Everyone has items that make them feel comfortable, safe and cared for. There are some basics though that each cancer/chemo patient would love to have.
I never really found a space that gave me a good idea of what I might want or need. So, I am going to give it to you from a girl obsessed with being prepared, who is always cold (literally shivering as I type this) and loves all things soft.
- Wear super comfy easy access clothing.
- Chemo bag -to call your essential
- Soft warm blanket- it’s cold in all hospitals
- Hand sanitizer- let’s face it were are now immunocompromised
- phone/ tablet chargers
- extra socks
- extra under garmets – just incase there is an unforeseen stay over
- snacks- these are important. Bring a combo of savory and sweet as the chemo gets you in all different moods
- a book, crossword puzzle, or a deck of cards for solitaire
- journal- when I started doing this I got a lot more clarity and emotional grounding
- lip balm- something very soothing
- a comfy pillow
- hand lotion
Ok so lets get into detail on some of these……
When it comes to dressing for any occasion, even Chemo, I would get excited. I love fashion and chemo wasn’t going to dampen this. Also, it’s important to note that they will fill you full of fluids so you are going to want stretchy comfy clothing. My go to were matching jogger sets. Even though my chemo started in June and went through the hottest months of the year the hospital infusion center was always cold. I would find my jogger sets anywhere, Costco, Amazon, Splendid, Abercrombie or Gap
I found that a large back pack with comfortable straps worked best. This is for a few reasons. I like to have my hands free when walking. It’s a thing I know Im not alone on this. Also if you are like me you will have a port and its not feasible or comfortable to have it dangling off to one side so put both straps on and ROCK THAT OLD SCHOOL look. I used one my sisters bought for me. From the Buff Bunny collection. I absolutely love Heidi and her game changer backpacks. It also had a separate pocket that held my meal. My chemo appts were 5-6 hours depending on how quickly they swapped out the meds and such so bringing my own meal was a must
A soft warm blanket. Need I say more? My favorite was one I got from my sweet friend Audrey. It was made by Ugg and literally was my absolute favorite. This was so fluffy and cozy it didn’t fit in the backpack so I would drape it over my shoulders. Im a hands free girl remember?
The extra socks and under garments are really helpful. I always changed into my cancer fighting socks!!! I got like 3 or 4 pairs as gifts and I loved them so I would make sure to rep my corner at every treatment. It helped me to feel closer to my loved ones. The extra undies and such are because sometimes you dont react well to your meds or your blood counts are too low and they keep you over night for an infusion or for monitoring. Your gonna want a way to feel fresh trust me
When it comes to entertainment not all infusion centers are so great at that. If you get a private room chances are you will have a TV but if your stuck in a chair you are left to your own devices and sometimes service for wifi or even cell service is poor. So be prepared and bring something non- electronic to entertain yourself.
I liked bringing my own pillow cause infusion center pillows are not very comfortable I like to hug my pillow when Im sleepy or just resting the infusion pillows are not very squishy and “pillowy”