A Helping Hand For Cancer Patients – Colon Cancer

 Melissa Rieke Photography

A Helping Hand For Cancer Patients

March Is Colon Cancer Awareness Month

It’s one of the worst feelings ever…finding out that your loved one has cancer.  There so many ways to lend a helping hand for cancer patients.  I can’t say it enough that during my journey thru Colon Cancer I found so many more blessings than sadness.  My family and I were surrounded with family, friends, food, gifts, and just pure kindness and generosity.  I received gifts from virtual strangers, prayers from near and far, and I felt just plain LOVED!

When we hear word that someone we care about has something tragic going on in their lives…we ache for them…and wish to take away their pain…but we can’t.  Most of the time we do the first thing we can think…MAKE FOOD!  Or for those of us who aren’t the greatest cooks…buy food…or send food gift cards! 🙂  We mostly just want to help in any way we can.  As the “receiver” of these gifts and this love it was very hard for me at first.  I was used to being the “giver”…I tried to fight it at first…but I am so glad my friends and family didn’t let me win.  I couldn’t have made it thru this journey without their uplifting gifts!

So today I thought I would share some of the awesome gifts that helped keep our family positive and going during this crazy journey!

CARDS – I was showered with so many cards to keep my spirits up.  They came right after surgery when things were still very uncertain and scary.  I felt love all around me.

PRAYERS – You can never have too many.  Each Treatment week on the second day the sun would shine in on my bed…and I could feel the warmth of all the prayers and thoughts and love that people had sent out for me.

FOOD – My dear friend suggested a food train for us for after surgery…I didn’t think we needed it…BOY was I wrong.  We were so blessed with several meals a week that kept our family of 5 fed.  Grocery shopping, meal planning…not really on the top of a cancer patients mind.  In fact…after I finished treatment and went the store for the first time…I just stood there looking around, it was so overwhelming!  My friends used the Meal Train app….and it worked great!

LAUNDRY – My aunt came on Treatment weeks and took ALL of our Laundry, washed it…and brought it back folded and hung up ready to go!  HUGE help…and one less thing for me to think about.  Especially with kiddos…we go thru a lot of laundry each week.  On the weeks I did my own…it would be a game of…fold one basket and rest for 2 hours!  Took a long time to get it done! 🙂

COSTCO Trips – Several friends and family members did a Costco run for us…bring snacks for the kids…and staples to keep them fed!  This was huge since a lot of my treatment was during the summer when they were home from school.

Comfy Jammies – So we cancer patients spend more time than we would like in bed…and comfy jammies are a blessing!  For us post colon surgery peps…some nice long gowns were helpful…seeing as how we can’t really wear a waist band.

WARM SOCKS – The meds I was on caused my fingers and toes to be VERY sensitive to cold.  Warm socks were and still are a MUST!  I received these special NOTES TO SELF socks from my good friend and now are my favorite gift to give!

Helping HandsP I N_______I M A G E

LOVE YOUR MELON – A friend sent me a few hats and a warm shirt from LOVE YOUR MELON…a great organization that donates a hat to a child cancer patient for every hat purchased!  Double Bonus.  Plus these hats are amazing quality!

A Helping Hand For Cancer Patients - Colon CancerP I N_______I M A G E

LOVE – Mostly we just want to be loved!  We want to be “normal”.  We don’t want you to look at us with “sad” eyes…its not fun to be the reason others are sad.

Warm Blankets, CUPCAKES, Running A Race for the cause, Hugs, Taking the Kids for a Day, Gift Cards to Eat Out.

Its My BirthdayP I N_______I M A G E

 

 

 

 

All month long GO BLUE FOR COLON CANCER don’t forget to FACEBOOK, TWEET, PIN & INSTAGRAM!

#coloncancer #dressinblue #never2young #coloncancermonth #strongarmselfie #timetofight #letsdothis #crcselfie #screeningsaves #loveyourbutt #screenthis

 _____________________________

I’m so excited about this giveaway…my most FAVORITE bags ever…Kelly Moore Bags sent me a bag to giveaway to YOU!!  Eeeks.  Of course I want to keep it for myself…but I won’t…its up for grabs!  WHO WANTS IT?  Be sure to get every ENTRY into the contest that you can.  Make sure you are doing the Mandatory entries or the others won’t count.  (hint: Be sure to LIKE and then say you liked the MRP & Kelly Moore Bag pages!)

So they sent this awesome KELLY BOY bag in Mustard!  So Yummy!

Kelly Moore Bag - Kelly BoyP I N_______I M A G E

Kelly Moore Bags are perfect for photographers, students, MOMS, as a work bag, as a travel bag, really…they are PERFECTION!  Did I mention I have 3…oops! 🙂

I love these Video Tutorials she does for all her bags! 🙂

Kelly Boy Bag. from Kelly Moore Clark on Vimeo.

So go WIN yourself a bag! Enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Share to Facebook|Pin Site Image|Tweet This Post|back to top