldness. Definitely a mistake, because the crown of the cap stuck fast to my hair at first (you were right, ElastoGelGirl!), and I accidentally yanked a bit on my scalp when I tried to adjust it. It warmed after a few minutes, but that's definitely NOT something I want to repeat. I may just do a patch of plastic on my crown where those Elasto-Gels tend to rub when first put on.
One big tip for the Elasto-Gel users, as it seems bunching and pooling on the crown is a common issue: Immediately after putting the new cap on, use a towel to "smash" it into your head by draping it across the top of the crown and pulling down from the edges of the towel. You can then rub and twist it into place evenly while smoothing out the crown lump, without having to touch it with your hands. I would then just leave the towel around my neck to periodically smash and adjust as it warmed.
This was infusion #3 for me, after one 90 minute Taxol, followed by a 6-hour cisplatin (via IP port) last week. I'm now looking forward to a week off! I'm not sure if my regimen really translates for most of you. I mentioned in my intro post that I'm actually an ovarian cancer "interloper," and you guys were awesome at welcoming me. You really have the best info and support on cold caps - thank you!
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lizjo, it's great you could borrow the caps. i would like to get some interest going in getting money and cap donations for my local hospital which is large and has a larg cancer wing. they get a large number of donations for wigs, why not caps! this group is great and like you i am an 'interloper' (uterine cancer) and this was the only resource i could find online. you gave a lot of good tips. i too had to smooch down the caps frequently all around my scalp, i liked your towel idea. my husband would hand me a quite hard and stiff cap, i would set it on my head and would be able to quickly start pushing it down on my head. i had 4 caps, 5 would have been better. a lot of shedding after #1, barely any after #2, waiting to see what happens after #3,but am thinking with improved techniques after #1 it should be minimum. (my first three rounds in spring summer didn't know of caps so lost all hair with carbo taxol, got a good head of hair growing during radiation, didn't want to lose it)
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janetsam and lizjo- I'm concerned that your caps are not quite smooth when your putting them on? With all that smashing. I did the smashing on the head thing first round and ended up with a little frostbite with scalp flaking where one of my coolest caps had a lump that burned my scalp. It was not too bad... no hair loss from the frostbite but the flaking hurt and was annoying.
I have two cap helpers my hubby and my brother. They are getting the caps super cold... then before they put them on me they use brute force and spend a lot of time smoothing the caps out! Should be a clean fit. I don't exactly know thier method.. it sounds like punched and grunting! My hubby was trying them on before putting on me. He is tough! And of course they made sure the caps were cold enough each time with the temp gun.
My only other issue was I got pretty bad frostbit on my ear where the ear covering was not sufficient. Left me with a painful blister. It's healing great but be careful!
We bough 170 dollars of dry ice last time, overkill. We have a load left over the next day and actually returned some of the solid ice blocks and got a 70 dollar refund. It helps when the grocery store knows what you are going thru. Since they sell it by the pound why not? Anyhow worth a try.
One more thing that help me get the caps on tight is my elastic tight headband I got at Kmart. I slip it under my chin and pull the wide part over the whole top of the cap. Photos below are similar to it. I also use very tight extra elastic straps with Velcro to tighten around my head across the eyebrow to keep brows cold. Then a split double one again over the top under chin...my brother made these for me.
my headband is nice itshields that tight strap from cutting my chin. Photos below of a similar type of elastic headband...make sure to get a tight one maybe a kid one.i have a huge head..I start by holding the headband under my Chin not in back of headlike these photos... and then my guys pull the whole width over the top of the cap! They fit really tight when you place under chin.
Good luck I'm sure you'd be fine either way! Just wanted to write my stuff since I know it's so hard to figure out if it's going right! Hugs
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elasto for some reason i didn't get any frostbite. caps were below -135. my left ear got sore but that was it. i think i have a small head and that is why all the smashing down of caps. caps came down almost to my eyebrows. also maybe the shape of my head had something to do with it? the back of my head is very flat. So my small head is not the nice round shape that would fit the shape of the cap. we bought about 35-40 pounds of ice. if i were to do it over i would buy a bit more and have 5-6 caps and then maybe the caps would have been colder on outside as much as inside. inside was definitely cold from placing zip lock baggies full of broken up dry ice placed inside though. didn't need as big a cooler as we bought. it is a royal blue igloo with 4 cup holders on top from walmart, forgot the size. am mostly putting this info here for future readers. i am in chapel hill nc if anyone ever wants to contact me just let me know.
