How to Celebrate Last Day of Chemo?

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AlishaCatherine
AlishaCatherine Member Posts: 56
edited June 2016 in Coping with Holidays, Special Days and Anniversaries

Hi, I am looking for suggestions for how I can help my mom celebrate her last chemo treatment. She has been looking forward to February 5th for so long so I want to plan something special. I was going to send her flowers at work, and maybe order dinner or something. But I am looking for other ideas and thought you ladies might have some. Thanks!

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  • PattyPeppermint
    PattyPeppermint Member Posts: 11,162
    edited January 2014

    a party indeed.  Can you bring cake or cookies and balloons to the chemo room. Bet other people and the nurses would love it.  

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  • sherbab
    sherbab Member Posts: 106
    edited January 2014

    Party of some sort would be fun....For the end of my first chemo last year my friend hosted an Adios to Chemo party with Mexican food and margaritas and we invited all the people who attended chemo with me and were there during the process.  It was a lot of fun.

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited January 2014

    Be careful about the chemo room - some there are quite ill, or will never have a last chemo, and to be too celebratory is insensitive.  Also, for those receiving chemo at that moment, or just starting, it might not sit right with them.  I understand the happiness that comes with finishing, and the wish to mark the occasion, but my personal opinion is that it is better to take your celebration somewhere apart from the actual chemo location.

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  • AlishaCatherine
    AlishaCatherine Member Posts: 56
    edited January 2014

    Adios to chemo mexican party. I love that. Thank you! 

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  • M0mmyof3
    M0mmyof3 Member Posts: 9,696
    edited September 2014

    Last year when my last day of chemo came, my hubby took me for dinner to celebrate the closing of that chapter

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  • SelenaWolf
    SelenaWolf Member Posts: 1,724
    edited September 2014

    Two days after finishing chemo three years ago, it was Christmas.  My celebration was a request to family that I wanted to spend the day quietly with my husband and enjoy an intimate day with just the two of us.  Most of the family was supportive.  A few were not, but - at that point - I just plain didn't care.  Christmas Day alone with my husband, after months of doctors, nurses, techicians, etc. poking and prodding, was heaven.  We lit a fire, left the Christmas tree lights on, enjoyed a glass of champagne, and a lovely roast duck dinner.  As night fell, we left the lights off and lit a few candles.  For the first time in YEARS, I felt that sense of magic that I used to feel as a child.  Priceless.

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  • GeorgiaRai
    GeorgiaRai Member Posts: 175
    edited October 2014

    I think a flower/balloon bouquet with a selection of small gift cards would be a great gift.  Everyone's different, but the last thing I felt like doing on my last day of chemo was eating, drinking or partying.  A cheerful bouquet marks the occasion in a happy way, and gift cards (Chili's, Starbucks, Yankee Candle, etc.) can be appreciated when the patient is up to enjoying them.

    I did take a box of Dunkin' Donuts muffins for the chemo nurses on my last day, and they had everyone cheer for me when I finished.  Then, I went straight home to get ready for a week of crappy side effects.  It was about a month before I felt like any semblance of my pre-chemo self.

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  • LauraW68
    LauraW68 Member Posts: 100
    edited November 2014

    Great ideas GeorgiaRai!

    I have a friend who finishes her chemo on December 1st and that's the day I start mine. I'm definitely going to make her a gift basket of some sort to celebrate that milestone with her.

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  • Bippy625
    Bippy625 Member Posts: 890
    edited November 2014

    i like the idea of the gift basket...I just did my last chemo Friday and I have no desire to eat, drink, party either, or see people other than DH! i could not wait to leave the tx place, and the nurses forgot to do anything for me. I could not have cared less, love them but had to get the hell outta there. Later, maybe NY eve, we will celebrate right. Still facing surgery and rads, and recon so....i am not ready yet. Happy it is over but SE still got me.

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  • ChrisKs
    ChrisKs Member Posts: 2
    edited June 2016

    I have 4 weeks left of a 16 week chemo regimen. In January 2016, I had a lumpectomy and lymph node removal after my diagnosis. Just today I contacted my chemo clinic and asked why they don't do anything for patients at the end of chemo as I observed recently with a pink sister. Their reply was that some clinics have patients ring a bell, some patients get bouquets of balloons, some people will never get to ring the bell. I have decided it is best for me to do something private with my family and friends, but I do intend to either share food or more likely write a heartfelt note to each of the four chemo nurses, the scheduler/Administrative Assistant as well as the doctor to celebrate hopefully the end of my relationship with them. I appreciate the ideas shared here on this forum.

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