Testimony

Testimony by Meggan Renaud

Content Creator

Sainte-Croix Hospital, R-CHOP

2024

I never stopped living. I followed the recommendations, but I still enjoyed the sun, kept training, went out… In short, I stayed myself. Every time I looked in the mirror, I still saw the woman I was — not just a woman with cancer.

Before

During

After

In the spring of 2024, my life was turned upside down. I discovered a lump in my neck that led to a series of tests and, ultimately, to a diagnosis of diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, stage 4. I was told I had to start chemotherapy as soon as possible. Beyond the shock and the fear, one thought kept coming back: losing my hair. For some, it may seem superficial, but for me, it was a real grief. My hair was part of my identity. I took great care of it, invested time and money in it, and I had carried this dream for years — to one day grow it down to my waist. Having to say goodbye to that… it was one more pain to bear. I didn’t even know there was a way to try to preserve it. It was by stumbling upon Sophie Reis’s account — a woman in Québec who had used cold caps (see Instagram Un cancer en cadeau) — that I discovered this possibility. Without overthinking, I decided to go for it. After six rounds of R-CHOP, spaced 21 days apart, I can say it was worth it: I kept about 40 to 50% of my hair. Of course, it wasn’t perfect. The summer heat didn’t work in my favor, but despite that, I never stopped living. I followed the recommendations, but I still enjoyed the sun, kept training, went out… In short, I stayed myself. Every time I looked in the mirror, I still saw the woman I was — not just a woman with cancer. Today, ten months later, I treated myself to a symbolic gift: hair extensions. The day I had them put in, I was overwhelmed with emotion. I finally felt that sensation again — of having “my hair from before.” And I thought to myself: thank you, me, for daring, and thank you to cold caps for existing, and above all, thank you to the Garde tes cheveux community and Foundation. They made a symbolic difference in my journey. — Meggan Renaud Discover Meggan’s [https://www.instagram.com/megganrenaud/?hl=fr](Instagram account) to revisit part of her story in images. Watch or rewatch [https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNwK0zGXltf/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==](this touching video) from the day she had her extensions put in.

Watch Meggan Renaud’s interview on the Hypergrowth podcast hosted by Cléo Maheux.

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Testimony by Meggan Renaud

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