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Hi ladies! First, thanks for the recommendation regarding Acure shampoo and conditioner. I also bought the leave-in conditioner spray, and it's been so much better than the Rahua shampoo (left build-up) and Rene Furterer detangler (smells nice, but didn't detangle or soften at all) which I had been using.
I feel like I had a "big shed" yesterday- 15 days after my first Taxotere/Carboplatin treatment with Penguin Cold Caps. My hair's been a rat's nest due to the lack of blow-drying and styling, so the effort to detangle yesterday was just a wreck. I tried to leave it alone, but things just kept getting worse and I was shedding more than usual- looks like there's a tumbleweed in the wastebasket now, blargh.
Has anyone else successfully done cold capping while "cheating" and using a flat iron mid-way down on long hair to the ends? I know I'll end up with breakage and split ends, but the tangles and knots are heartbreaking to try to work through, especially given the shedding. I feel like flat ironing the ends, along with using the Acure conditioner will at least help with the de-tangling and associated shedding...
Dreading the thought that that wasn't my "big shed" moment and that there's another one coming up, but what can ya do but hang in there! Love to everyone.
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For Willa and others interested in skin care recommendations, i would like to offer my favorite moisturizers. These are all heavy ones that work well in the cold, dry months of winter, or year-round for dry skin. I like a dewy glow and think it looks youthful.
Best overall but most expensive: Clarins extra-firming night cream for all skin types. This one really does take years off, firming my skin up and giving a healthy, super-subtle pearly glow and contouring. I'm not into wearing a lot of makeup but when i want to look my very best this is what i use. Light, pleasant scent. http://www.clarinsusa.com/en/extra-firming-night-rejuvenating-cream-all-skin-types/C010408017.html
All-natural and similar to the Clarins one but a bit less spendy: Eminence coconut age-corrective night cream. Smells delicious. https://www.amazon.com/Eminence-Organics-Coconut-Corrective-Moisturizer/dp/B00BD3RT84
Modestly priced one i use every day because i can't quite bring myself to splurge on those other two for daily use: Etival defy-age moisturizing cream. Good body to it, smooths, plumps and protects my skin through the winter. Little to no scent.
Before bed i sometimes use Neostrata Glycolic renewal cream 10%. The next day when i lightly exfoliate with a thin exfoliating towel, my skin becomes super smooth. http://neostrata.ca/products/-category/exfoliating/glycolic-renewal-smoothing-cream-10/178/
From time to time i will for several weeks use rX stuff that is really the gold standard in anti-aging medicine: Differin 0.1% cream. It is pricey but covered if you have insurance. It is an exfoliant and has real science behind it showing that it rebuilds collagen, the key to looking youthful. It is the real deal, though and must be used as directed or you can burn your skin off. I follow the rules and have never had a problem. I tell all my girlfriends about it if they have drug coverage. Seriously, it is the sht.
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Elastogelgirl: It differs from cap to cap, and I think it's due to the level of gel "pooling" that sometimes occurs when the caps are warm. Hubby and BFF are getting better about settling the caps in the ice with a full bag of pellets in the crown to keep them round, but in the meantime, a few get quite lumpy on the inside. My head has always burned hot, and I have really thick hair, so we decided that it was worth the on-head effort to get them to conform, vs. leaving them out and trying to muscle them into shape while losing cold. As it is, we typically only get 20-25 minutes of wear from each fresh cap before the front is completely soft. I also really like the comforting feeling of pressing the whole towel on from time to time as it warms. Thanks for the wide headband rec - I was just looking into something like this as the 3 supplemental straps I put across the top and around the crown to tend to bite, and it would be nice to have a buffer.
