Before taking medical leave from work, my department gave me a gift basket filled with wonderful goodies that were so helpful & encouraging through my journey. I received several more kind & thoughtful gifts along the way that have helped keep me strong & positive. I wanted to share some of these ideas in case there is a cancer patient in your life that you want to do something for to show your support & provide a little extra strength along the way.
It goes without saying something homemade goes a long way. Some of my favorite items were made by friends. It shows that they put thought & effort into something just for me. I received a blanket made by a friend that is the coziest thing ever & my entire family is literally at war over it. Another friend made a canvas with pictures of my family & inspirational bible verses, I just love it, so thoughtful & sweet.
Gift baskets & gift bags are a great way to give a variety of small gifts that can be a lot of fun. Best of all, the basket can be repurposed or a nice tote can be used to bring along for a hospital stay or make a great chemo bag. Fill your basket or bag with goodies such as:
Blankets – I was given a beautiful blanket by my team at work & brought it to the hospital with me for surgery. It made me smile thinking of them using it the days following surgery. For gifting purposes, I think a throw blanket is best & you can use it to line your basket. You may need to fold it in half or more to fit & leave just a bit overhanging for effect. It can make a nice basket liner while being part of the gift as well. The same can be done to line a tote bag, giving the appearance that the blanket is “tissue paper” to a gift bag if you will. Alternately just roll the blanket nicely & secure it with a ribbon if it’s not already rolled & secured for you, then tuck it into the basket or bag.
Fuzzy Socks or Slippers – A lot of people want to bring something like this to the hospital, always nice to have a comfy cute new pair to bring.
Robe – I have never used a robe as much in my life as I did following surgery. I had 5 drains after bilateral mastectomy with tram flap procedure & a robe with pockets was perfect to tuck those drains into.
Eye Mask for sleeping – These are so great for knocking out light for much needed day napping. If you can find a 3D or contoured eye mask, they are amazing. It’s like sleeping in the dark during the day, but feels like there’s nothing on your face, so great!
Hot / Cold Packs – I love these for headaches. Aim for something soft & flexible that can be rested on your head easily. The Thera Pearl Reusable Hot & Cold Sports Pack is seriously the best ice pack I’ve used, I love it & my kids like to play with it once the little pearls thaw. But, even an old fashioned ice pack is a great gift for this purpose.
Sanitizer – Avoiding germs is essential following surgery & throughout treatment. I love Pocket Bac from Bath & Body Works, I usually have three or more in my purse at any given time.
Lightly Scented Lotions or Body Butters – Chemo can cause extremely dry skin & moisture is essential to avoid cracks & open wounds that could lead to infection. Chemo also tends to increase sensitivity to smells so a mild scent is essential. For me, Clinique Body Butter is amazing, provides deep moisture without a lot of scent.
Lip Balms / Chapstick / Lip gloss – I personally love original Burt’s Bees or good old fashioned Vaseline. The hours following surgery, you’re typically not allowed anything to eat or drink, as a precaution should you need to return to surgery for any reason. Ice chips just don’t cut it & I personally felt like I had been in the Sahara for a week when I awoke from surgery. My lips were so dry & cracked, I was thankful to have my tiny travel tub of Vaseline (got it at Target in the trial size section).
Puzzle Books & Pens/ Pencils – There’s a lot of time to fill through treatment & following surgery, always good to keep the mind busy & get lost in a good word or number puzzle.
Journal – A lot of time to fill also provides plenty of time for reflection & makes it as good a time as any to start a journal. And hey, if you gift a journal to someone who doesn’t get into the journal thing then they’ll probably use it as a note book & that’s just fine too.
Adult Coloring Books & Markers/Colored Pencils – Coloring has proven to be very therapeutic & there are some really beautiful books out there for us adults now too! One that I have called Don’t Worry Be Happy is an amazing gift, not only is it a great coloring book that’s not too intricate in design, but there are also inspirational messages on the back of each page, making this one my absolute favorite. Don’t forget a sharpener if you opt for pencils & if you go with markers choose something fine tipped for precision.
