A big part of cancer treatment is about control, specifically understanding that we cannot control everything in our lives. Cancer happens, regardless of whether you want it, whether you’ve been healthy and active your whole life, and whether or not it is the right time for it to come. There’s simply no controlling it. It’s a tremendously important lesson in relinquishing control and letting go. It’s so very difficult to learn this.

That being said, certain things are still within our control. Philosophically, we cannot control what happens to us, but we can control how to react to these events. In more tactical terms, we can control how we prepare for them.

While I was going through chemotherapy, packing my chemo bag the night before treatment was something that helped a lot with my anxiety. It helped me feel prepared and in control, even though I couldn’t control the treatment outcomes or how the side effects would hit me. If you’re anything like me, you might be reading this as you prepare your checklist of things to pack for your chemo session.

Hopefully, I can be of some help with the advice and the checklist below.

General advice

• It’s perfectly normal to be nervous as you head into your first chemo session. Everybody reacts differently, so regardless of how much reading and planning you do before chemo, you can never truly prepare for it. And that’s ok too. Hope for the best and expect the worse. Worst case, if you get really bad side effects, keep in mind that they are temporary and will pass.

• Optimize for comfort and self-care: comfy clothes, soft blankets and pillows, fuzzy socks. I used to call chemo days “spa days” because while I was in the chemo chair, I would wrap myself up like a burrito and take advantage of the epic Benny nap (i.e. the drowsiness brought on by a pre-med infusion of diphenhydramine, or Benadryl, which is an antihistamine given to help prevent allergic reactions to the chemo drugs). For many people, chemo means a couple of hours just for them. You’re not going anywhere - might as well use the time to relax.

• Ask your doctor or nurse how long your chemo sessions will last. This will help you plan for the amount of time you will spend at the center and subsequently how much food and drinks you should pack and what sort of distracting activities you should plan. I had two types of infusions: a longer one that lasted about six hours every three weeks and a shorter one which lasted only about two hours. I had two separate checklists for packing my chemo bag depending on the length of the infusion I was going in for.

• Keep in mind that usually, the first infusion of a type of drug will be slightly longer so the team can monitor for adverse drug reactions.

Outfit

In general, optimize for comfort and coziness. Dress in soft and warm layers, as most chemo wards can get chilly. This means:

• Soft sweatpants or buttery leggings,

• Soft, long socks so that you can take your shoes off and stay comfy,

• A soft top, like a t-shirt or a long-sleeve shirt,

• A sweater, hoodie or sweatshirt, ideally with a zipper in front so you can allow some air in if you get too warm. Taking stuff off once you are hooked up to the IV lines is difficult.

• If you have a port, there are special tops you can get that allow easy access to it. There are plenty of products online, just search for “port access” (e.g. here on Etsy).

Chemo bag

• Side note: why hasn’t Vogue done a “What’s in my Chemo Bag” series yet?

• The bag itself can be a duffel bag, a tote, a big handbag, or a backpack, whatever fits everything you need and makes you feel stylish. You can also get a legit Chemo Bag from The Cancer Patient community (IG @thecancerpatient).

Now the stuff that goes inside your bag, separated into categories.

The Official Stuff

• Your ID, wallet, insurance cards, medical file - anything you might formally need to have with you.

• A list of current medications and dosages.

• Your recent blood tests.

Stuff for Comfort

• Sweater, blanket or scarf to keep warm and cozy;

• Warm fluffy socks, in case you are not wearing them already;

• Slides or slippers, in case you need to go to the bathroom or walk around. This way, you won’t have to squeeze your feet back into shoes.

• A beanie, if you need it;

• A pillow and/or a plushie. I brought Reginald (picture below) to all my chemo sessions. I had chemo during the covid pandemic, and so I couldn’t have any visitors. This plushie kept me company when my husband or friends couldn’t.

• A friend, if you want one and can have one with you, to keep you company, chat or just sit in companionable silence.

Stuff for Sustenance

• A water bottle or something else to drink. Sometimes water can taste really gross when you’re in chemo, but it is so important to hydrate and help flush out the chemo toxins. If you can’t stand the taste of water, try adding some fruit to it, or try coconut water or something with electrolytes, or weak tea. Bone broth is a good choice for nutrition, and ginger ale or tea is a good option to help alleviate nausea.

• Snacks: whatever tastes good and is healthy, like fresh or dried fruit, trail mix, crackers, sandwiches, etc. Check with your doctor if there are foods you are not supposed to eat while on chemo.

• Hard candies / queasy drops / dried ginger pieces. Some chemo drugs can cause a bad taste in your mouth during the infusion. Sucking on hard candies or chewing dried pieces of ginger can help alleviate this bad taste. You can also get queasy drops, which are made specifically for nausea.

Stuff for Passing the Time

• Your phone, for all the things you usually do on your phone.

• A laptop or tablet for writing, watching Netflix or working (if that is something that helps you).

• Adult coloring books could be fun. These are made by a cancer patient (IG @ohyouresotough) for cancer patients.

• Headphones, a podcast, a playlist. Here is my Getting Psyched for Chemo playlist.

• Books, magazines, journals, playing cards, crosswords, sudokus - anything that will help you pass the time. In “Dead to Me” on Netflix, one of the characters had a chemo project where she wanted to fold 1000 paper cranes during her infusions, and that’s what she did. It might also be helpful to know that according to the ancient Japanese legend of senbazuru, anyone who folds 1000 paper cranes will be given a chance to make their most desired wishes come true.

• Relevant chargers for all your electronics, if needed. Your chemo ward will likely not be providing these.

Toiletries (as a rule of thumb, unscented is better)

• A numbing cream (if you have a port),

• Eye drops,

• Lip balm,

• Hand sanitizer,

• Hand balm,

• Tissues,

• Wet wipes,

• An extra face mask,

• Essential oils (for relaxation, e.g. lavender or peppermint),

• Glasses, if you need them. I suggest leaving your contact lenses at home, as chemo can dry out your eyes.

• Nausea or diarrhea meds (or whatever your doctor gives you to help deal with the side effects).

Other Stuff (hopefully you won’t need it)

• A plastic bag and a spare set of sweatpants/hoodie, in case of vomiting or bathroom accidents.

• A bucket for the trip back home.

The Fun Stuff (Only if you want to)

If you are feeling strong enough, and you feel it’s appropriate, why not have some fun while in treatment? Once I started losing my hair, I would wear a different wig to each chemo (I bought really cheap, synthetic ones online in different colors). I would also spend the evening before chemo baking cupcakes and decorating them with super colorful icing, and then I would take the treats in with me the next day to share with the nurses and with other patients. I also know some women in treatment who have recorded insane videos of themselves dancing around the chemo pole, pretending to be Celine Dion or dressing up as Disney princesses. Use your energy and your creativity, if you have it, cause why the hell wouldn’t you?

Lastly:

• Always check with your doctor or nurse if there is anything else you should have with you.

• Here’s the honest truth: you won’t actually need most of the things I’ve listed above. They are really just meant to help you feel prepared for chemo. What you REALLY NEED, is a water bottle, a hoodie or something else to keep you warm, and something to do with your time. Everything else is additive. 

• After your first time, you will have a better sense of what will be useful for you and what is just unnecessary weight you don’t need to drag around.

Good luck! Let me know in the comments if there is anything else you would add to this list!