After going through a breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, I found out that there’s more to the expense than just the medical bills. Cancer is expensive! Because of cancer, treatment, and surgery, I was not able to do my normal things. Therefore, we had to figure out how to take care of everything from childcare to household care. I searched for discounts for cancer patients, free stuff for cancer survivors, and other resources. Here are the discounts and free stuff for cancer patients that I found.
How to Get Free Stuff for Cancer Patients
How to Find Free Stuff for Cancer Survivors – Free Products and Services for Cancer Patients
Here are a few of my favorite freebies for cancer survivors.
Cancer Patients Get Free Makeup, Beauty Products, and Advice
Free, the Look Good Feel Better program through the American Cancer Society give free makeup to cancer patients. I went to one of these right before I started chemo. The Look Good Feel Better program is a 2-hour, hands-on workshop that gives cancer patients tips for hair loss, nail care, makeup, clothing and more. I came home with a large cosmetic bag filled with all kinds of beauty goodies.
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The American Cancer Society also gave me two free wigs to use during chemo.
This is my son (at age 3) trying on one of my free wigs I got to wear during chemo.
Free breast prosthetics for breast cancer patients
There are various places where cancer patients can get free breast prosthetics. Knitted Knockers are free to any woman who wants them. These special handmade breast prostheses are for mastectomies or other procedures to the breast. Awesome Breastforms are another knitted free breast prostheses. With these, you can choose if your breast prosthesis form is made with nipples.
Head wraps Free for Cancer Patients
For those going through chemotherapy, you can get a free head wrap from Good Wishes. Delivery can take 4-6 weeks.
Free Gift Cards for Cancer Patients
For cancer patients from around the United States, The Cancer Card Exchange gives free gift cards to use for gas, restaurants, shopping, movies, and more.
Free Housecleaning for Cancer Patients
This is a great idea! Cleaning for a Reason gives three free housecleaning services to those going through chemo. Unfortunately, when I applied back in 2009 it was not available in my area.
Free Stuff For Cancer Patients and their Families
FREE Summer Camp for Kids affected by Cancer
Camp Kesem is wonderful! Our kids went to Camp Kesem for the first time this summer. Camp Kesem provides a free week of summer camp for kids of parents with cancer. There are various camps around the country run by volunteers including 3,000 passionate college student leaders.
Free Beach Vacation for Breast Cancer Survivors and Families
Little Pink Houses of Hope gives free beach vacation getaways to breast cancer patients and their families.
Breast Cancer Free Stuff – Free Cancer Services and Advice
Breast Cancer Resource Center (BCRC), provides services free of charge to anyone affected by breast cancer. The BCRC is a great help at diagnosis, during treatment, and after treatment to help those living with cancer.
Free Fitness Classes for Cancer Patients
Livestrong at the YMCA has a free 12-week, small group fitness program. These are provided at various YMCAs around the country.
Free Exercise Programs for Cancer Patients in Austin
Capital of Texas Team Survivor (Team Survivor Austin) has free exercise programs for female cancer survivors.
Breast Cancer Free Stuff – Free Pilates Classes in Austin, Texas
Ballet Austin’s Pink Pilates offers free pilates classes. The Pink Pilates is a post-operative workout for women recovering from breast cancer. This is an awesome FREE 10-week program at Ballet Austin and the instructor, Vlada Sheber, is compassionate, fun, and knowledgeable. I highly recommend this program! The Pilates for Breast Cancer class is valued at $600.
Ballet Austin’s Pilates Pink Ribbon Program from Ballet Austin on Vimeo.
More Resources of Free Stuff for Cancer Survivors
1UponCancer put together a list of Freebies and Discounts for Cancer Patients. The list includes a variety of free and discounted goods and services such as basic needs, prosthesis, classes, gas, housecleaning, pampering, retreats, and more. For example, Air Care Alliance ACA flies patients to treatments at no charge. Breast Cancer Charities gives qualifying breast cancer patients up to $500 towards rent or utilities. Crickett’s Answer For Cancer gives breast cancer patients free Mastectomy massage, other massage therapies, facial, manicure, a basket of pampering products.
Heal in Comfort
Another great resource is HealinComfort’s FREE Stuff for Breast Cancer Patients.
I wish I would have known about these post-mastectomy recovery shirts when I was going through treatment. Many of these mastectomy recovery shirts are offered only to low income or under-insured patients, but some services are offered to any cancer survivors.
