Testimony

Testimony by Kim Joubert

Vice-President, General Manager, Business Growth QCE, Cossette Media

Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, 4 AC and 12 Taxol

2023

When the oncologist broke the news to me, and the inevitable hair loss was mentioned, the image of a sick woman without hair, eyelashes, and eyebrows immediately flashed before my eyes.

Avant

Pendant

Après

In the fall of 2022, following a mammogram, I received the phone call I had feared the most deep down inside me. I was scheduled for a biopsy because they had detected an abnormal number of microcalcifications in my right breast. At 40 years old, just six days after my father's passing, I received a devastating blow. I was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma (HER2+ subtype) with one affected lymph node, stage 2, grade 2 breast cancer. Chemotherapy became inevitable and urgent. I had to undergo 4 cycles of AC and 12 cycles of Taxol within a span of 5 months. When the oncologist broke the news to me, and the inevitable hair loss was mentioned, the image of a sick woman without hair, eyelashes, and eyebrows immediately flashed before my eyes. I wasn't ready. I wasn't ready to be that woman who symbolized illness with a bald head, and most importantly, I wasn't ready for my children to witness it. I have two boys, one is 9 years old with mild autism spectrum disorder, and the other is 6 years old. They were too young to experience this shock, and I wanted to shield them from that image as they were already dealing with enough. Long before my diagnosis, I had been following Sophie Reis, and I had read her website <a href="https://www.instagram.com/uncancerencadeau/" target="_blank">Un cancer en cadeau</a>. This is how I learned about cold caps. It quickly became an option I wanted to explore. I knew the outcome wasn't guaranteed, especially with the AC treatments, but I had to at least try. I ordered the cold caps, and my husband and best friend agreed to be my "cappers" throughout the treatments. During the first treatment, I was nervous, but my husband had tremendous confidence in managing the cold caps. We had practiced the night before, and we were ready. The shock of -29 degrees Celsius was less severe than I had anticipated. It was cold, very cold, but the body adapts quickly. With my trusty heated blanket, I managed not to get too cold. My husband and best friend were incredible throughout the treatments. Accompanying individuals are crucial in the cold cap process, and I had the best with me. Did I lose hair? Yes. Was it easy? No. There were periods of doubt, self-reflection, and moments when I was utterly terrified of my hair falling out. I lost approximately 70% of my hair. One month before finishing my Taxol treatments, I was still losing a significant amount of hair. I was scared and contemplated shaving my head, but the "Keep Your Hair" community and my son's fear of seeing me bald encouraged me to stay the course until the end. I have no regrets. I was able to go through chemotherapy while picking up my children from school without anyone suspecting what we were going through. I found ways to conceal my hair loss, my sparse scalp. The low ponytail became the norm. Today, one and a half months post-chemo, my hair is already growing back, and quite rapidly. I'm proud that I persevered despite moments of discouragement. I'm proud that I used the cold caps and can share a part of my story with you. *- Kim*

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Testimony by Kim Joubert

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