Need some gift ideas for a mom, daughter, wife or friend who is having a mastectomy and breast reconstruction? The following are 10 useful things to make her feel loved.
A Soft Blanket
My BFF gave me a Sherpa blanket after I was diagnosed. And l loved that thing to pieces. It was not only a daily reminder that I had people loving and supporting me, but it saw me through a lot of sleepless nights.
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Mastectomy Pillows
You’re in luck. We provide those for free here, because my mom and her friends, The Bosom Buddies, are giving and caring and overall awesome in every way. Just head to my FREE Mastectomy pillow page at the top and make a request if this is something a gift you’d like to give someone.
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A Massage Gift Card
My chest muscles were moved to a new location (over the top of my implants) in the reconstruction process. This not only affected those chest muscles but all the muscles attached to them. I made a few trips to a local massage therapist to help loosen up the muscles around my chest. There are massage therapists who focus specifically on women with breast cancer. You may be able to find one in your area.
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Meals
Best gift ever really. Bake casseroles or buy gift cards to restaurants. Anything that takes away the stress of “what am I going to feed my family tonight?” Our deep freeze was so packed with meals that I didn’t have to cook for more than two months. Some of the meals we received tested the range of our bland Harms family taste buds, but all that food was an amazing gift. (This photo is from a celebration dinner at Johnnie’s Steakhouse after a cancer-free check-up.)
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A Journal
I found journaling to be therapeutic, but even if your friend isn’t a writer, it’s handy to have a journal for those first few weeks to keep track of meds and drainage.
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Seatbelt Cover
You can find these in a variety of sizes and styles. Seat belts are super uncomfortable after surgery. These take the edge off of the discomfort.
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Soft Button-Down PJS
I loved my comfy jammies that were gifted to me by a friend. I could pull the elastic pants up by myself and the button-down shirt was perfect.
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Soft Socks or Slippers
A friend gave me this cute pair of soft warm non-skid watermelon socks for the hospital and they were awesome!
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Chapstick
My lips were super dry after surgery, so chapstick was a must have.
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My Book
Head to my homepage to order.