Care Bags Bring Comfort and Practical Resources
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To request one of our FREE Care Bags, click here!
GBTP Care Bag Program for Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer Patients
Since 2017, Going Beyond the Pink has been providing care bags to newly diagnosed breast cancer patients and patients already in treatment. We know that receiving a breast cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming, and those first few weeks & months are chaotic. Newly diagnosed patients will have numerous doctor’s appointments, scans, and labs in order to determine the best course of treatment, and all this happens before treatment ever starts.
Amidst the chaos, newly diagnosed patients often wonder how they can best prepare for the road ahead.
That’s Where Going Beyond the Pink Care Bags Come In!
To meet this need head-on, Going Beyond the Pink packs our care bags full of needful things such as:
Information about other organizations and businesses that support the local breast cancer community, including 3d nipple tattoo artists, mastectomy product sales, other financial support resources, physical therapists, lymphedema massage therapists, and so many other helpful connections they may need along the way.
Educational Fact Sheets on important treatment-related topics, like caregiving, emotional concerns, pain management, intimacy & cancer, and coping with sleep issues.
Essential Oil Roller Balls, including lavender for calming, peppermint for digestive upset, headaches, and focus, and frankincense for its anti-inflammatory and immune support benefits. We love Revive or DoTerra brand oils. Want some for yourself? Here are some links for the ones we love:
Shower Lanyards to hold up those pesky post-surgical drains. For those who’ve had mastectomy, some lumpectomies, or reconstruction, dealing with the post-surgical drains is no fun. We aim to make that easier by providing a lanyard that can be worn around the neck when showering. Drain tubes can be clipped on with simple safety pins.
This simple item makes hands-free showering a breeze. You can check out our video tutorial on how to clear JP Drains here.
Shower lanyards are a great addition to any get well gift you may be putting together for a newly diagnosed friend. This one is the type we use in our care bags. These come 100/pk, but at those prices - grab a pack, give a few to those in need and you can donate the rest to us 😊
Tea Bags, Mints & Hard Candies are included to soothe tummies and ease dry mouth caused by treatment. Calming teas and peppermint teas are great. And peppermint or ginger or lemon hard candies seem to be well received.
Lip Balm, preferably ones that impart serious moisture and healing, because treatment for breast cancer seems to make everything dry! We love Nivea Moisture and Burt’s Bees Ultra Conditioning. Aquaphor is also fantastic
Aquaphor ointment is an all-around winner. It is fantastic on dry skin patches, lips and radiated skin. It is also wonderful to put on incision sites once the skin has healed and the surgical tapes have been removed.
Moisturizer, preferably ones not laden with cancer-causing chemicals. We love BeautyCounter’s Adaptive Moisture Lotion and their CounterStart Cocoboost Lotion. Other favorites include Dr. C. Tuna’s Calendula Balm and Aloe Lotion. Aveeno Skin Repair cream is another great choice.
Water tumbler with a straw. You may be picking up that treatment for cancer causes serious dryness issues! Water is the #1 solution, but drinking it is not easy for everyone. We’ve found that drinking through a straw makes you drink more each time you take a sip. If you are looking for one for a friend, check out any of these tumblers.
Fuzzy slipper socks, the ones with the non-slip treads. Whether it’s the cold treatment rooms, or just a case of the chills, we think everyone needs some cozy fuzzy socks.
Gentle body soap is important. Many soaps have ingredients that can irritate dry or radiated skin. Soothing options we like are Dr. C Tuna’s Calendula Soap and the Citrus Mimosa Body Wash by BeautyCounter (smells so yummy!). Cetaphil’s Gentle Cleansing Bar is another option. And, you can’t go wrong with any of the artisanal goat milk soaps by Clary Hollow.
A journal and pen. At GBTP, we know practicing gratitude can make a huge difference in someone’s outlook. We hope everyone chooses to do some gratitude journaling and reaps the benefits of the gratitude attitude! If you are looking for a gift journal, we think these journals are a great option.
Tissues, because weepy eyes happen when you are diagnosed with breast cancer. Keep a few extras around because spontaneous weeping in caregivers and friends is totally a thing too!
A back scratcher is a must-have item post-surgery, and even during and after radiation when burnt skin may feel tight and affect range of motion. We love the telescoping kind, like these ones.
“The [care] bags are a huge hit and a mood booster!”
Do You Have or Do You Know Someone Diagnosed with Breast Cancer?
Locals can request a care bag prepared specifically for their loved one’s needs. We have lots of additional items, like mastectomy bras, post-surgical bras, breast prosthetics, handmade knit caps, cotton caps, scarves and turbans, post-surgical pillows for underarms (to protect sensitive areas after surgery or radiation), seatbelt pillows, drain bag covers, and handmade hug wraps, that we can add to a care bag upon request.
Overwhelmingly, we’ve found care bag recipients to be so grateful that we’ve anticipated so many little things that they didn’t even realize they’d need along the way and to be so receptive to their needs! That is what we strive for here at Going Beyond the Pink.