Back when I first got into oncology, there weren't as many resources as there are today. The nurses bought  a lot of  'comfort items' for the patients out of their own pockets. When I took a break from nursing to raise my kids, I still had the needs of cancer patients on my heart, so a friend and I put some "Care Kits'"together and took them to the practice where I had worked.  In these kits we put unscented hand lotion, unscented lip balm, hard candies, and a fleece blanket along with a note explaining why we choose each item. Now that I work in oncology again, I like to pick up little items I think might speak to the patients and am always looking for ways to put together items specific to their needs.  I am also a firm believer in mentally uplifting my patient in any way I can. I think a pretty package can always help in that regard, as well as a little of the unexpected-to that end, I have a collection of headbands I wear to work-most are animal ears or just fun, holiday related themes. My patients get a kick out of them and love to see what I will be wearing next! And I have had the patients bring me THE headbands that they think need to be in my collection.

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My latest  Care Kit  idea is a Neuropathy Kit. Neuropathy is numbness and tingling in the hands and/or feet. It is a common side effect of a lot of treatments and can range from mild to severe- to the point patients have a hard time with balance because they cannot always feel their feet and even everyday tasks like writing or opening things due to lack of feeling in their hands.  I have started buying chenille socks and pairing them with an unscented hand cream and a unique and colorful stress ball wrapped in a fun canvas bag. A lot of my patients have told me that their neuropathy is not as bad when they routinely keep their hands/feet warm, exercised and massaged. 

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So my next Care Kit idea is an Mouth Care Kit. Chemotherapy can cause many issues with the mouth and even the whole intestinal tract. Patients can develop sores inside the mouth than can make even swallowing water painful. And of course if they aren't hydrated, they are at risk of becoming dehyrated very quickly. Patients also can experience nausea despite our best efforts to prevent it. I found some cute cosmetic bags at the Goodwill that I thought would be perfect for the Oral Care Kits. These bags were from Ipsy (this is not an ad) and were in perfect condition for just a dollar each, so I scooped them up! Then later that week I was looking up Ipsy on Facebook and found a listing of a woman in my city selling her extra cosmetic bags, so I bought those from her too! ​I plan on putting the unscented lip balms, hard candies, and a laminated recipe card for an mouth rinse patients can use at home, as well some natural sources to help reduce nausea together in the bags! (See Connect 6 for some pictures of those bags).