Jennie Marx, from Chicago, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019. Jennie’s scalp cooling journey is one of support. Her nurse at Kellogg Cancer Center played a big, supportive role in helping her scalp cool, which came full circle when she joined the Paxman buddy program to give others that same support. She eventually continued to support patients professionally by joining Paxman as a Patient Liaison.

Scalp Cooling Helped Me Hold Onto Myself and Support Others 

Going into my first treatment day, I wasn’t just a little nervous; I was truly terrified. My husband helped me get ready, strapped me into the cap, and I remember sitting there when it really hit me: I have cancer. I’m about to start chemotherapy. I had no idea what would happen to me-to my body, my family, or my life. 

My cancer diagnosis 

My name is Jennie, a Clinical Product Specialist at Paxman. I’m from Chicago, and I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019. I was treated at Kellogg Cancer Center in Evanston, where I had an amazing nurse named Bonnie. She was so enthusiastic about scalp cooling and I’m so grateful she was there. She believed in scalp cooling, she was so involved, and she really helped me along the way.  

Like so many people, I was absolutely more afraid of chemo than anything else. You hear the word chemo and you think about hair loss, sickness, losing yourself. When I tried the cold cap for the first time, I was shocked. But I got used to it. 

Still, that first day sitting there with the cap on my head and the chemo ready for infusion - I couldn’t compartmentalize it anymore. Everything hit me and it was so overwhelming. This is real. This is happening right now. 

It’s not just vanity 

Obviously, the number one thing is to get rid of the cancer. That’s what we’re all fighting for. But for me, keeping my hair through treatment wasn’t just about vanity. I thought about what could happen on a day when I wasn’t feeling well and I looked into the mirror without my hair; that my reflection would look back at me and tell me ‘you’re sick’.  

Keeping my hair meant that a tiny bit of myself was still there. Some days I might have felt sick, but I didn’t have to look sick.  

I also have a son. He was 17 at the time and is a fairly private person. He didn’t want to talk about it with everyone. He was busy, involved in a lot of activities, and we were always around other parents and kids. Keeping my hair meant that he could tell his close friends, but he didn’t have to explain it to everyone. It gave us a little bubble of normalcy in a time that felt anything but normal. 

My surprising results 

I probably kept about half of my hair. In the moment, I remember thinking, Oh my gosh, I’m losing so much. I was so hard on myself, and I noticed every strand that fell out. But actually, I shed evenly, and to my surprise, so many people didn’t realize I was in treatment.  

I was obviously very concerned and aware of my shedding, but scalp cooling allowed these changes to be barely visible to the average observer. And that taught me something important: we shine a huge spotlight on the tiny details and changes within, but the world actually has no idea what you’re going through. 

I didn’t even realize my hair was regrowing until my hairdresser told me, ‘Jennie, you have so many little hairs back here. We definitely can’t highlight – there’s no way.’ 

Hearing that and feeling that regrowth was this amazing moment for me. It was super exciting, it’s there, it’s coming back!  

Scalp cooling didn’t erase the fear. It didn’t make chemo easy. But it gave me back a sense of control in a time when so much felt out of my hands. It gave me hope. And it gave my family - especially my son - a way to protect our privacy and hold on to something normal when everything else felt upside down. 

Joining Paxman 

Once I finished treatment at the Kellogg Cancer Center, I joined a Paxman buddy program. Patients who had gone through scalp cooling were asked to come and help others on their first days, if they wanted to and felt comfortable.  

I remembered how helpful it was to have the support and enthusiasm from Bonnie and all of the amazing nurses at Kellogg. It made me really excited to get involved. Having been there myself, I knew that having that extra level of support can remind them that it is possible to come out the other side and feel like yourself again.  

It was from this buddy program that I came to be a part of Paxman. To go from being a patient to working for the very company whose product helped me means so much to me. I see people come through every day facing what I faced: that fear, that uncertainty.  

But the gift that I got from cancer was all the support and love from outside sources (that I wasn’t expecting!). Starting as a Patient Liaison meant I could be the one to ensure that patients received that same support and reassurance that I considered so valuable.   

If you’re about to start chemo and you’re thinking about scalp cooling, I wouldn’t underestimate the power of seeing yourself in the mirror and recognizing you. That tiny bit of normal can mean the world when everything else feels so out of control. And for your loved ones, it can give them protection too. 

I’m so thankful to Bonnie, my family, and everyone who supported me, so I could feel like myself on the days when I needed it most. And I’m grateful I can now be part of helping others hold on to that sense of self and hope while they fight the biggest fight of their lives. 

If you’d like to know more about scalp cooling, my door is always open. This is why I do what I do.