10 Great Gifts for a Cancer Patient
Look, I started a business that provides products and gifts for cancer patients, and even I don’t always know what to do when I hear about a new diagnosis. If this is you, too, then take a deep breath and do some brainstorming, maybe with some other people who also want to help. Here’s my top 10 brainstormed recommendations for gift ideas:
1. Warm Socks
Treatment labs are cold any time of year and an infusion can take up to four hours. Help them get comfortable with a pair of socks that are comfortable, attractive, and warm. Everyone feels more relaxed when they can take their shoes off, anyway. We carry pairs from Sockwell, a local company that creates high-performance socks with unique designs in trendy colors.
2. Curated Play List
Haven’t we all thanked a friend for recommending a paradigm-shifting podcast or binge-worthy show? Good recommendations are worth their weight in gold. Create a playlist with a theme that your cancer warrior appreciates. Perhaps Great Female Artists of the 1990s, Best Modern Hits from the South Pacific Islands, or Leading Italian Arias ... you get the picture. Or a selection of podcast episodes that riff on a theme: Around the World with Sasquatch, Most Successful Art Heists of the 20th Century, How to Talk to your Houseplants so They Will Listen. Ok, probably none of these will fit your needs, but the podcast world is your oyster—have some fun!
3. Emollient Substances
Extreme dry skin is an unavoidable side effect of cancer treatments. We carry two slam-dunk solutions: Wooden Spoon All Purpose Salve for spot treatment and Apis Mercantile Hemp Body Butter for all over soothing. This type of gift is great for anyone who loves giving consumables, and the eco-concerned packaging is easy to reuse, repurpose, or recycle.
4. Weighted Blanket
These blankets have become popular for their improvement of mental health and sleep. And bonus! A weighted blanket is a great way to give someone a continuous hug, even if you aren’t nearby or if your cancer warrior cannot accept visitors because they are immunocompromised.
5. Candies or Gum
Bitter mouth taste was the single most demoralizing side effect during my treatment. Everything that I ate, all the food that people had lovingly prepared tasted like it had been covered in baking soda. Ginger candies, lemon drops, and even some alcohol-free mouthwash gave me some relief. If you can, consider purchasing enough to get your warrior through their treatment plan—that was 18 weeks for me.
6. A Good Book
If your cancer warrior is a reader, find something that will draw them in and help them get their mind off things. My friend gave me a copy of The Girls of Atomic City, and I spent hours reading about the young women of the 1940s who moved to Oak Ridge, Tennessee to work on a secret military project that they didn’t understand until after it was deployed. It definitely got my mind off all my side effects for a while. Whatever you choose, find something that will transport them, and don’t forget to write an inscription.
7. Small Luxury Item
Small luxury is affordable for everyone. A bag of locally roasted coffee, a beautiful ceramic mug like our Annie Hanks cup, a pretty journal ... luxury items make people feel special in a time that even feeling human is a challenge.
8. Restaurant Card
If you can’t make a meal, send them a card to a nearby restaurant, perhaps one that will deliver! In addition, a card for a local juicery or coffee shop will give them a good reason to get out and treat themselves. Sometimes just getting out into the community to do something nice for yourself lifts the spirit.
9. Healthy Snacks
One of my favorite “meals“ that I received was a big basket of healthy snacks. It was perfect if I needed some calories AND it made my kids so happy! Don’t forget the families of these patients! Their own worlds are upside down, and food that is healthy, yummy, and immediately available is an enormous blessing.
10. A Lucent Gift Box
Taadaaa! You knew it was coming, but this is exactly why we created our small business: for the times you can’t come up with the perfect idea. Our LG Easy Box is our best seller and goes out the door within 24-48 hours, straight to your cancer warrior with a personalized letter. Everyone wins!