As for frostbite (fingers crossed), nothing yet, but then again, I burn hot and grew up with ice in my hair in winters
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Kechla - You look awesome. Glad you are at the point to be able to do something about your hair. It's looks very flattering and easy. Good luck with your continued recovery.
Willa - It is hard to find those moments of joy. I've taken up yoga and meditation to try and find some inner peace away from all the worrying. I am a stay at home mom and it's getting dark staying home all day. Don't feel like going out, I feel like I look a mess. It's hard to imagine another 3 months like this.. and this has nothing to do with the "cancer" part.. that's a whole different worry. We haven't told anyone but family and a few close friends who have been through this.. so if someone we haven't told, sees me, there would be a lot of questions. Those who have been through this say "oh wear a scarf or a hat". I never wore them before, look horrid in them and if someone saw me I knew they would think something even more strange was going on.. ugh! and the shedding just continues. How is your shedding? Your way out PFC, when did yours stop? Is your hair really thin?
Pamela23 - Congratulations! Must be a huge relief to get done with chemo. Wish you a speedy recovery from any lingering side effects.
Elastogelgirl - How is your shedding? Mine is strong still, it's a wash day so will see. How cool your brother helps your hubby with your caps. My hubby didn't want anything to do with the caps. He was worried that if it didn't work I would blame him in some way for not doing it right. I get it.... You must be getting some weather up there. I am in So.Cal and it's pouring.
Janetsam - You have a ton of hair if you lost everything in the spring/summer. Did you do anything special to speed up growth?
Lizjo - You look great in your cap😉.. I am doing Penguin Caps so no tips but I did the hard hair chemo of AC first and am now doing 4 Taxol with one left.. shedding increased for me when I switched to Taxol but probabaly because I still had AC lingering. Wishing you ease with finishing out your treatment.
Anon - Yep, this is the rats nest club I think for some of us. My husband said the other day my hair looks normal, except I am not combing it. I said "this is my hair combed".. I have cheated and held my shoulder length hair out to the side gently and blew it dry on warm without the hair dryer blowing the scalp. I also have used a flat iron on a nasty cowlick I have in the front. In the beginning I would just pull my hair back very, very loosely with some argan oil on the ends to let it dry after washing. It would pull enough weight to straighten some and the oil made it smooth.. Not Penguin recommended but I took the risk and at that time I didn't have any increase in shedding. Now I just let dry naturally and may blow dry the front on cold to try and deflate the cowlick. Good luck..
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luvmyys i used generic rogain for men twice daily in the summer and when my hair came back it was crazy! i had hair growing down my forehead where it never grew before. everything came back like gangbusters. eyebrows too. i actually stopped using it for that reason. my hair was like poodle fur! as soon as i started growing hair after that series i also used nizoril shampoo for awhile and have continued to use biotin. those three are considered to really help those with thinning hair so i figured why not. i have a good head of hair now even after losing what seemed like half my hair after cold capping but don't feel like i shed after that next chemo, am waiting to see what happens next week, my hopefully very last ever infusion was a week ago). after losing my hair to chemo initially in June, hair grew fast but then the 6-7 weeks of radiation in the fall seemed to slow things up, a little less than 1/2 inch per month. i think these 3 last rounds of chemo slowed thing up too. immune system shot, pancytopenic, evidently that can slow down hair growth. besides going bald which was awful i am now having to deal with a lot of crazy curls. another reason to cold cap!
(just to clarify, had 3 rounds of chemo carbo taxol every 3 weeks in spring/summer, one month break then 6 weeks internal and external pelvic radiation, one month break then 3 rounds chemo which i finished last week. lost hair first three rounds, grew back, didn't want to lose it again so cold capped)
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Luvmyys- my shedding has slowed this week a thank god, no big sheds like day 21 and maybe 10 day from AC 2. I've lose at least 30 -40 percent most on the crown. but I'm way behind you! So is yours is increasing on the dose dense taxol or just always shedding? I sincerely hope we get thru with enough hair to feel normalish.
