The weather change has been a godsend! I wouldn’t go anywhere alone wearing a headscarf because being identifiable as a cancer patient made me feel so vulnerable, but now I can just chuck a beanie on, I feel much better about it.
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That’s great news that you have your appointment coming up soon and I hope it all goes well.
With regards to the cold cap, I was unable to do this unfortunately due to cold sensitivities so my hair went, although it has started a patchy comeback even though I still have one treatment left to go!
The results on cold capping are wildly variable. I’ve seen women cold cap for the first couple of sessions then come in for their next one completely bald! I’ve also heard on here of some who retained enough of their hair to be able to pull off a reasonably normal hairstyle with a bit of tweaking.
If you’re wanting to give it a go, I would just try it and see how you get on. You can stop at any time if you think it’s not worth it for you.
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@wildthingsare lovely to meet you! Thank you for sharing your experience with me, I appreciate you taking the time to share it.
the advice has been incredibly helpful especially around cold capping.
I will reach out if I can think of any questions and appreciate you offering support! 
Hi @ffrost
Lovely to meet you and thank you for sharing your story and advice. I truly appreciate you taking the time to share it with me.
This has been incredibly helpful and sorry to hear everything.
Yes the forum has been incredibly helpful and everyone has been lovely 
Thank you and I will do!
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Thank you @mssteel i think I’ll feel better when I know more and the plan.
I am going to give cold capping a go, I’ve heard mixed feelings as well, heard success and not so successful uses of it.
Thank you for sharing this with me
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Hi @vickchamp
I am sorry you are about to go through this. I didn’t have success with cold capping but I have seen it work for others. The Paxman site has quite a lot of information on success rates by hair type and chemo. I have fine straight hair and I knew from the outset that success wasn’t likely given that and that my regime would include EC. Sure enough, I had very significant loss before my second EC, so gave up. I had a sense of relief as I had hated not being able to wash my hair daily, and also resented the extra time involved in the chemo unit. I wasn’t too worried about using head coverings, or a wig when I didn’t want people to know. I had my treatment before the days of the Keynote protocol, and although I had pembrolizumab later, in those days you did 4 rounds of EC and then 12 weeks of paclitaxel. I did wonder how I would have felt if I had slogged through 12 weeks of cold capping paclitaxel, keeping some hair, and then lost it all on the first EC.
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@Coddfish I’m cold capping and just finished cycle 2 of Carbo/pac, My hair is definitely more thinly spread,but is holding at the moment, my worry is when I move onto EC after the next 2 cycles, will if all come out then? 
Hi @Coddfish
Lovely to meet you shame about the circumstances that bring us here but appreciate you taking the time to reply.
Bless you, I am planning to give it a go and if worst comes to the worst I’ll just go with where chemo takes me
I’ve not had my first oncology appointment yet so unsure what type I will start on first but thank you for the site recommendation I will definitely take a look.
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Hi @bryna
I don’t know the answer to that. Paxman’s stats show more people lose hair on EC than on paclitaxel but let’s hope it holds for you.
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@Coddfish No worries, thanks for answering, tbh honest I’ve now got the attitude, I’ll take each day as it comes, and not get too far ahead of myself. There are so many if, buts and maybes, I’ll just deal with each one as it comes!!!
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Hello all, just checking in. After feeling like EC was going pretty well, have had a big slump today (day 6) and have slept on and off all day. Also feel freezing and shivering but no temperature. Has anyone else experienced this? Feels like the chemo is eating me alive, cell by cell! Hopefully will shake it off by tomorrow and it’s just the classic steroid come down.
Sending love to everyone going through this. Oh gosh it’s hard
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Hey @wildthingsare
I’ve had the chills and shivering during chemo without temperature or feeling ill. Do you get hot flushes as well at all? Chemo has turned off my ovaries without a doubt and I get hot flushes so I think it’s possible the chills could also be connected to that. Throwing in a “I’m not a healthcare professional” disclaimer, it makes sense to me that if the hot flushes are our body’s way of trying to cool us down due to a confused internal body thermostat thinking we’re too hot, the shivers could be the trying to warm us up if it thought we were too cold.
Sorry to hear you’re having a rough time at the moment too. My EC pattern was days 1-2 were bad, day 3 was really bad, days 4-5 would be more like days 1-2, then day 6 would be the start of the turnaround. I feel really lucky that this was the case for me every time, but while I was in the throes of it, it always felt like it would never end! How many more do you have left?
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Hey @wildthingsare I have not started my EC yet, but like @mssteel, my thermostat has been mental - flushing or freezing. I wish I had an answer, it’s so frustrating.
I hope you start to pick up asap, and can have some better days in the next week xxx
Hey @sisters_of_percy and @wildthingsare
I had my appointment to discuss surgery today and while I was there, I asked my BCN about whether the chills and shivers are related to menopause and she confirmed they can indeed be a part of it.
Obviously it’s sensible to still check for signs of being unwell but looks like it’s a thing!
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