MY Journey

When I was diagnosed with Stage 1 Breast Cancer, finding out that I needed chemotherapy was a shock. One of the first questions that I asked, more than once, was “will I lose my hair”?  The answer was simply, yes.

While I understood clearly what I needed to do to fight Breast Cancer, I was struggling to accept that I would lose my hair. I began looking online for a wig, and stumbled upon cold capping, which I had never heard of before.  I began to research cold capping, and quickly decided it was worth a try!

The infusion center that I went to did have a system to offer, however it was expensive, I was told there was the possibility of scheduling issues, and I learned from research that the results were often not as good as manual capping.

My research led me to Penguin Cold Caps, and I am so thankful it did! Twelve rounds of chemotherapy later, I am happy to say that I was able to keep 90 % or more of my hair. There were rules to follow, and sacrifices to make, but I am here to tell you that it was so worth it! I firmly believe that working to keep my hair played a large part in my ability to have a positive outlook, and maintain a healthy mindset throughout my treatment!

I am now passionate about bringing a greater awareness of cold capping to my area, and to helping other chemotherapy patients have success with preserving their hair, as I did.  Keeping my hair meant feeling more like myself, being treated like myself and moving on with life more quickly after chemotherapy was complete. I would love to help you on your journey as well!

-Teresa Long