CANCER RESOURCES
This website contains some affiliate links. That means that if you use the links to buy something I may earn a very small commission. But that is not why I am sharing them. Whether you use my links or not, these are all things I use and recommend! They have been total and complete game changers for me whether it be nutrition and recovery wise or mindset training and learning wise :)
This page is dedicated to some of the resources and items I used (and continue to use) related to cancer. I was diagnosed in 2018 with stage 3 ER+ HER2- breast cancer (I was 34). I underwent chemo to first reduce tumor size followed by surgery, more chemo, another surgery, and 7 weeks of radiation.
If you are going through this, I highly recommend breaking it down into smaller pieces and then celebrating after each. Find an analogy that works for you. Since I love sports and was an athlete, I called my phases "quarters," like a basketball game. The first quarter was chemo #1, the second quarter surgery, the third chemo #2, I added a "TV time-out" for the other surgery, and then fourth quarter radiation. Now, I am in "overtime" :)
Chemo wrecked my ability to eat anything I pleased. So I now need to eat gluten and dairy free (still today 3 years later!) I am sharing some favorite products here.
And, I am sharing my other "game changing" items used throughout treatments.
NUTRITION FAVORITES:
Founded by a cancer survivor also looking for clean nutrition during treatments, these shakes were a game changer for me during treatments and they continue to be! I love the vegan chocolate nutritional and protein shakes and my kids love them too.
Make sure to use the coupon code LANI for 30% off your first purchase! :)
I love chocolate!
Hu Kitchen has THE BEST tasting chocolate bars (I love the almond butter + puffed quinoa). These are all Vegan & GF.
Use coupon code LANI for 10% off your first purchase! :)
OTHER TIPS...
I cook a LOT of white rice which has helped to heal my gut also (in just a simple rice cooker like this one) and someone gave me the recommendation to cook it in vegetable broth instead of water to gain some extra nutrients. So we buy this organic veggie broth and throw in the whole container with 2 cups of rice. Set it and leave it and it is SO delicious!
I also became a fan of this Tulsi Green Tea.
HYDRATION!
I got a hydroflask early on and would drink a full water on the way to chemo treatments. It helped with the blood draws and infusion!
LANI'S CHEMO LIST
CHEMO COZY JACKET
TOTAL GAME CHANGER!! This jacket is for kids and adults alike. There are zippers for IV lines to keep them hidden and keep you warm.
OTHER IMPORTANT THINGS:
Silk Pillow Case (helpful after going bald)
Hair Ties that didn't pull (once starting to get hair back)
Hardening nail polish (I used this before and after every treatment session of taxol and I didn't end up with any issues with my nails like some people can have)
Bag Balm Lip stuff (everything got really dry!!)
Foot Ice Packs (I used these during Taxol infusions on hands and feet to help prevent neuropathy)
Definitely the #1 recommended gift to give someone newly diagnosed is the Chemo Cozy jacket. Click here or the photo to the left.
SURGERY & RADIATION LIST
Drain Pouch (I preferred using these after surgery and just wearing comfortable shirts or sweatshirts)
Calendula Cream (For radiation - I used this generously and frequently)
RANDOM ITEMS:
Heated blanket - I, for some reason, was SO cold frequently and this is the softest coziest blanket
WEDGE PILLOW
Honestly, I am 6'1" so this wasn't a perfect fit and sleeping post-surgery was just really hard and didn't happen much. But this helped sometimes!
PLANNER
I highly recommend having a bullet journal or planner. If you have someone that can join you for appointments, they can take notes for you. I would quickly forget (chemo brain!) everything and writing things down and keeping my questions in a list was really helpful!
MINDSET
While this course is designed for coaches or athletes, it shares a journey through key mental skills and mindset training tools. I looked at my journey with cancer like a sport or as an athlete. There would be times the body was pushed beyond where we think capable. A TEAM is required to help us be at our best. Celebrations are good for each milestone. Setting goals, developing new habits, and maintaining perspective vital.
ALL of that is covered in the Mindful Performance Training Center.
I also took courses that I could do from home during my treatment so I could keep my mind focused on new things and learning. So if all of that sounds appealing to you, I am sharing a special discount link to MPTC below. Just click on the training center map and start your journey! :)
BELIEVE IN ME
My kids have created an empowerment shop and designed a special breast cancer sticker as part of it. It is a dragonfly (we see as a sign as a visit from those no longer with us) and the breast cancer ribbon together. Right now you can get it as part of a sticker sheet and in October they will have it designed as part of a product they will raise money for a breast cancer foundation.
Put stickers on water bottles as reminders to believe! :)
