Gift box for cancer sufferer - ideas?

Is she staying in hospital or just going in and out for treatment?

Lovely idea. You're a great friend.

In addition to your ideas, what about some barley water or some sort of squash to sooth her throat?

Hand cream if she is in hospital. Pretty tissues (they do some great ones in those little packs - quirky, pretty, funny etc.) Face and/or hand wipes.

Can't think of anything else, but this site have some lovely ideas www.smartgiftsolutions.co.uk

here are a couple of links that might help you....

https://ask.metafilter.com/76798/good-gifts-for-a-chemo-patient

http://www.celebratinghope.com/detail.html?cat=4

Whilst my Nana was in hospital with Cancer she loved having face wipes as she often said that she had little energy to wash alot so the face/body wipes helped her feel fresh. She loved hand cream as it made her feel as if she was being pampered, quite often her nurse would rub it into her hands for her.

Some Lemon and Barley water was her favourite as she struggled to quench her thirst sometimes and a good puzzle book or 3 and she was quite happy.

Thinking back to when my mum was having treatment she used to love anything with ginger in to help with sickness also glucose tablets and digestive/rich tea biscuits. We used to get through lots of magazines too whilst waiting for the chemo to run through. Not sure where your friend's cancer is but I know mum had to be careful using perfumed products/lotions etc. when she was having radiotherapy and had to cover herself in aqueous cream. I think baby or simple products are ok.

It's a lovely idea for your friend.

Sez

It's a wonderful idea. We did this for my cousin at work when she had cancer (she's all clear now thank goodness). We got a large hamper and everyone bought something to the value of £10-£15. It was mainly pamper stuff, bath stuff, creams, also DVDs that she wanted to catch up on, books that kind of thing, She absolutely loved it.

What about one of those face mists things, for if the hospital is red hot (as they usually are)

What a lovely idea. Lavender is a very calming essential oil and could be dotted on a pillow if she is having trouble sleeping or dropped in a bath to soothe. You sound like a lovely thoughtful friend. I'm sure she'll be really touched by your kindness.

Thanks for all the ideas. She isn't staying in hospital but goes it a lot for treatment during the days. I'm going to have to post it to her as I won't be able to see her for a while (she's in a different city) so the squash is unlikely to work - I may take some up the next time I can go visit.

Any other suggestions?

I'm a bit late to this but we made my mum a similar box when she went into hospital to have a lumpectomy. In ours we had: comfy pyjamas that buttoned up the front, nice hand cream, nice lip balm, night-time massage cream (all Origins and she loves them), eye mask for sleeping in the day, travel type neck pillow, nice chocolates, and other more personal bits and bobs, like an ornament she'd had her eye on, just to cheer her up.

She's about to start chemo and I've been looking for more practical things for her and this list is quite useful if you want to include that kind of thing too:

https://breastcancernow.org:443/bcc-forum/discussion/12623/top-tips-going-through-chemo/

Sea bands , they are for travel sickness but they work when you feel sick from the chemo too , hand cream unscented i think is a great idea , a good book as it can be boring sitting there during chemo sessions , or magazines if a book will be too much effort to read

Another late to this, would second ginger biscuits. Also Corsydol - one thing my mum complained of was a really sore mouth / gums and Corsydol helped a lot. Also something pampering like nice hand cream etc. chemo can really make your skin feel horrid so a lovely moisturiser... so pretty much what everyone else has already said!

Hope everything goes well.

Cant add anything else, some lovely ideas everyone. What about some change for the payphone?

My friend had chemo for a long time, and I used to sed her little bits and bobs, but the thing that really helpe, or so she said was that I started sending her letters thru the post, she often couldn't reply to texts or read her emails, but I got into the habit of finding some time each wek just to write to her about everything that was going on in 'normal life'. If she found the energy she would reply but often it was too hard for her. She always said how much the letters helped. OOH and REALLY nice chocolate once in while! Hospital food can really get you down! In general, I always bought the stuff that was 'easy' to appreciate (or use, dvds, pamper stuff, and cosmetics for when she was feeling up to it), or sent flowers randomly, I found yell.com good for finding a florist local to her, most accept credit cards so you kinda saved cos interflora are epensive for what you get (she lived in London and the local one wasn't native english so she used t get the funniest message cards I've ever heard!).

Thinking of you and your friend, hope all is ok long run xxxxx