Testimony

Testimony by Marie-Josée Dallaire

Director of a dental clinic

CHUM, Taxol and Herceptin

2024

Before

During

After

The first time I heard about the cold capping method, my immediate thought was: “How will I manage to endure the cold? I am always so chilly, with cold hands and feet. How will I be able to bear these caps on my head for so long?” Adding to this, many people I talked to about the procedure were more inclined to discourage me, seeing all the effort and organization that managing the caps required. Even the oncologist found it "quite complicated, my dear lady!” But regardless, I was going to take on this challenge, at least I had to try, I had to give it a shot. I especially didn’t want to regret not having tried, and worse yet, to meet other women with cooling caps during my chemotherapy. No, that was not an option! Twelve weeks later, I still have all my hair; the cold caps have been a great success for me. I even amaze myself: I tolerate the cold very well, hence my new nickname, the Ice Queen! I’m not losing any more hair than before. When I look in the mirror, I can see the person I want to see: the strong one who fights or the one from before. It’s thanks to these breaks that I find the strength to continue. Managing the cap changes every 25 minutes keeps the mind occupied during treatments; you think less about the chemo flowing through your veins, you hear less the infusion pump’s speed, you feel strong and brave instead of vulnerable. To make it more bearable, I turned the capping sessions into Happy Wednesday with my wonderful friends who never stopped encouraging me and making me laugh, with my loving and empathetic sisters for their little sister, and with my precious family, proud of mom. I’m proud to have shown my children the importance of sometimes doing a little more than what is asked of us, that it’s rewarding and gratifying to persevere. Okay, I admit that the five hours post-chemo discouraged me in the first few weeks, but since I had such good results, I persevered, I even did some overtime, as my partner would say. My advice is to downplay the situation and surround yourself well, especially to make sure you are accompanied every treatment day. Without my partner, who was there every week, I wouldn’t have been able to use the cooling caps. Thank you, precious François. Thank you, sweet Emma, who still washes her mom's hair every week, and thank you, my affectionate Julien, for all your encouraging hugs on Wednesday mornings. I hope that one day we’ll have custom-made caps and why not plugged into the wall to cool them in Canada (we walk on the Moon, don’t we?)? Goodbye to managing dry ice… Come on, future Ice Queens, don’t be afraid of the cold and go for it. - *Joe, Frozen Queen*

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