@chipo Cold caps are supposed to shut down the blood flow to your scalp while you are having your chemo infusion. The technology for the high end caps is very expensive and few regional centres can afford it. There are mid range products that you can rent (or some hospitals can only afford those options) The equipment is often funded through donations or available in hospitals that have surplus funding. It is not life saving and is not federally funded.
As kez can tell you, they certainly work for some people. But, and this is the catch, they do not work for others. No one knows why. Some chemo regimens have some good results, others do not. there are no guarantees
.
Cold caps significantly increase the amount of time you spend in the chair and some people report that it is a painful experience. All that is probably worth it if you keep your hair (or in most cases,some of it)
When the caps fail many people have real mental crash. They are invested in an idea that means they can avoid that most telling sign of being in chemo treatment, baldness, and keep what most of us highly value, our hair. Yet another disappointment which I could personally do without.
Hey, given what you are already managing, you will cope with bald. It's a weird right of passage, but it does pass. Marg xx
