Care package for a friend starting chemo?

[Anonymous]

A family friend is starting chemo for breast cancer. I'd like to send her a care package - I'd prefer to buy and send the items myself versus using something pre-packaged (unless pre-packaged is better for some reason). Any ideas or tips?

[Anonymous]

That’s really sweet of you. She may get some comfort items from non profits or even her cancer center. Some things will be really personal- like wigs or head coverings, what foods she may eat, etc. many people just sleep or rest during the actual treatments, or just use their phones for entertainment.

Any chance you would gift her a service like having her house cleaned or restaurant gift certificates, especially if she has a family to feed?

[Anonymous]

My best friend from grad school sent me warm socks, a sweatshirt and a winter hat (for my bald head). I had chemo in the summer but they keep the infusion center pretty cold so I loved these items. My SIL also sent a fuzzy blanket, slippers, coloring books and colored pencils. Loved all that too.

[Anonymous]

Ginger gummies

Weed gummies if she’s into that and you are in DC or MD.

A jazzy N95 mask if you can find one or something with flair for her reg mask.

A bedside organizer will depend on the kind of bed she has.

A bunch of comfy, soft and roomy tops so she always has a clean nice one to put on.

If she expects to be vomiting a lot, my friend had a small, temper pedic dog bed that she kept in front of the toilet to make kneeling or laying more comfortable when she was sick. Obviously this is something that only a close friend might give.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My best friend from grad school sent me warm socks, a sweatshirt and a winter hat (for my bald head). I had chemo in the summer but they keep the infusion center pretty cold so I loved these items. My SIL also sent a fuzzy blanket, slippers, coloring books and colored pencils. Loved all that too.

That's funny, because those are EXACTLY the items I was going to say to NOT send! This really shows to look at her as an individual, and send her stuff that you think she'd like, not "generic cancer patient".

[Anonymous]

Also subscription to a streaming service she doesn’t have might be nice.

[Anonymous]

I did this for a friend recently:

Lip balm
Hand cream
Soft travel blanket
Ginger chews
High end chocolate
Funny book
Soft socks

[Anonymous]

I got a ton of coloring books and pencils, which I mostly gave away because I didn’t have the energy and it seemed a bit too much like work. Fuzzy blankets and soft clothes were wonderful. I got a lot of socks.

Other good and thoughtful things:
Wide brimmed sun hat
Spoonful of comfort soup packages
Doordash/ubereats credits for feeding the family
Herbal/green teas
Oncology massage

Some friends would send me a text or card on treatment days, which was so thoughtful. I always appreciated funny memes or pictures.

Good luck

[Anonymous]

I know you mean well, but I just went through this with my mom last fall. She was inundated with gifts exactly like others are suggesting - especially BLANKETS and FUZZY SOCKS. ugh!

My mom liked blankets before chemo, so she already had a decent collection (most from Costco lol). And when she started chemo last fall, everyone and their brother gave her more Costco blankets. Now she has a closet full of them.

And the socks...she has so many in the drawers. She's been done with chemo since April.

The only gift I'd give a 'second' to would be a subscription steaming service that she doesn't have - that's a great gift!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My best friend from grad school sent me warm socks, a sweatshirt and a winter hat (for my bald head). I had chemo in the summer but they keep the infusion center pretty cold so I loved these items. My SIL also sent a fuzzy blanket, slippers, coloring books and colored pencils. Loved all that too.

That's funny, because those are EXACTLY the items I was going to say to NOT send! This really shows to look at her as an individual, and send her stuff that you think she'd like, not "generic cancer patient".

NP. Out of curiosity, why?

Pp here, and it's similar to what 8:25 said. I already have my own socks/blankets etc I like wearing. Also, no one in my infusion center uses blankets, so it would seem really weird, and it's another thing to schlep around to appointments. Let alone clothing, that I'm either trying to downsize, and am changing sizes quickly. (And if she has surgery, won't be able to pull things over here head). Head coverings are super personal, so having a random extra hat around wouldn't be useful to me. I am an adult, who is desperately trying to make use of my time, so wasting my time on something silly like a coloring book just feels infantilizing to me. (I use my chemo time to pay bills, answer emails, cross stitch). But, on the other hand, I can totally see how the other PP could appreciate those gifts. Just for me, it's literally the total opposite.