Blogs

Ask any cancer patient - “How can I help?” is likely the #1 phrase well-meaning friends and family say when they hear about their diagnosis. But it’s also one of the most difficult lines of conversation to manage for patients. In the moment it’s hard for any patient to know what they will need until they are well into their treatment plans. At that point, so few patients (especially women!) are good at reaching out and asking for help. Most patients struggle with asking for help because they do not want to be a burden to their friends and family....

Caring for those with cancer is really hard. There is that emotional pull of worry - how will the patient respond to treatments? Are they going to recover? The emotional drain of "not knowing" is real, and tricky. 

When my friend @LindsBiel posted this fabulous video to Instagram, I KNEW we had to share it with our Balm Box audience. Lindsey was gracious enough to give us permission to share her story on TheBalmBox.com blog. Without further  adieu, below find Lindsay's excellent advice regarding what to say when a friend tells you she has Breast Cancer.  *** #1: Do not under any circumstance tell her about someone you now who died from the disease (not helpful nor uplifting). She wants to hear about the 30, 40, 50 year SURVIVOR not the person who passed away from the disease. #2: Don’t...

It’s supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year – but for friends and family undergoing chemo, the smell of pine and gingerbread could be causing them more pain than joy. Here are our TOP THREE TIPS to help a friend or family reduce their nausea over the Holidays - or really any time of the year! DRINK, DRINK, DRINK, and DRINK SOME MORE Encourage them to drink more fluids. Many folks undergoing chemotherapy need to drink at least two quarts of fluids per day – if they are vomiting it’s important to replace lost fluids to avoid...

I’ve been doing a lot of podcast interviews lately. One of the most common questions I’m asked is how to best support cancer patients undergoing cancer treatments. As a 4-time cancer survivor I’ve had more than my fair share of practice in this area! So here are my TOP THREE TIPS for how to support cancer patients while they are undergoing treatments. 1. Focus on function over inspiration  We surveyed over 500 cancer patients and gift buyers to curate TheBalmBox.com product line. When we asked cancer patients what they wanted when undergoing cancer treatments, the top performing items were all...