Ask Amelia
Thank you for continuing to send us your questions! As always, below we are sharing with the intention to be helpful. We encourage you to continue to send us your comments and questions through contact us.
Where can you find the best head coverings and/or hats for chemo?
Throughout my treatment journey I’ve been a big fan of using some soft, cotton head-covers when I sleep and I always wear hats if I am going to be in the sun for any extended period of time. The cotton head-covers (bennies) I used when I was first going through chemo and my hair had fallen out were from headcovers.com. They also sell excellent head wraps that stay on and hats that are soft/well lined.
Do you have any resources for finding a good-fitting bra after a lumpectomy?
While I have not personally used them, I have heard from a few folks that AnaOno is a great resource for specialty bras. I have personally found that SOMA bras (e.g. embraceable wireless unlined), are extremely light, comfortable and align very nicely to the natural contours of your body. I also found them to be very soft, which is especially important for patients whose cancer spreads to the skin and can cause painful sores on the skin’s surface (which I experienced a couple of years ago).
Have you tried Reiki massages as part of treatment?
While I’ve not yet tried it, it is on my list for this year! For those that are not familiar, Wikipedia notes that Reiki is a Japanese form of energy healing, a type of alternative medicine. Reiki practitioners use a technique called palm healing or hands-on healing through which a "universal energy" is said to be transferred through the palms of the practitioner to the patient in order to encourage emotional or physical healing. Some cancer centers, like The Cleveland Clinic, have begun offering it as part of their natural/holistic complementary therapies. In fact, in this article by the Cleveland Clinic, they share a great overview of the benefits. I believe we should all tap into the tools that help make our journey as successful and comfortable as possible. Thank you for bringing up this topic!
With love,
Amelia O.