Suggested Cancer Readings
Here are some books I found helpful while dealing with cancer, the diagnosis, treatment, etc.
Books for Cancer Survivors
Crazy Sexy Cancer
Kris Carr has a whole “Crazy Sexy Cancer” following now. She’s a young adult with cancer and she offers lots of helpful advice on living a healthy life. Here are a few of her books.
AntiCancer
This book, AntiCancer, offers tips on how people living with cancer can fight it and how healthy people can prevent it. There are lots of practical things you can do. You choose to do as much or as little as you want, but the point is to do something. My neighbor, Bernardo (who runs the site Your Great Life TV – Dare To Live Fully) found this book so inspiring and helpful, he gave me my own copy.
Planet Cancer
There’s also Planet Cancer: The Frequently Bizarre Yet Always Informative Experiences and Thoughts of Your Fellow Natives. This a great read for young adult cancer survivors.
Keep reading...
- 10/1/2016 - What it's Like to Be a Breast Cancer Survivor in October
- 9/21/16 - Breast Cancer Survivor 7 Year Cancerversary
- 9/14/2016 - Scanxiety: Tips to Deal with Cancer Anxiety
- 9/23/2015 – My Prophylactic Salpingectomy with Delayed Oophorectomy (PSDO) – Fallopian Tube Removal Option for BRCA Women to Decrease Ovarian Cancer Risk (with video)
- 3/25/2015 – BRCA Positive Breast Cancer Survivor Response to Angelina Jolie’s New York Times Article
- 10/10/2014 – It feels like the bottoms of my feet have been hit with a hammer
- 9/25/2014 – My 5 Year Cancerversary – 5 Year Breast Cancer Survivor
- 5/23/2013 – Breast Implants after Breast Cancer Mastectomy and Reconstruction, Expanders, See Scars YouTube Video
- 9/30/10 – My Cancerversary (1 Year after diagnosis) Video and Giveaway
- 7/1/10 – Breast Cancer Update – 6 Months Later (pic)
- 4/26/10 – Breast Cancer Reconstruction after Double Mastectomy (video)
- 4/7/10 – Breast Cancer Update April 2010 w/ pics
- 2/26/10 – Light at the End of the Tunnel w/ pics
- 2/15/10 – Breast Cancer Update (video) – Done with Chemo, Now What?
- 1/23/10 – Dallas Doctors
- 1/7/10 – Appointment with the Oncologist
- 12/31/09 Last Chemo and Video
- 12/30/09 – Getting Ready for Chemo #4
- 12/27/09 – Still Recovering from Chemo and Video
- 12/10/09 Chemo #3 and Video
- 12/1/09 – Sleep… Finally and Video
- 11/19/09 – Chemo #2 and Video
- 11/17/09 – Wigs and Makeup
- 11/10/09 – Video Update – My Breast Cancer Story – Diagnosis to Chemo
- 10/30/09 – The Beginning of Chemo
- 10/15/09 – Good News After Surgery
- 10/10/09 – Post Surgery
Thanks Cha Ching Queen, for leading your readers to http://www.1UpOnCancer.com. Is there a way to subsribe to your site? I’d like to see more of what you do for me and my friends.
Rachel
Look in the top right corner. You can follow through facebook or twitter or subscribe to the feed here http://feeds.feedburner.com/ChaChingQueen
thanks, Rachel
Hello! My mom has breast cancer and is trying to get back to work post-chemo. Do you know of any programs that help get patients a deal on a used car?
Thanks!
Hi Kaleen,
I’m sorry that your mom has breast cancer. No, I do not know of any programs to help cancer patients get car deals, though you could try contacting local dealerships and see if they have any programs. Best of luck. I hope your mom has an easy, full recovery.
– Rachel
Thanks, Ms. Cha Ching Queen. Here’s a link to a story on a Mom giving away special gifts to breast cancer survivors … .It’s the story “Mom holds torch …” http://www.1uponcancer.com/breast/
Hello,
This is a great site. To bad I did not discover while going through treatment.
I am an Ovarian cancer survivor.
I have a question that you might be able to help with. Do you know of any program that offer a free wheelchair?
I am looking for a specific type due to all of my physical issues
Thanks!
