10 Helpful Gifts for Cancer Patients Going Through Treatment
Sometimes when a loved one struggles with cancer, it’s hard to offer the right support. Many times we express our feelings through words of encouragement, other times we offer to cook a meal. These gestures go along way, however, sometimes the unexpected goes even longer.
Normally, people wouldn’t assume that giving gifts is necessarily going to help, but it can. Below is a list of ten gift ideas to help make different forms of treatment a little bit easier.
1. Adult Coloring Books
Many people assume coloring books are meant for children. Surprise! Adults use them, too! Coloring can be helpful when it comes to expressing your feelings, emotions and thoughts. It can also help reduce your anxiety significantly. In a sense, it’s a form of meditation. Meditation can help us focus on thoughts during the present moment, rather than be consumed anxiety thoughts.
2. Comfy Pajamas
Being comfortable during treatment is important! Having comfy pajamas that feel good on the skin, are easy to move around in and are effortless to dress make a huge difference. It’s extremely important that comfort, as well as safety, play a big factor when going through treatment. This eases any sort of extra tension that could arise.
3. Travel Toiletries
While going through treatment, it can be hard to go shopping or even remember to do certain things. It happens. Giving lip balm, body lotion, moisturizer or cleaning wipes can help make a difference, especially on the go. Keeping up with hygiene is not only healthy, but it’s great for mental health. Makeup is also a great addition, as it can be a pick-me-up to prevent any type of depression.
4. Overnight or Travel Bag
Overnight or travel bags that have bright, bold colors are not only uplifting but are useful to bring any items to a treatment center or hospital. A boring old bag won’t do anything, but a bag that stands out might make the transition better for your loved one. You can even throw in clothing organizers that you’d normally put in a suitcase to make things easier for them to find.
5. Cleaning Services
Going through treatment is hard and it’s even harder when you have to keep up with other aspects of life. Living in a dirty environment not only can make us depressed, but it can make us feel overwhelmed. Hiring a cleaning service to come to your loved one’s home is a huge relief! Especially if immediate family is assisting with their treatment.
6. OTC Remedies
Ginger, mints, tic-tacs, vitamin c tablets and other safe supplements can help subside nausea and other side effects while going through treatment. These natural remedies are things we may not think of right away, but can significantly help the process when things aren’t going so well, physically.
7. Comedic Movies
Comedy movies have a tendency to make us laugh and forget about our troubles. Buying a few DVDs to help your loved one take their mind off things can be a great buffer. They can also bring these movies to hospitals or treatment facilities in order to keep themselves busy. Humor never hurt anybody! It also makes us smile, even when we’re feeling down!
8. Inspiring Books
Books that are inspiring and focus on self-growth are a great gift to get your loved one if they don’t like watching movies. Reading something that focuses on positivity will help keep your loved one’s mind busy. It will also strengthen their mental health! Reading books helps focus on other things as well, in addition to changing thought patterns.
9. Cookbooks
Giving the gift of cookbooks can help inspire and educate your loved one to cook healthier and be self-aware with what they put in their body. Putting different foods in your body can definitely make a huge difference physically and mentally. This can also turn into a great hobby, especially when your loved one is feeling bored, down or just stagnant.
10. Journals
A journal can make a big difference during someone’s treatment. Having the opportunity to write down your feelings, emotions and thoughts is a great way for self-therapy. Sometimes we need to get things off our chest and we don’t have an instant outlet. Having a journal and pen on hand can make a difference, especially when the unexpected happens.
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Deborah has enriched the lives of individuals and families by enhancing their well-being. She has experience working with children, youth, and adults in settings that provide trauma-informed care services. She is also the founder of PATHS WITH HEALING, Inc. and has sat on various boards of directors. Deborah is a licensed social worker who completed her Master's in Social Work at Yeshiva University. While focusing on a psychodynamic approach, her objective is to relieve the impact of traumatic experiences by empowering clients to understand the deep root of their challenges and how to overcome them. Deborah has been featured in NBC, CBS, Yahoo, The Mighty, Amazon, and many other publications highlighting her long-standing reputation. Deborah is also an internationally acclaimed published author. Continuing to help others, Deborah strives to integrate different modalities to successfully meet the client's goals.
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