Buying presents for anyone going through chemotherapy

My wife is going through chemotherapy right now and, when it became known, friends and family all bought her various gifts that they thought would help. In addition, I researched various forums and cancer sites for additional ideas too.

This post details the items that have made a real difference, and that she would recommend to anyone thinking of buying for somebody going through the same thing.

But what kind of things will they need? Whilst recovering, there’s a good chance that they will feel tired and lethargic. They probably won’t want to do anything very strenuous, so things to make them comfortable, but also giving them something to do are always recommended. Whilst in hospital too, they’re long days and are often cold as a result of the treatment.

I’d suggest avoiding food, as taste changes when recieving treatment – let them find what works best for them. My wife received a LOT of chocolate – pretty much everyone who bought her anything included chocolate, until she had enough to sink a battleship. The reality, though, is that staying at home and exercising much less meant that she needed to reduce intake of such rich foods, but also chemotherapy affected her tastes, so she wasn’t particularly interested in it, anyway.

One exception to this may be ginger biscuits, which are relatively plain but can help with nausea symptoms. Ikea does an excellent tin of small ginger biscuits.

Entertainment

• My wife loves reading (book vouchers, Amazon vouchers for Kindle), building Lego and jigsaws
• She also received puzzle and colouring books – she’s not a fan but a great idea if the person you’re buying for, is.
• Maybe consider a subscription to Audible, or something similar

Comfort

• Flowers. Always appreciated. Or a nice low-maintenance plant.
• Pyjamas and comfy clothing, such as warm socks – the latter are also useful for hospital visits
• Soft blanket – useful for hospital but also at other times too, as they may often feel the cold more acutely at home
• For much the same reason, portable hand warmers are always appreciated, as cold extremities are not unusual
• Good quality skin care items. The treatment often leaves your skin feeling dry. Un-perfumed is best.

Practical items

• My wife was given a large water bottle, which has been incredibly useful whilst in hospital

• Anti-nausea sweets – Queasy Drops were recommended to me and my wife finds that they work well
• Peppersmith Sicilian Lemon Peppermints are really useful for those times, during treatment, where you throat becomes dry – I read about these, got some and my wife will tell you that they really work
• A small fan, can be a God-send if you suddenly find yourself in hospital feeling very hot all of a sudden
• Finally, a small, bag to put all these things in when she goes for her session – it’s reserved just for this and has everything stored in it between each chemo session, so she can always lay her hands on what she needs each time

ℹ️ As an Amazon Associate, links on this post may mean that I may make money from qualifying purchases that you make.