Finding the Light Through Cancer
- Today host Jill Martin, 47, finished chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer last month and has often used humor to get her through tough days, even through tears, telling fans on social media Thursday that you can be “strong” and “sad” at the same time.
- Martin has not held back how emotional it has been to suffer from hair loss and says she’s seeing a dermatologist who “specializes in post-chemo hair loss” to help with faster regrowth.
- Martin was still able to preserve a lot of her hair from cold-capping throughout her infusions, looks beautiful, and is still able to rock a long braid.
- The American Cancer Society describes the process of “scalp hypothermia,” as “cooling the scalp with ice packs or cooling caps (cold caps) for a period of time before, during, and after each chemotherapy treatment to try to prevent or reduce hair loss.
The lifestyle TV personality, 47, posted footage on Instagram Stories Thursday, appearing upbeat while visiting kids at NYU Children’s hospital, even bringing along a few of the famed New York City Rockettes.
Read MoreSharing the “good news,” Martin said she was meeting with a dermatologist who “specializes in post-chemo hair growth.” who can potentially help her hair grow back faster. Martin appeared hopeful through her emotion. “Almost on the mend,” she added.
Preserving Her Hair with Cold-Capping
Many patients say losing their hair while going through cancer is one of the most emotional parts of the journey. It’s not only the physical hair loss that hurts, but the femininity that is associated with it, and the overall loss of control to cancer, which can take so much from people.
Though Martin is able to poke a little fun at herself at times, joking that she looks like a “Q-tip,” she was actually able to preserve a lot of her hair from cold-capping throughout her infusions, and while it may have thinned a bit on the sides as she noted, she is still able to rock a long braid and looked beautiful with some long wisps on the side in her videos.
The American Cancer Society describes the process of “scalp hypothermia,” which is “cooling the scalp with ice packs or cooling caps (cold caps) for a period of time before, during, and after each chemotherapy treatment to try to prevent or reduce hair loss.
The caps fit tight on the head and are chilled between -15 to -40 degrees Fahrenheit, which causes “vasoconstriction, or a narrowing of the blood vessels bringing blood to the scalp,” Dr. Renata Urban, gynecologic oncologist at the University of Washington, explains.
By constricting blood flow to the scalp, the caps help block the circulating chemotherapy from reaching the hair follicles, with results varying from person to person, depending on the product and other factors, such as how strictly you follow the process.
Luckily, for most people, hair begins to grow back immediately after finishing treatment.
An Emotional Journey
Martin was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer six months after receiving a clear mammogram. She also learned she was BRCA2 positive, which is a gene mutation that increases your risk for developing breast and ovarian cancers.
Vocal about her diagnosis and the emotions that have come with it, she also shared about having to undergo a double mastectomy, a procedure to remove both breasts to get rid of cancer. The procedure can also be a preventative measure for women at higher risk of developing breast cancer, like Martin, even if she hadn’t been diagnosed with cancer, it could have been something to seriously consider. Women who choose to remove their breasts before a diagnosis are normally referred to as “previvors.”
In fact, Martin previously noted if she knew she was BRCA positive, she would have gotten “screened more regularly, with an MRI alternating with [her] mammograms.”
How Testing for BRCA in Breast Cancer Works
BRCA (a breast cancer gene mutation) is actually two genes (BRCA1 and BRCA2), each protein that works as a tumor suppressor. They help repair damaged DNA and are important for ensuring the stability of each cell’s genetic material.
Dr. Rebecca Arend, Associate Scientist at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, explains the mutation in terms of its ability to repair damaged DNA: “What a BRCA mutation is, is a defect in your ability to repair a double-strand break (in your DNA).”
Recovering from Treatment
Martin completed her last chemotherapy treatment on Thanksgiving, and posted an emotional note to her friends and fans on Instagram alongside a clip of herself wearing her cold cap at the medical facility.
“Not quite sure how to express my gratitude. Not enough words,” she began. “I hold two strong emotions very tight that often are not held together. I am grateful that I caught my cancer early enough to be able to treat it and that chemotherapy helped me fight it- I am still shocked this whole thing happened.”
“I am grateful I got to ring the bell with all my might after finishing this part of my journey,” she continued. “I am grateful I get to be with my family today.”
She then thanked her surgeon, aka her “lifeline,” along with the rest of her care team, her “earth angels.”
“I ring this bell with all my might. Honoring my mother who beat this disease, my grandmother who we lost to it and to all those who fought and are continuing to fight this battle. I feel like I can do anything now….but first I will start by eating (a lot) of my husband’s stuffing followed by sushi, a sip of a dirty martini and hugs from some my favorite people.”
“Sending so much love, strength and light,” Martin culminated the post. “With everything going on in the world, we must celebrate the moments filled with light when we can.”
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Finding Humor Through Cancer
Dr. Dana Chase, a Gynecologic Oncologist at UCLA Health, says it’s important to try to focus on the good, stay positive, and find things that bring you joy throughout your treatment.
“We know, actually from good studies, that emotional health, quality of life is associated with survival, meaning better quality of life is associated with better survival, better outcomes,” Dr. Chase said in an earlier interview with SurvivorNet.
“The only advice I have for anyone — is laugh, and laugh often, laugh at yourself. Don’t take yourself seriously. Things are already bad. Because once you do that, it’s a game-changer,” stand-up comedian and cancer caregiver Jesus Trejo told SurvivorNet.
He also says the laughter itself might be brief, but “the effects of it just reverberate through your body, and can change an already bad situation into a better one.”
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