The day I learned my mom had breast cancer was one of the scariest days of my life. Her diagnosis meant surgery and follow up treatments and months of waiting to see if it worked. Having breast cancer was scary for her since it interrupted her life and there was no guarantee that surgery and radiation/chemotherapy would work.
Breast cancer surgery to remove the cancerous lump was the first step in my mom’s healing. The surgery itself was not intensive but I still wanted to make sure my mom had everything possible to make the experience better. I knew that weeks or months of harsh treatments would follow so I wanted to make sure she had breast cancer surgery gifts to make the experience better.
Breast Cancer Surgery Gift Ideas
If you have a loved one going through surgery for breast cancer then I hope this list helps you. Giving gifts during this time can help make it easier even though it is a scary time. Giving a gift during this time is all about giving hope and showing how much you care and believe in her recovery.
The gift ideas on this list were items I bought for my mom or discovered while researching breast cancer surgery ideas. Feel free to send me ideas to add to the list if you have good ideas for gifts you gave someone facing breast cancer surgery. I’d love to create a large list of ideas for anyone in this position.
Before you buy anything for breast cancer surgery patient, make sure you check with the hospital and doctors. Some things will be provided for the recovery period and other items may not be appropriate. It’s always best to confirm with the doctors and patient first since this list is just a list of gift idea suggestions.
Breast Cancer Surgery Recovery Bag
A breast cancer patient recovery bag is an all-in-one gift you can buy at once for anyone going through surgery. Bags like these recovery bags contain items that help someone transition home from the hospital. These recovery bags contain items like comfortable pillows, wound and drain care supplies, skin care items, scar treatments, toiletries, snacks and more. This all comes in a beautiful reusable bag that can be used again and again after recovery.
We recommend:
Ice Packs
After breast cancer surgery, oncologists usually recommend ice packs to decrease discomfort and swelling. These are particularly important for certain areas like the armpit after a lymph node dissection. Ice can help with swelling and provide a numbness that is welcome from the pain of surgery. The cold temperature of ice has several benefits, from the numbing effect to the constriction of blood vessels that reduces swelling. Giving a recent surgery patient an ice pack or two can help provide needed relief and give options so that ice is ready when needed.
We recommend:
- Carex Bed Buddy Hot/Cold Pack
- Nature Creation Spine & Back Sore Muscles – Herbal Hot& Cold Pack
- AZMED Ice Bag – Hot and Cold Reusable Pack
Breast Cancer Surgery Recovery Clothing
During the surgery recovery period, certain clothing may me helpful for the patient to be more comfortable. Certain companies make surgery recovery clothing specific to breast surgeries. These clothing items can be more comfortable and also have items like post-op drain pockets and pcokets to hold idea packs. These little extras make the clothes perfect for anyone recovering from breast cancer surgery. In fact, until they get these items specifically made for this purpose they probably won’t know what they are missing.
We recommend:
- Recovery Bra for Breast Cancer/Surgery Recovery
- Recovery Robe- cancer/surgery recovery
- Amoena Women’s Hannah Post-Surgery Front Close Camisole
Scar Treatment Products
Scars are one of the unfortunate side effects of surgery. While no one wants scars, they are often something that is hard to avoid following surgery. Using a scar reduction gel or cream can help minimize scars following surgery. I’ve used Mederma before for scars and it has helped minimize any remaining scar appearance and it’s done wonders at improving self-esteem around my scar. This small surgery follow up can make a world of difference in self-esteem following surgery. Make sure you check with the patient’s doctor to make sure a scar treatment is approved and is not already provided by doctors.
We recommend:
- Mederma Advanced Scar Gel
- Insta Natural Stretch Mark & Scar Cream
- Body Merry Stretch Marks and Scars Cream
Seatbelt Cover Pillow
Seat belt cover pillows are high quality pillows that provide seatbelt protection following breast surgery. These work on all shoulder style seat belts and come in soft and comfy fabrics. These make a thoughtful gift and are packaged and shipped from Amazon by a Stage 3 Cancer Survivor who had a Mastectomy.
We recommend:
- Pillow Seat Belt Chemo Port Cover Surgery Breast Cancer Pillow
- Mastectomy Lumpectomy Pillow Seat Belt Cover Chemo Port Surgery Breast Cancer Pillow Gift
- Port Cover Surgery Breast Cancer Gray Pillow
Plush Blankets
Recovery following breast cancer surgery requires lots of laying around while your body works on healing and recovery from the harsh surgery. During this period it’s a wonderful treat to have soft, plush blankets and pillows on hand. Since she is healing from a very traumatic surgery it is important to have lots of comfortable items available. You can buy a comfy plush throw as a gift in her favorite color or one that matches her home decor so it will be a favorite for years to come.
We recommend:
- Northpoint Cashmere Plush Velvet Throw
- Super Soft Black Borrego Blanket Throw Queen or Full Size Bed
- Qbedding All Season Ultra Soft Microplush Blanket
Yoga For Cancer DVDs
Yoga DVDs targeted toward cancer patients and survivors are very different than regular yoga DVDs. The yoga instructors in these DVDs offer a very gentle approach and offer modifications throughout the instruction while allowing plenty of time for each pose. Yoga can be an amazing gift for women recovery from surgery and going through chemo because it truly helps with the mental and physical aspect of recovery. Yoga can help women cope and deal with unresolved emotions and thoughts surrounding the cancer diagnosis and also provide much needed relaxation. These DVDs are great for women who have had some sort of introduction to yoga already.
We recommend:
- Yoga for Breast Cancer DVD for Patients and Survivors – Thriving Yoga
- Yoga for Cancer Recovery
- Gentle Yoga for Recovery & Beyond
Activity Books
During surgery recovery patients must spend a lot of time on bed rest. This can be troublesome for many people since it can be a very boring experience! A great gift idea for this problem is anything the person can use to keep busy and sane: word searches, crossword puzzles, playing cards, or coloring books! These activities might seem trivial but having them on hand can make the breast cancer surgery recovery process a lot easier for many people.
We recommend:
- 399 Games, Puzzles & Trivia Challenges
- The Total Brain Workout: 450 Puzzles
- Adult Coloring Books: A Coloring Book for Adults
E-Reader with Magazines & Books
Another great way to pass the time during surgery recovery is by reading. Books are a great way to pass the time and using a Kindle or tablet for reading is much less cumbersome than reading regular books. You can splurge a bit on the latest Kindle and load it up with books or give a gift card to Amazon so she can purchase the books she wants most.
We recommend:
Hope & Healing Faith Gifts
Giving a small trinket that acts as a symbol of hope can be a great gift for someone going through breast cancer recovery. There are many small items like necklaces or figurines can act as a visual reminder of love, hope, and healing. These gifts do not have to be expensive and you should make sure to write a heartfelt note or explain the meaning when you give the gift. It’s even better when you can give a gift you know the person will already like. For example, my mom loves Willow Tree figurines so I gave her the Willow Tree Angel of Healing following her surgery.
We recommend:
- Willow Tree Angel of Healing
- Crystal Avenue Breast Cancer Survivor Pendant Necklace
- Circle of Hope Necklace
Your Time
Offering both your time and prayers to someone who is undergoing breast cancer surgery is a welcome gift. You can offer to take her to follow-up appointments following a mastectomy or simply time spent running errands she can’t do during surgery recovery. You can also spend time in prayer together or get others together to lift up the patient in prayer or bring her anything she might need.
Giving your presence when a friend, sister, wife, mother, or coworker is going through breast cancer surgery is a great gift. Giving the gift of your time can be very welcome by many patients, just make sure to ask and arrange for this special gift before showing up unannounced.