I skied again three days in a row! powder at heavenly resort. I would get a few great Turns in then have to sit down! I'm all beat! My spirits are way high! Was really fun the snow is so good and deep. My hubby is really patient with me! We have always had a saying 'no friends on a powder day' meaning you don't want to be held back waiting for anyone! Let alone a very slow chemo patient sitting down on the run!
I useded my shower cap under my hat and helmet today it works really good to keep the hats and things from pulling!
Hugs and good luck with the shedding..
.I'm curious about all the reports of hair growth on taxol? Doesn't make sense?
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Janet - wow your hair grewfast and a ton, that's awesome. I am hoping mine grows so eventually when I cut it, it will all match up.
Elastogelgirl - yes, it just keeps shedding tons. I am at a point I want to just cut it short in a pixie and know that's my fate.. I am just not a "wait and see" kinda gal. I washed today and lost a lot. When it drys I have volume because my hair is curly, so looks ok but the next day after sleeping on it... I'm a troll. I only wash once a week. Keep up the movement! It's good for us. Be careful not to get sick.. after AC #4 I landed in the hospital for a week with pneumonia.0 -
I wanted to mention a product I have used for years to fill in some areas that are thin on my scalp which is Irene Gari and I buy it on Amazon. It is a brush-on powder applied with a brush to the scalp. Since I stopped coloring my hair and went natural to salt and pepper some years ago my scalp would have a pinkish look in an area above the part area and it works great.
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Tunegrrl - Thank you for taking the time to send all the skincare info. So appreciated. I agree on the Eminence coconut age-corrective. It's fabulous. It truly works wonders. Only thing is that the day after I use it I get weird cystic acne. Never fails. I'm definitely going to look into your other recommendations. I have trouble with Retin A so it has been challenging to find products that truly make a difference. Thanks again. Hope you are well! Hugs.
Luvmyys: I feel like we are in similar spots, emotionally. I'm sorry. Yoga has helped so much - my teacher is amazing and there's a lot of meditation incorporated into the class. I have moments of deep peace after those classes which give me hope that it's possible to achieve. I hope it's the same for you, and I wish that for all of us. I'm still self conscious and probably not getting out as much as I should, plus I work from home, so I understand your comments about the "darkness". Time does go by faster than you might expect, though, and it won't be too long before you'll look and feel more like yourself (despite the hair worries). To answer your questions about my hair - I mostly stopped shedding about 2-3 weeks PFC. I'm now 11 weeks PFC. I still have hair come out when I comb but I don't think it's more than usual. My shedding was at its greatest after treatments 9 - 12. My hair is quite similar to yours in your photo - perhaps a bit wavier. My hair is thin now and looks even thinner because it's dark with a lot of gray coming in. (I don't think yours looks thin!). I'm sorry that I'm still so embarrassed I don't want to post a photo... If I were to look at my part anywhere on my head it doesn't seem that I've lost hair. But my ponytail is about 50% thinner than it was when I started. I lost a lot of hair around my ears and have had a ton of breakage in that area as well. So I have a lot of hair around my ears that is broken off by the bottom of my ear and then the rest goes to my collarbone. Pretty. And each hair seems so much thinner in diameter. I'm wondering about the pixie cut, too, but am thinking first I'll trim a couple inches so I can still wear it up. If it's up there's enough volume so that it seems like my hair is normal and I kind of forget about the problems.
Thanks for letting me complain and worry here about all the hair details. My husband is really the only person I ever talk to about this and I hate to do it because he worked so hard through 12 long days of capping to save my hair.
Elasto - you are something with your skiing!! Wow.
Lizjo and Janetsam - continuing good wishes to you both.
Anoncub - I sometimes blow dried the ends on cold but I held the hair away from my head. I did it very rarely. I didn't have a stellar outcome but I don't think it had anything to do with this occasional "cheating". Luck to you.
