So someone you know has cancer. Now what?

If you know you want to send something but don’t know where to start, here are the things that brought me the most comfort during chemo:

1. The coziest of cozy pj’s. These are buttery soft and feel especially luxurious when you’re going through chemo. You can be stuck in bed a lot and these pajamas always made me feel less like a patient and more like myself. The entire site is 30% off for Black Friday!

2. I had been eyeing this water bottle for years (literally). When I found out that I needed chemo I decided to treat myself so that I could bring something bright and joyful with me to each infusion. It’s a glass bottle with a silicone sleeve (in teal, my favorite!) and there are tons of colorways and even textures. In addition to just being adorable (and sustainable!), staying hydrated throughout chemo makes a big, big difference in how you feel and how you recover.

3. I have 2 of these satin-lined turbans. They’re comfortable and soft (which makes a big difference when your scalp is exposed to the elements for the first time since birth) and the patterns are gorgeous.

4. Certain chemo treatments (taxanes, specifically) can damage your nails (This is why many people have to keep their hands and feet on ice during infusions. Read more about it here). I was discouraged from getting a manicure during treatment because the possibility of infection was so high, and you can’t use regular nail polish remover either (anything with acetone). This nail strengthener comes highly recommended and these nail polishes come in every possible color and stay on for a long time (which is important because using a non-acetone nail polish remover takes foreverrrrrrrrrrrrr!). This link will give you 20% off any set.

5. There is no room for toxic positivity when someone you know is navigating a cancer diagnosis. Cancer isn’t a ‘journey’ or a ‘battle,’ and we have no control over the outcome. Don’t deny or minimize your friend’s emotions with sayings like, ‘you’ve got this!’ or ‘you’re a warrior!’ which, while well-intentioned, deny them the authentic support they need to cope with what they’re facing. Not a Warrior puts the power back in their hands to determine themselves how they want to show up each day.

6. Chemo wreaks havoc on your entire body. Your skin can be incredibly sensitive when you’re going through treatment (chemo and radiation, especially). You aren’t even allowed to be in direct sunlight! When I started Taxol I developed neuropathy in my hands and feet that was painful and uncomfortable. My therapist suggested that I seek out fabrics that were gentle and soothing to the touch. These blankets do the trick and then some. They’re incredibly soft and perfect to curl up under.

7. These are the products that brought me the most comfort during chemo. They protected my very sensitive skin, helped me replenish and renew at home, and even provided side effect support. (It’s really important to stay away from body care products that have ‘fragrance’ in them. That typically means there’s more alcohol in a product and that just dries out and damages skin more.)