Books – Consider something uplifting, a book about miracles for example. I’m absolutely over the moon about Jesus Calling by Sarah Young, such a faith restoring book to help through any difficult time. Be cautious about giving anything of the self-help nature as it could be misperceived. If they prefer fiction & thriller I enjoy James Patterson, Dan Brown & I love Dean Koontz who is a little darker & more twisted but so exciting & guaranteed to offer an unexpected twist every time.
Magazines or a Subscription – Maybe a magazine of a healthy nature or a healthy cooking magazine. I love Cooking Light & Health magazine myself.
Movies / DVDs – Getting lost in a good movie can be a great distraction during recovery & treatment. I would recommend something uplifting like a comedy or a series to get wrapped up in like Divergent or Hunger Games for example.
Inspirational Jewelry – Here’s an opportunity to make something if you’re up to the challenge. Make a bead necklace or bracelet with an encouraging word or two, for example: warrior, fighter, hope, etc. Craft stores & even most supercenter grocery types, like Walmart, Super Target, Meijer, etc., have kits already assembled to make a necklace or bracelet, super easy! My local Meijer has kits for breast cancer necklaces specifically for example. If you prefer to purchase & forgo the homemade route, check online if you’re not finding something locally. Go to amazon.com & search “inspirational jewelry” there is a lot to choose from & you can always search for something more specific if you know what you’re looking for.
Inspirational T-shirt or Tank – Again if you want to be crafty you can consider making something simply with a blank T-shirt or Tank & use fabric markers to write your own personal inspirational message or have everyone sign it with a message. Iron on applications may be an option as well depending what’s available at your local craft store. You can also consider having a shirt made online with your own message or picture can be affordable. Pictures t-shirts can be made at most photo departments of your local grocery or drug store. For screen printing text only onto an item, you may have to shop around a bit to find one that will print just one shirt but they are out there, I assure you. Alternately, if you prefer something premade, search “inspiration shirt” on amazon.com or get specific with something like “breast cancer shirt” for example.
Inspirational Plaque or Picture – My husband & I were each given one of these through our journeys with cancer. They are proud displays now in our home of our victories & strength.
Framed Picture – A nice framed pic of a loved one to bring along for a hospital stay is always nice to have.
Mugs or Travel mugs – Consider something more personal by having a mug made with a picture or collage of pics. Or just something with a great motivational saying or statement like a Wonder Woman mug.
Water bottle – Great for hospital stays, chemo & long days spent in waiting rooms for testing. Hydration is key throughout treatment!
Gift Cards – There will be days when dinner is quite an overwhelming task, so gift cards to restaurants that deliver or offer a to-go menu are a great idea. Alternately cards to stores that offer quality cosmetics & skin care products are a good option as well. Amazon gift cards are also great since you can get almost literally everything on amazon from the convenience of your home!
Sunscreen – Do your research to make sure you’re getting the good stuff. Chemo typically increases sensitivity to the sun making sunscreen essential.
Scarves, Beanies or Hats – Losing your hair is no fun & the more options you have to deal with it, the easier I think it is, so throw a hat or a headscarf their way. Maybe it’s something they wouldn’t have tried on their own & they find they enjoy it more than expected.
Earrings – For the ladies I say throw a few small studs in there, nothing super fancy or big just something to keep on to feel more girly throughout the bald phase.
Nail polish – Again, just helps in the girly department through chemo. Opt for something that won’t chip for a while so there’s little maintenance.
Coupons – That’s right, I’m going to go super cheesy here & say that if you’re willing to follow through… Go old school & make some home-made coupons for some housework, trips to the grocery store, meals, etc. If you have to be all adult about it, go ahead, design & print some from your computer if you must.
No matter what it is you give, it’s the thought that counts. Support & encouragement throughout the journey are absolutely the best gifts that can be given. Just knowing there’s another person in your corner, who has you in their thoughts & prayers is the best encouragement of all!
