When you want to show your support to a person who has recently been diagnosed with cancer, a comforting cancer care package is the best way to put together a personalized gift that is both thoughtful AND useful.
When you don't feel good – whether it be emotionally or physically – there's nothing you want more than to feel comfortable. There's something about the softness of a new blanket, the warmth of hot tea and healing properties of a good ointment to make you feel in the right mind to mend.
So between pampering their bodies with essential chemo-side-effect-countering toiletries and comforting their hearts and mind with uplifting words - giving gifts they'll need the most during chemo is the best way to go.
Pick and choose which items you feel like with suit them best from the list below...
To combat depression and fear......
Scripture Stickers for Biblical Encouragement. HopeFuel Scripture Stickers offer surprises in a hospital room as well as a car and at home, when your loved one returns from the hospital. Just imagine how easy it is to spread the word of God in the most creative places with these beautiful sticky notes that offer scriptures for fear and healing scriptures for cancer.
Book of Psalms. Simplify Bible reading during a stressful time with this Book of Psalms. A patient can easier pop this book in their bag and bring to read during chemo treatments or keep at a bedside table. The Psalms are a comforting book of songs and prayers that anyone struggle with cancer can relate to.
Radical Remission Book. Reading stories of other cancer patients who have experienced radical stories of remission and survival is an excellent way to inspire someone facing cancer. This book, Radical Remission, goes a long way to cover various methods of coping and treatment used by nine different patients and what their journey to remission looked like.
Magnesium Lotion. While there are no medical claims that magnesium has any benefit towards depression, it does benefit our sleep. And when you sleep good, you feel good. This Magnesium lotion by 8 Sheep Organics is marketed towards pregnant women, but it can be used for anyone and I'm here to tell you - it's like having a spa treatment in a jar. The lotion has the most silky consistency and subtle lavender fragrance to bring on the best night's sleep. Plus, magnesium has a lot of added benefits for cancer patients too.
An iTunes or Pandora gift card is the perfect addition to Bose noise cancelling earphones.
To warm up...
Snuggle up with a hot tea to warm them from the inside out. Peppermint Tea is good for nausea and Turmeric is an excellent tea to reduce inflammation. We like the organic blends offered at Thrive Market.
A fresh set of cozy pajamas or lounge wear will do two things - make them feel cozy, and maybe even soothe fragile thin skin. That's the thing about chemo, it does a doozy on your skin, so wearing something soft is helpful. For men, Tommy John has amazing options and for a woman, Kyte Baby (don't let the name fool you) has an amazing signature fabric that is BUTTERY soft and they use in for all their signature items for babies and for adults. You're going to want to buy a pajama set for you too.
A chic chemo hat or beanie. We love hugga.co’s thoughtful collection of soft clothing and accessories for cancer patients or those recovering from other illnesses. Created by a young patient who recognized a critical gap in hospital care when he was just a child, hugga seeks to bring nurturing and connection through personalized care packages that help patients in need.
A weighted blanket, like the Gravity Blanket TM- Anxiety Blanket supports and improves sleep quality, while making a bed, a couch or even a chair a more cozy environment. Add cozy socks with nonskid bottoms like these from Bombas are great for the hospital, and nothing beats Tibetan hand knit pure wool slipper socks when it comes to pure comfort.
A weighted sleep mask like this one from Manta provides darkness even in the middle of the afternoon and sooths-tired eyes and foreheads.
The Modernist X Gravity Weighted Robe is essentially a weighted blanket that you can wear around the house and is the first of its kind.
To combat dry skin and dry mouth
Chemo dries out the skin, so an ultra intensive foot cream by Ancient Greek Remedy is exactly was the name say – the ultimate remedy for dry, cracked feet. It works wonders on elbows, cuticles, hands and everything in between too.
And since you can't drink that intensive cream (LOL), a moisturizing mouth wash will be helpful too like this one from Biotene Dry Mouth Oral Rinse.
A water bottle decorated with works of faith like this one that reminds your patient to hydrate while keeping them fueled by faith is a great and useful gift. Made from insulated stainless steel and a BPA-free plastic lid, the double-all vacuum insulated bottle is leak and sweat proof.
Luxe Lip Care. Anybody suffering through long chemo treatments or medical programs that cause chapped lips needs serious lip nourishment. Original Chapstick may work for some, but Glossier's Balm Dotcom in its chic packaging soothes dry, chapped anything- from lips to cuticles, elbows and heels. BEAUTYCOUNTER, a brand dedicated to formulating cosmetics without the1,800 questionable and potentially harmful ingredients on the market today offers a perky lip pick-me-up in its Lip Conditioner in Peppermint. The ultra-moisturizing lip balm is formulated with soothing and softening avocado oil, shea butter, meadowfoam seed oil, and jojoba oil and infused with peppermint and rosemary oils to refresh and nourish.
For anything extra......
Amazon Gift Card is the gift that gives anything. You name it, you can probably find it on Amazon, so if you don't want to give something ultra specific, a friend going through cancer treatments can always use financial support no matter how big or small.
