Your Mom will lose her hair and her scalp will become very tender.
She will need a cap or hat of some kind to keep her body heat in. You
lose most body heat through your head. Baseball caps with those
adjustable plastic things on the back are very painful. A cap made of
fleece or knit cap or toboggan as some folks call them are great. A
wig can be very painful if it has a web or netting on the inside. Not
too tight. The seams of a lot of hats and caps are very hard on the
scalp and hurt like the dickens. A hat, in the summer time, with a
brim will help shade the eyes.

A full size hug quilt is the best with a flannel backing keeps the
patient warmer than the usual cotton fabic backing. A lap quilt is
not big enough to keep out the chill.

With the radiation treatments the skin will be burned badly like a 3rd
degree sunburn. One thing I recommend it a product called Aquaphor by
Eucerin. Its a healing ointment. This is applied after her radiation
treatments are completed. This ointment should be applied very gently
as the skin is very tender. Once the skin has started to heal it will
become very dry and itchy. Aquaphor helps greatly to stop the pain
and itching. It can be found in most drug stores. I am not
affiliated with the company, my doctor recommended I use it and I got
great results.

Can you find her a hospital gown that has snaps on the shoulders so
they can be undone easily without having to get undressed. Those
things that tie in the back and around the neck are a real pain to
wear.

When your Mom goes for her treatments go with her. She will never
tell you that she feels less scared with you there, but she will. Her
attitude about the whole process will be a big factor in her going
through her treatments and them being successful.

Remember that a big tote bag will carry a lot of things. Easier to
handle than a purse and can be hung on the handles of a wheelchair.
Two things in the tote bag, tissues and bottled water.

Hope this helps.

Kate T. South Mississippi