Ms

Hi Bel

I know it's too late for you to use Cold Caps, but I thought I would answer in case anyone else read this thread. 

I've done 2 of my 4 chemo treatments, using Penguin Cold Caps and I still have my hair. It has thinned a bit, but not enough to require a wig. I wouldn't describe them as painful but they are really COLD for the first 2-3mins, and then it settles down. 

I lost my hair from Chemo 10 years ago, and found it quite distressing, so I'm well aware of the trade-off I'm making, and very happy to still have hair through this process, I spite of the organisation required and the discomfort (which is actually pretty tolerable.) 

As far as I can tell there are only two Australian hospitals that offer them, The Adelaide Cancer Centre, and the Mater Hospital in Sydney. 

I think the reason more hospitals don't offer them is that;

• they require cooling to minus 35 degrees, which either means an expensive medical grade freezer, or dry ice (fiddly and labour intensive)
• someone needs to fit a cap every 20-30mins. This would be easy if they came out of the minus 35 dgree freezer, but can be fiddly when there's dry ice involved. The nurses at the Adelaide Cancer Centre do them, except for 2 patients they told me about who order pizza and fit each others!

• the early cold caps weren't as effective as the new ones, and hospitals aren't always aware of this.

I organised hiring the caps myself from the Penguin Cold Cap distributor in New Zealand. We get dry ice and my lovely husband comes with me each treatment and fits them for me. 

I hope this info helps anyone considering using them.

Sharon