You have cancer and you found out you’re going to start chemotherapy. Besides all of the big questions that come with a cancer diagnosis, one thing you may be wondering is, what do I need for chemo? Should I bring a chemo bag? Yes, you should! Read on for some chemo bag ideas.

When I was diagnosed with cancer (lymphoma) I had no idea what to expect. I knew I didn’t want to do chemo, but I also knew I had to do chemo to survive. Chemotherapy is currently the first-line treatment for cancers like lymphoma. And while each patient has their own treatment plan, and should obviously take their own doctor’s advice, my plan has been 12 rounds of ABVD chemotherapy. Each letter in this A-B-V-D acronym stands for a different chemotherapy drug.

Regardless of which chemo drugs you are prescribed, no one will tell you chemo is fun. It’s hard on your body, takes what seems like forever to receive, and comes with oftentimes debilitating side effects. One way I decided to prepare myself for chemo was to put together a chemo bag that was always packed and ready for each time I had to leave the house and head to chemo. Having a pre-packed bag I could throw in the car anytime has been essential to a bearable chemotherapy experience because A) chemo brain, and B) you don’t always have time or energy to pack before you need to go somewhere essential, like chemo or the hospital. I learned this after my first chemo infusion which didn’t go as well as I’d hoped and I ended up having to spend several days in the hospital a week into my first treatment.

Of course, a chemo bag isn’t mandatory, and if you’re a light traveler, it may not even be necessary because most of us tend to overpack in our everyday lives and end up with tons of useless items we don’t find a need for. For me, however, I decided I would rather have too much than want something I didn’t bring while stuck in a chemo chair getting poison pumped into my body. It really comes down to preference. You don’t need any of these items, but if you want some chemo bag ideas, here’s what I pack in my chemo bag:

 

• Blanket–the cancer center where I go has warm blankets for all to use–it gets chilly in the infusion room. However, I like to bring my own super-soft fleece blanket.

• Travel/Neck Pillow–I used my neck pillow for the first time during my last treatment and it made such a difference! I fell fast asleep, which never happens during chemo.

• AirPods–I’m not really into headphones (as weird as that sounds) but my husband got me a pair of AirPods Pro for my treatments because he loves his, and they have helped distract me from the actual chemo treatments so well. Most of the time I put on a good show and tune out what’s going on around me, specifically, my chemo infusion.

• Coloring Book & Pens–I wanted options, and option I’ve got. When I’m not watching something on my phone or iPad, I like to color in my adult coloring book with my silky gel pens. If you’re not into the adult coloring thing, maybe you like crosswords or word searches?

• Scrabble–My husband has been with me at every chemo treatment I’ve had thus far. And since chemo takes so long, one of the things we like to do is play Scrabble, but not just any Scrabble, Scrabble To-Go, which is a mini travel-friendly Scrabble that features little walls around each square that hold your letters in place, no matter what. You can even close up the game and come back to it later. If you’re not into Scrabble, there are plenty of other travel games to choose from.

• Laptop–If you like to/feel like working or playing games on your computer.

• Books/Kindle–whatever you’re reading right now.

• Magazines–the only time I buy junk magazines.

• Journal–I try to write in my “chemo journal” every day to jot down my thoughts and remember my symptoms. It’s always nice being able to go back and see that yes, I really did have severe mouth pain on this day after my last treatment.

• Socks–again, there are blankets but you never know if you might just want a cozy pair of socks.

• Tissue.

• Chapstick.

• Sanitizer.

• Snacks—Hard candies ( like See’s lollypops) are my favorite during chemo but bring whatever snacks/food you like–you’re going to be there awhile.

• Ice/Ice Water–One of my chemo drugs causes severe mouth pain and I’ve found sucking on ice and drinking ice water during the infusion helps to ward off this painful symptom that tends to show up around 3 days after treatment.

• Lotion.

• Chargers.

• Medication–Any medication you normally keep with you.

Of course, none of these items are absolutely necessary and you may just decide you don’t want a chemo bag, which is totally fine, also. These are just some chemo bag ideas. If you decided to pack something else in your chemo bag, share below! I just may want it in mine, too.

*disclaimer* I am not a doctor. Nothing on this page should be taken as medical advice. Always consult your own doctor to verify what’s necessary for you and your health.