Things That Helped When I Had Cancer

Everyone’s experience with cancer is different, but I wanted to put together a list of things that helped me personally when I had cancer. Obviously, your doctors should be your first source of information, so if their advice clashes with mine, go with their advice over mine.

Also, this is not an exhaustive list, it’s just what I can remember off the top of my head.

I hope you never need this list, but here it is just in case!

 

Resources:

-If you’re between the ages of 18 and 39, check out Stupid Cancer. This organization supports and advocates for young adults with cancer. Their website lists a bunch of different programs and organizations, and they also have regional facebook groups. I joined the group for my region, and it has been such a wonderful place to get advice and support from other people who have been through this! Some cities even have events where you can meet up with other young adult cancer survivors.

-The American Cancer Society has lots of different programs, including Look Good Feel Better, which teaches women how to do their makeup while dealing with treatment side effects, and gives free makeup. I believe they also give free wigs. You can check out what programs they offer in your area.

 

Beauty and Fashion:

-Clothing that offers easy port access. Just search “chemo clothing” on Amazon, or click here to see the exact shirt I wore. My younger sister gave me this as a gift and it was SUPER helpful.

–This bath soak. The scent itself was super relaxing. I love it.

-I bought all my hats from headcovers.com. They specialize in products for people with hair loss, and they also have a tips and advice section.

-This eyebrow kit and this eyebrow pencil from headcovers.com. Don’t buy it until you think you might need it though. Your eyebrows might not fall out.

-Dangly earrings, like these. (I included these specifically because I love them and the place I bought them from fights sex trafficking, so you can do good while looking pretty).

-False eyelashes. I bought a few different kinds at Target. There are lots to choose from, and you can wear them more than once.

-Bold lip stick.

-Argon oil like this for dry skin. My usual moisturizer just didn’t cut it with the dry skin caused by chemo.

-Sometimes I was too tired to even wash my face, let alone shower. A friend sent me these face wipes in a care package and they came in so handy.

-Fun socks. Friends sent me a pair that had rainbows on them and said, “over it.” I don’t know where they got them, but I loved putting them on whenever I was feeling especially over it!

-I bought fun, colorful, inexpensive wigs from amazon

 

Food: 

-Nutrition drinks, for when you are too tired to eat or have no appetite. I started with ensure, but then my older sister started buying me these orgain nutrition drinks. I especially love the mocha flavor.

-Towards the latter part of my treatment period, I got a bad taste in my mouth. Sucking on dove dark chocolate helped me.

-Gum and hard candy helps with the bad taste during and after chemo. I always chewed on gum during chemo, because the saline flush puts such a gross taste in your mouth.

-A friend sent me a water bottle in a care package. Staying hydrated is so important.

-Try ginger-ale for the nausea

-I also ate a lot of instant mashed potatoes. I would cook them in water with chicken bullion in it for more flavor. I did this with noodles as well, especially with this kind because they’re made from lentils and veggies so they are a good source of protein.

-Pudding is another easy snack, as is apple sauce

-Chicken and rice soup was another thing my body tolerated well, sometimes with veggies added in

-Cheese often made my tummy feel better, but I know some people can’t do dairy while on chemo

 

Entertainment: 

Obviously, everyone is different but,

-My favorite books (these aren’t cancer related) were “Christy” by Catherine Marshall and “The Atlas of Beauty: Women of the World in 500 portraits” by Mihaela Noroc, oh, and I also loved “The Last Sin Eater” by Francine Rivers.

-My favorite movies to watch during recovery were “The Greatest Showman” and “Newsies on Broadway” on Netflix. I think it’s because they were musicals, and the music was such a great distraction, and also I had seen them enough times that I could just fall asleep at any point.

-If you’re on instagram check out “the cancer patient” and “cancer confessions.” Some of the posts are NSFW, but mostly they are just hilarious and relatable.

 

Things I was glad my friends did/ said: 

-Obviously, each person is going to be different, but I was so thankful when my friends remembered that I like to have fun. We went out for ice cream and went to the movies, to the farmer’s market, and explored art galleries in another town. We drove through a state park. We had movie nights. They were respectful of my physical limitations, and the fact that I get tired easily, but found ways to include me in on the fun.

-When I needed to vent, they just sat with me and listened, or agreed with me that this is really hard, or prayed with me. They didn’t offer quotes or try to tell me everything was going to be okay. I really appreciated them just being there with me and not trying to fix anything.

-My friends and I would have conversations that included both talking about cancer and talking about “normal” stuff like movies or school. They understood that both cancer and the other stuff is part of my life, and it’s okay to talk about all of it.

-When I made it halfway through, my friends gave me cards they had cut in half, along with some lovely gifts. It was so fun and encouraging! Friends from high school sent me cards, old photos, and a kindle. The photos and cards were so special and the kindle was so useful! I had friends from my parent’s church who sent me cards throughout. It was great to be remembered not only in the beginning, but all the way through treatment.

-Washed my dishes

-Carried my clothes from the laundry room back to my dorm room when I was just too tired

-Spent the night at my apartment after chemo or procedures so I wouldn’t be alone/ just in case something went wrong

-Gave of their time to take me to chemo and sit with me, stayed with me all night at the ER (and never once made me feel like I was an inconvenience), visited me in the hospital, visited me at my apartment, brought me food, held the bucket while I puked

-Remembered that I’m not just cancer girl, but also someone who likes to write and laugh and study and so many other things

 

Well, that’s all I can think of for now. If you’ve gone through cancer and have more to add to this list, please feel free to add your thoughts in the comments!