<p>The fancy shoes are a fun idea! In that vein, how about a really luxurious pair of socks? The sort of thing to wear while curled up on the sofa sipping tea/broth/water and reading a trashy novel. Cashmere, merino wool, microfiber, something along that line.</p>
<p>Reading these always make me sad i am a 2x brain surgery survivor(one was life threatening b/c the tumor went un-noticed for a long time)…and i always wonder what if it was cancerous what if i had to get my hair shaved what would have happened if i hadnt gotten that MRI earlier…well i believe u should get her a really funky hat not something normal but like a crazy hat it would make her stand out but it might keep the peoples and her mind off the shaved head and the health problem i hope ur friend will be ok</p>
<p>lesmizzie</p>
<p>Your posts always make me smile. You sound delightful!</p>
<p>Lesmizzie, my oldest daughter went to FWF for four summers. I recall a girl in her cabin one year who had had brain surgery. My daughter is now age 20. She went to FWF 1998-2001. She is from Vermont. I don’t want to post her name but maybe you were in the same cabin?</p>
<p>The American Cancer Society has a catalog. Try this link:
<a href=“http://www.tlcdirect.org/[/url]”>http://www.tlcdirect.org/</a></p>
<p>If the link doesn’t work, google “tender loving care” + cancer. </p>
<p>I bought a friend a couple of things from this. I like the head wrap. It goes UNDER scarves, etc. to make it look like you have hair.</p>
<p>My friend really liked the “cooling agent” type products. They soothed after radiation treatments, if your friend is having those.</p>
<p>My friend liked the temporary tatoos. Bright, pretty, or crazy ones. She used them both on her head (her young daughter painted a jackolantern on mom’s head for halloween) and on her shoulder or upper arm to distract from the head.</p>
<p>Oh, and someone gave her a video about tying scarves in different ways that she used. Not sure where they got it. It came with a pretty scarf.</p>
<p>jonri – That was where I got my headcovers when I went through treatment. I favored the bandanas. I also bought some “bangs” to wear with the bandanas and my fancy hats for church. I had several people ask me if the bangs were mine!</p>
<p>Of course they were yours. You bought them! :)</p>
<p>I am posting this as a separate message because I think it is something important. There is a lot of talking about seeing someone for the first time without their hair. And people shaving their heads so that the cancer person wouldn’t feel bad/alone.</p>
<p>There is another side to that. There are a lot of people that will never let you see them without their headcovers. I was one of them. Not even my Husband saw me without a headcover. In nine months, I saw myself once, and that was by accident. One girlfriend that I was very close to asked to see my head, and I showed her. That was it. </p>
<p>And the last thing I wanted was someone to shave their head for me. Why would I want them to go through what I was going through? And why would I want to be reminded of my situation every time I saw them. I have heard this from several people – all I wanted was for things to be “normal”.</p>
<p>Not everyone feels this way. But some do. And I just wanted to mention it as “food for thought”.</p>
<p>Peg
diagnosised Sept 2000</p>
<p>conyat – I love it! Wonderful answer!</p>
<p>As for a gift, I would vote for food. And gossip. Phone calls. And food.</p>
<p>Also, cards and letter and phone calls a couple of weeks later. You get a lot of attention at the beginning. It’s nice to be remembered later as things get harder.</p>
<p>And a celebration at the end! My sister sent me flowers on the day of my last radiation treatment!</p>
<p>Did I mention food?</p>
<p>How about a gift certificate for a massage, manicure or pedicure? Or a collection of lotions etc from Bath and Body Works, or scented lotion from a line of her favorite perfume?</p>
<p>One more idea – how about treating someone to a housekeeper’s visit?</p>
<p>Thanks for all your wonderful suggestions – I went with a book of gardening essays – she loves to garden and what is more hopeful this time of year? – and – yes, Peggy – food. She is in for a long haul, so I will have more occasions to put your good advice to use. Her spirits seem high, though. When I saw her, she had on her wig – was dressed nicely and made up and ready for a nice dinner out with her husband.</p>
<p>Ivoryk, best of wished to your friend. My mom is on her second round of chemo for ovarian, after a 2 year remission. The first chemo was a clinical trial and didn’t make her lose her hair, but this time it all came out. Like an earlier poster, she doesn’t want anyone - even my dad - to look at her bald head. So she bought some nice soft cotton sleeping caps from headcovers.com and has been very happy with them.</p>