Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm setting up a meal train for a friend who will undergo a double masectomy. If you have any experience with this, what do you recommend in terms of frequency and length for a meal train? I was thinking something like dinner every day for two weeks and every other day for the next two?

Also, was there anything else that you appreciated or would appreciate? Thanks very much.

Unless they are poor, just for first week. They can set up a meal service or order Ubereats afterwards according to their family's needs and wants.

It’s a lot to take care of someone post surgery- plus young kids. A few weeks with a large pool of people to offers lovely

We’ve contributed to many meal trains. Every family has different needs.

Anonymous wrote:I'm setting up a meal train for a friend who will undergo a double masectomy. If you have any experience with this, what do you recommend in terms of frequency and length for a meal train? I was thinking something like dinner every day for two weeks and every other day for the next two?

Also, was there anything else that you appreciated or would appreciate? Thanks very much.

Unless they are poor, just for first week. They can set up a meal service or order Ubereats afterwards according to their family's needs and wants.

It might be helpful to know that you can always extend it if they need support longer.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why not just get takeout from restaurants the family likes 2-3 times per week? I don't like eating food someone else prepared. Their kids might be picky too.

Usually DoorDash or UberEats gift cards are an option, too. Is a gift card a hassle for the recipient? Possibly but when you're a terrible cook like me and guilted into participating, this is the better option.

You can have it set up for both. Sometimes it’s nice if someone wants to give a lot of cash towards that.

The meal trains I’ve participated in have to sign ups every three days or so, and they have nice intro on preferences & gives drop off instructions.

No more than 3x/week.

Anonymous wrote:Oh goodness. I detest meal trains, both as a patient and participant, but have been guilted into preparing meals several times. Please ask the recipient! I refused all meal trains when I had to recuperate from surgery.

This, make sure they want it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh goodness. I detest meal trains, both as a patient and participant, but have been guilted into preparing meals several times. Please ask the recipient! I refused all meal trains when I had to recuperate from surgery.

+1

Other than eating questionable food they may sicken the patient, the worst thing is keeping track of washing and returning containers. No easy way to do it.

All of this has already been addressed on this thread.

Anonymous wrote:Oh goodness. I detest meal trains, both as a patient and participant, but have been guilted into preparing meals several times. Please ask the recipient! I refused all meal trains when I had to recuperate from surgery.

+1

Other than eating questionable food they may sicken the patient, the worst thing is keeping track of washing and returning containers. No easy way to do it.

In the past friends and I have gone in on a joint Door Dash gift card to cover several meals. Then the person recovering can order what they want.

If I do bring someone food I tend to do stuff like Costco pre-made meals or easy to put together platters (e.g. chicken salad, lunch meat, fruit, chips, etc.). It’s hard to know how exactly to cook to a family’s preferences.

I had a mastectomy several years ago and appreciated the Meal Train deliveries but 2-3x per week was more than enough. It was great for my husband and kids so that I didn't have to worry about what or if everyone was eating. It was especially helpful for the rest of the family during chemo because cooking was the last thing on my mind while exhausted and feeling crappy.

One good suggestion is to have a cooler out front or back where people can drop off the food if the patient is home alone and not up for the visitors.

Also, another idea--one person dropped off a very small cactus, which I still have, in addition to dinner and that was just so cute to see. It was teeny but it definitely picked up my spirits.

Lastly, I was up and around after two weeks post-surgery, but not everyone is. I actually called people who were at the end of the meal train list and told them not to bother (very nicely, of course) because I felt badly that I was pretty mobile by then and didn't want to add to someone's list of chores with cooking or preparing food for my family.

I hope your friend's recovery and treatment go as smoothly as mine did.

Anonymous wrote:I would absolutely hate it if some one set up a "meal train" for me. The last thing I'd want to eat is random food from random kitchens while feeling terrible and trying to recover.

OP said her friend already asked for one.

I would absolutely hate it if some one set up a "meal train" for me. The last thing I'd want to eat is random food from random kitchens while feeling terrible and trying to recover.

I helped set this up for a friend and I think she requested 3 meals a week.

Her family also needed help with driving kids to practices and games, so we added that to the same website thing—I think we used MealTrain Plus?

If she needs chemo or radiation later she might need other help during that time. She asked for someone to come with her during chemo sessions and bring snacks, and IIRC people signed up to just go hang out with or go for a walk with her husband during times she was basically out of commission.

I helped set this up for a friend and I think she requested 3 meals a week.

Her family also needed help with driving kids to practices and games, so we added that to the same website thing—I think we used MealTrain Plus?

If she needs chemo or radiation later she might need other help during that time. She asked for someone to come with her during chemo sessions and bring snacks, and IIRC people signed up to just go hang out with or go for a walk with her husband during times she was basically out of commission.