Does anyone know of any programs that helps with bills? Since I’ve been going through chemo I find it very diffacult to keep up with all the bills. My husband works and makes 15.00 a hour but needs to drive 50 miles each way to get to work which takes a big bite out of his check before he even gets it. I’m not working. I could use help with dental, vision, rent, electric, cable, gas for car, repaire for car, food etc. I mostly have enough food because I don’t eat as much as I use to but my doctors expect me to eat foods like blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberies, multi colored veggies, whole grains etc. which are very expensive to add every day. I try to buy and eat them once a month. Also wants me to have Ensure. Please let me know. I’ve tried most of the websites I could find online by the search engine and didn’t find much. Thank you
I am sorry for you and your husband both, cancer is hard on the person that has it, and terrifying and difficult for the person helping care for you. My husband a nd I have been going through it for two years, and have managed to stay married,:)Here are a few sites that you may find very helpful:Team continuum-they will help with things like rent and utilities.American Cancer Society-they can help with rides and lodging (sometimes free lodging,or reduced rate)look good, feel better-this program helps chemo patients with applying cosmetics, and will send you home with a very nice beauty kit, and a wig or scarf. I have more, If you like, you may contact me at [email protected] and I can give you more info.
You may also apply for disability and ssi. I recently applied for disability because a second bout with cancer, this time ovarian cancer, and received my award letter within 4 weeks. I applied in July and will receive my first benefits in November for October. You can also check with the social worker from your cancer center.. You are not alone, finances can get thrown out of whack…I pray you get connected with resources hang in there.
Cindy, I’m sorry you are going through this. It’s rough.
I’m not sure of any programs like that, but you may want to contact Livestrong or the American Cancer Society. If they can’t help, I bet they can tell you who to contact. Good luck and let us know what you find out.
Rachel
http://www.abbottpatientassistancefoundation.org/pdf/Abbott_PAF_Med_Nuts.pdf
I sign up my chemo pt for Ensure assistance all the time. Abbott pharma is great about taking care of patients. Hope this helps!! 🙂
3 weeks ago found out I had colon cancer. Having surgery this week. Not sure how to feel or think. Just want my life back.
I’m so sorry to hear that. How was your surgery? I will keep you in my thoughts. Let me know how you are doing. – Rachel
Very useful….looking forward to coming back again.
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Like so many other sites, free headscarves, free cosmetics, breast cancer awareness T-shirts, where is a man in his 50’s with lung cancer supposed to find help?
I feel a little abandoned because most of the free stuff for women is for Breast Cancer Victims. I have Squamous Cell Carcinoma that spread from my SKIN to my lungs, I have never smoked and have lived healthy my whole life yet, everything for women has to be for breast cancer. Please do not think I am hating on BC victims my sister was one, but isn’t there something for those of us whose cancer is not PINK????
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I have never been able to find help or free stuff. I went to all the breast Cancer site NOTHING. IHave been traveling to doctors 2 and 3 times a week since May of 2017. I have paid people to help me. I was diagnosed with Her2 breast Cancer. And so far I have had 7 surgeries. Now I’m Suffering with heart and blood pressure trouble because of the Herceptin infusion. Somedays I feel like dying, but I have came too far. One more Herceptin treatment. Done and one more surgery on breast. Got to get chemo port removed. I been to Hell and back but no Celebration for me. People were so caring during Chemo, but no one could care less now.
I am so sorry. There’s a misconception that once you have your surgery or chemo you are done forever. It never really ends. There are still regular checkups, scans, and management of side effects. I’m sorry you feel that people don’t care. I care. I understand. Please feel free to email me if you’d like to talk more.
It isnt just women with breast cancer. (or with the BRCA markers) My husband had a very rare salivary gland cancer that has the very same genetic marker. They think his was likely environmental , and picked up at Camp Lejeune when his father was stationed there when he was a young child – his Dad was stationed there twice.
Cancer is awfully expensive, so expensive I can also tell you to check at the food bank in your area or call and ask them if they can get Ensure. I ended up making him homemade Ensure using protein powders , vitamins and ice cream as it was all he could get down for many months and through 37 rounds of radiation.
I hope one day there is no cancer, there is no pain. When hubby was getting his radiation we saw so many women warriors… or I did while waiting for him. Because of his cancer type he was in with mostly women and I have to say the nurses and Drs were like tigers when it came to pain management, when he was a total mess on drugs to control what was happening.
For all who have went through it, for all the caregivers and families, I wish you peace, and thank you so much for allowing people to share your journey.
I am so sorry to hear what your husband endured. Thank you for sharing and for wishing everyone well.