Pamela - Gosh, I saw your note about Penguin saying to avoid color for 4 months. I'm not sure where I got it in my head it was 3 months? I feel like most people here are "gently"' coloring at 3 months? I went back and looked at instructions sent by Geralyn. What I have actually says 6 months and maybe a veg dye is okay at 3 months. But they def don't commit (to anything, ever). I think I recall the Penguin protocol was changed recently? Now I'm wondering if my hair will turn orange and fall out next weekend when I go get my hair "fixed". Yikes. Maybe I'll give Penguin a call just to see. Sometimes I think all these rules are arbitrary. In case you can't tell I'm not dealing well with waiting any longer to color
Anyway, most importantly, I hope you're hanging in there with any SEs and are feeling good. 0 -
Pamela. I used PCC. They indicated in my instructions to wait 12 weeks to color. Maybe their instructions have changed...
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Thank you all for posting your stories! Just got my port in Friday and am doing first infusion of A/C & using the Arctic Cold Cap System starting Monday - NERVOUS!
- Beginners' question that I didn't see answered in the last several pages - do we have to buy dry ice each time? It's selling for $1.99/lb where I live - OUCH!
- It really aches where the port was installed, despite icing off and on for the last 24 hours and medicating. Can anyone relate how long to expect that to last?
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Willa & Kechla-- I saw the 4 month recommendation on the Penguin Cold Cap sight but the info my rep sent me in November does say you can cold with no ammonia nor peroxide 3 months PFC. That's a relief!!
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Dandi-wishes,
Yes, every time you use the cold cap, you need to buy dry ice. I think I'm paying $75 every two weeks, at about $1.69/ lb.
Port - mine hurt a lot for maybe 1-2 days. But I have to tell you I have had it now for 2 months, and it just stopped hurting.(Not major pain, but minor pain.) I think this is a little extreme, but this happens to some people. It hasn't been nearly as bad as the first couple of days, but my MO thinks that I got bruised under my port after my second chemo (you could see the bruise) so it started hurting more than before. Finally I feel I have gotten (in terms of port adjustment) to where other people were after a month. I took Tylenol for pain and that was enough for me. I hope your intense pain is over soon. Hugs to you.
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Elastogelgirl - I'm inspired with your skiing. I was sending my husband and son off skiing (we are cross country skiers) for Presidents day weekend, but now I'm thinking I'll go with them. I think I can keep up with my 9 year old. But we are still waiting for snow in West Virginia where we plan to ski. There is usually snow by now, but not this year. (There is no snowmaking for cross country skiing where I have gone.)
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dandi, the port pain took me by surprise but percocet helped. pain went away after a few days. my team has been generous with percocet (along with anti-anxiety and sleep meds) and i have used it carefully for chemo and neulasta shot aches and pains and even sometimes with radiation and it has really helped me get through all this crap.
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luvmyys-sorry to hear you still shedding so much! I'm looking toward you for what my outcome will be! My spirits are good now because I'm feeling well and able to go skiing.. my hair seems to be slowing on the shedding, for the past few days,, really since I started exercising so much. I have been overdoing it with the all the snow and the skiing so good...Also My guys got the caps super cold last time with my frozen ear and more ice than we needed. The time before that was the opposite too little ice and warmer caps! I'm convinced my fasting is helping side effects and my hair...don't know if you feel good enough to try the diet on your last round..I hate hats and scarves too. I'm using badanna style silk scarves and my Tilley hat. I feel ridiculous but I've told everyone I have cancer. everyone is just so happy I'm doing alright. Good news for you is it's almost over! I'm sure that even if you thin too much it will still be worth it. I really believe we are protecting our hair follicles for better regrowth later!
To everyone -I'm doing neoadjuvant chemo..chemo before surgery. If I'd had the surgery first I'm sure I would not have been able to easily do the sports I love so much Skiing and bike riding. So I'm lucky in that my chemo is easier without the painful recovery from surgery. Exercise and my diet are really helping me get thru. I'm only on round three AC and I know it gets worse. I hope I can continue.
