Gift for friend recently diagnosed with cancer

[Barnybrown]

A very dear friend has recently been diagnosed with cancer. It has been caught early - the prognosis is very positive. She is having surgery at the end of the month to remove a lump from her breast and may then need radiotherapy but hopefully not chemo. I would like to put together a care box for her before she goes into hospital - does anyone have recommendations for things I could get which will be nice and useful for her please ?

A magazine subscription for the endless hanging about and tiredness - like Good Housekeeping, nothing too taxing.

This was my favourite heart shaped pillow - made with wool so much softer than the one I was given by the hospital and didn't make me hot:

https://www.devonduvets.com/comfort-cushion

Also I had very sensitive skin after my op and could only wear super soft bamboo yoga pants and jersey, buttoned (to access the drains) shirts. I had a few of the White Stuff Lou Lou shirts which were perfect (lots to be found new on eBay).

Asda has some lovely post-op nightwear too (but I preferred pure cotton jersey):

https://direct.asda.com/george/women/shop-by-collection/post-surgery/D1M4G100C209,default,sc.html?prefn1=producttype&prefv1=Dressing%20Gowns%7CNightdresses%7CPyjama%20Bottoms%7CPyjama%20Tops

I was about to say the same.

In my experience most people don’t spend very long in hospital. Apart from surgery treatment is mainly as an outpatient.
I had lots of gifts of books, but my brain was too addled for me to concentrate. I couldn’t eat so food/chocolate gifts went to waste and flowers made me feel as though I was the ‘sick person’ which I hated. A face spray or plain moisturising cream was ok, and a soft throw to snuggle under. Best of all was a little vase of cut herbs which I put by the bed.

Not cancer but after major surgery my colleagues sent me the biggest fruit basket. It was fantastic and really lovely to munch on lots of different types of fruit

I was going to say dry shampoo. Cool fabric nightdress/pyjamas because hospitals are hot. Magazines or easy read books. Lip balm.

Thank you so much everyone. Have gone for the heart shaped cushion (thank you so much for the link), E45 moisturising spray, E45 body lotion and shower cream, a Shea butter loccitane lip balm and hand cream and a Neal’s Yard lavender pillow spray to aid sleep. I will get a couple of magazines and put them all in a basket with some sweets and ginger biscuits and a home made card from the kids. Thanks again - I am so glad I started this thread x

A long charging cable. Appointments can take a while, or rather, they can run late.

Lip balm

I used Mytrusty sunflower cream on my radiotherapy area - it's not a strong fragrance and was developed by the NHS in Salisbury

Warm socks

Button up cotton pyjamas - I had shorts and shirt - it was very hot in the hospital

A text/WhatsApp rather than a call, they don't always arrive at a good time.

Company when they are ready (and make the cuppas yourself!)

An offer of a lift. Sometimes follow up appointments can be more frequent than anticipated. I had a mastectomy and ended up going 2-3 times a week to get the fluid out (it was around 500ml in one week - admittedly, I was big of nork, but never expected that!)

Zip front bra with no underwire. I still wear the ones from Sainsbury's, about £10 and come in s/m/L/XL and are soooooooo comfy, while providing some decorum when you need to undress.

Or, just ask. They may have these things from others. Sometimes we just want someone with us, not necessarily even saying anything. It can mean the world.

Ooops, too late!

Sorry your friend is feeling poorly. How about a book by her favourite author, some nice hand/face cream?? Or a puzzle book if she's going to be in hospital for a few days. It's a lovely thing you are doing for her x

Just as an extra - not right now, but if your friend's treatment/recovery- which of course I hope will be successful - takes a bit longer than anticipated.
Persephone Books have a lovely present idea - the giver pays for 6 months in advance - can be anonymous if you like - and the receiver gets to select a book of their own choosing from the Persephone List ( persephonebooks.co.uk/products/a-book-a-month ) which is all about books writen by women in the the 20th cent and now rather forgotten.
Persephone have a fab online catalogue https://persephonebooks.co.uk/products/catalogue and also a blog https://persephonebooks.co.uk/blogs/the-persephone-post linking their ideas in their books to the work of forgotten -often brilliant - female artists.

If she lives in Essex, Suffolk or Cambridgeshire you can apply for a care kit from Breast Friends CiC. They do amazing work in East Anglia. It might be worth googling their website for ideas.

Nice hand cream, eye masks, soft socks. My friend loved her 'you picked the wrong bitch, cancer' keyring and I personally love the bracelets that spell fuck you cancer in morse code. Oh, there are some great candles with similar sentiments.

Electric throws are on sale on sports direct online for just under £15. I was amazed as u bought quite a few last year and they were well over £60+.
I love mine so this would be a great gift if they were feeling poorly after treatment

What a lovely thread op. ❤️

I had a double mastectomy but no chemo or radiotherapy. I'd honestly have been happy with your company. Talk to me about normal things, watch a film with me, help eat my millions of snacks, maybe surprise me by cooking a nice meal. For me I needed the distraction from the upcoming results rather than material gifts.

For reference as a lot of people are mentioning gifts suitable for chemo. I honestly wouldn't as generally a lumpectomy is suggested when they are able to get clean margins and no spread. If it's spread to lymph nodes then she would need chemo but it's unlikely if they aren't suggesting mastectomy at this point. I wouldn't overly stress her out by assuming this will happen as only the pathology results will shed more light

I've had breast cancer. My favourite gift was a basket of lovely skincare, haircare, books, chocolate and other confectionery. I did have chemo so my gift contained things to
Help with that but I think just nice things she might not buy herself. That is what I'd do going forward.

For DM I put together a basket of moisturizing face spray, decent power bank for her phone, non slip fluffy socks, a headband to keep the hair off her face, dry shampoo, a beautiful notebook and pen that she uses for all appointments to make notes or list questions, a travel size puzzle book, ear plugs, Lip balm, a soft cardigan (no lifting arms over head).
I also had frozen meals delivered to her, and once I was able to get there I batch cooked and filled her freezer with individual portions.
Sometimes she was just too emotionally overwhelmed to consider cooking or eating well.
Practical help in terms of a cleaner, dog walker, lawn man etc was also helpful.

I haven’t read all the responses so forgive me if I’m repeating! I’m so sorry about your friend.

ginger sweets
lip balm
moisturising creams
wheat heat bag
sleep pillow spray
puzzle book/colouring book and pen/pencils
Apple/Google gift-card (for books, movies etc)
soft socks
pocket hug token
Journal
ice lolly moulds
nail oil
Sleep eye mask
encouraging letters/cards