Dandelionwishes- I hate my port. I get pains all along the tube sometimes. And it itches and I think it crumples when I sleep. The thing just creeps me out. I am adjusting to it a little more each day. I feel it when I excersise too The incision got a tiny bit infected and I put bacitracin on it daily. It will feel better each day. $ dry ice is expensive. My last infusion we over bought 160 bucks worth... We were able to return the left over ice the next day! Got 70 bucks back...my hubby thinks we will buy 130 bucks worth next time. if you keep some in the bags you might be able to return it. You only need to smash up two bags to keep the caps filled. My guys are filling the caps with crushed ice and setting them down in the ice lined cooler with bottom edge down in on top of blocks with blocks lining the side of the cooler. Our price is also $ 1.99lb.. Our grocery store knows I have cancer and why we need the ice so they are sympathetic to the whole deal. They way my guys are doing the ice the edges get very cold. Make sure your ears and forehead are well protected!
My hair looks horrible but I'm not bald! I am scared about how much more thinning and chemo my hair will have to endure! But I'm still going to try and do everything I can to preserve my ability to grow back the thick healthy head of hair I used to have. Plus I look super normal with a hat on. And I know wigs would be horribly itchy and weird for me!
I want Everyone to know that my skiing is not normal. I make three or four turns and sit down on the run. Make two runs and go the the lodge and drink bitters and lay on the floor...then get up and do it all again. Lol I'm still able to have some fun in between waves of my gut problems.
Big hugs everyone!
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DandilionWishes: good luck on Monday! If you are using the Arctic Cold Caps service, your actual caps are probably ElastoGels, like many of us, so many of our adventures will be the similar. I look forward to checking in regularly.
Re: the port, mine's been in for two weeks, and it still ached where the bumps push through up until about 2 days ago. Tylenol really helped, but also watch for even gentle rubbing in daily activities that may aggravate it. For me, it was bending to pick up a pile of laundry (and forgetfully pressing it into my chest) that really got it going.
Again, best of luck, and I look forward to hearing how you do with the caps.
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Taxol and neuropathy with cold capping
I'm reading on other threads about how women getting Taxol are going to soak their feet and hands in ice water or do cold packs on hands/feet. Has anyone done this with cold capping. I start Taxol tomorrow and I just don't see how I could possibly survive cold capping plus ice cold hands and feet. Any suggestions? My doctor hasn't mentioned anything about putting hands and feet in ice water.
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Keep the comments and suggestions coming ladies, I am going to Cold Cap through chemo and all of your posts keep me positive and motivated. Elastogirl, your skiing posts made me smile. I used to ski a lot and enjoyed the pics. Even a few turns on the mountain are better than none, you rock!! I was hoping to keep up exercise through chemo and will practice yoga, but I will be working as well so not sure how much is doable. I doubt I will be able to work much past round 2 of chemo, anyone else have feedback on this, much appreciated.
Someone wrote about icing the hands and feet. I read somewhere that the first 10--15 minutes of infusion is the most important to ice the extremities and also suck on ice to prevent mouth sores. Couldn't hurt and if it helps, that is great and seems doable.
Thanks again for the incredible posts, so inspiring!
Anne
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hanging in- I bought the elastogel mitts for hands and feet.. you are right chilling the hands and feet is excruciating. My caps are -31f and my mitts I can only do at +31...if You want to try chilling hands and feet I'd go get some large gel cold Therapy wraps for knees or shoulders from Walmart or Kmart and see how cold you can tolerate them..I believe You will get some benefit out of keeping the chemo out the extremities. One big weird side effect I get from my cold mitts is forearm and shin pain the same night of infusion. The first round I was super tough with colder mitts and the pain was pretty intense but tolerable. I took 5 mg Vicodin which I don't take often. My last two ACs I was not as serious about how cold I wanted themitts. But with Taxol I might try colder.
Ice buckets sound horrid. Btw I'm chewing ice too. My first round I did not chew iceand I got mouth sores.
Lmk what you end up doing.
Good luck
E
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hanging_in_there, i iced my fingernails and toenails using gel mitts and booties my cancer centre provides to everyone receiving a taxane. Here's the thing: it doesn't have to be excruciating to work. Just keep cold "enough", pulling fingers out from time to time if it starts to hurt (or to scroll on your phone as i did). I had no problems whatsoever. Also, there is a common misconception going around that it helps prevent neuropathy. It does not. (Those nerves are being damaged in your spinal cord not your extremities, if it happens, if i am understanding correctly.)
Best of luck. It isn't fun but it won't last forever.
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