Here's most of the stuff we actually used and enjoyed.

What did we miss?

The updated list is here: Amazon List

Sleep & comfort

• Mattress topper – hospital mattresses are rough. We actually got two so we could swap and wash every couple of days.
• Heated blanket
• Sleep mask
• White noise machine – drowns out the beeping
• Slippers – we didn't have exactly this version. Make sure they have some grip to prevent falls, but not a full rubber sole, which can cause tripping.
• Lip repair ointment – hospital air is very dry
• Humidifier (3L) – this helped a lot with mucositis. Check with your medical team whether they recommend it.
• 4x of your favorite PJs! The hospital gown sucks.
• Men's disposable cotton underwear - thank me later!

Hygiene & health

• PICC line shower cover (upper arm) – lifesaver for showers
• GuruNanda disposable travel toothbrushes
• Portable travel bidet – another lifesaver with GI issues
• All Clear Care unscented baby wipes (3-pack)

Making the room livable

• Walking pad (incline) – to keep moving without leaving the room
• Clip-on LED reading lamp – softer than the overhead lights, clamps to the bed rail
• Metal S hooks
• Folding travel hangers
• Cable zip ties
• Shower hooks – not for the shower but for organizing stuff around the room
• Caddy basket
• Clip-on USB fan - Helps with nausea
• Portable travel fan - Another nausea aid, JIC

Entertainment & staying connected

• 12 ft USB-C cable with charger (2-pack) – extra long so it reaches the bed and stuff. You might need more than 2!
• AirPods Pro 3 – noise cancelling is a lifesaver
• JBL Charge 6 Bluetooth speaker
• GL.iNet Puli AX 5G router – use your own SIM-card, because hospital wifi is not often reliable.
• Hitster music party card game – great game to kill time

Coffee, Tea, snacks, and Pantry

• Elite Gourmet travel kettle – Your tea kettle because hospital tea is always cold (and you can also use bottled water)
• Ninja Blast Max portable blender - Improve your shakes with ice, sugar, fruit, etc.
• CERA+ portable espresso machine - don't forget the Nespresso capsules!
• CERA+ espresso stand – desk stand for the espresso machine
• CERA+ travel case – really neat travel case
• Beemaid pasteurized honey packets – the only pasteurized honey we found on Amazon. Double-check what you receive. Check with your medical team.
• Clear stackable pantry organizer bins – keeps your room organized
• Pantry organizer bins with dividers (2-pack)
• Fridge lock box – key if your hospital has a communal fridge for the floor (you only mark the expiration date on the box, not on every item inside)

Morale boosters

• "Make My Blood Cells Great Again" leukemia shirt
• "Fight Leukemia" shirt
• "F*ck Cancer" shirt
• "F*ck Cancer" cake topper – for the last day of treatment
• Thank-you note cards – for the nurses, dining, and the housekeeping team, add a GC inside.

For home

• IQAir Atem X air purifier – pricey, but the immune system is wiped out
• Halyard FluidShield procedure masks
• Purell hand sanitizer gel, 8 oz pump
• Purell hand sanitizer gel, 1 L pump bottle
• Flowflex RSV + Flu A/B + COVID home tests
• iProven digital thermometer + probe covers

I F(68)just got the results of my latest blood test and I'm Flt3 positive. I'm 18 months post transplant and I've been in remission since my first round of chemo back in March 2025. I really thought I'd seen the last of this disease. I messaged my team and I'm waiting for a response but I thought I'd reach out for support. I'm guessing I'll be headed for a biopsy and a FLT 3 inhibitor. I'm hoping that this doesn't mean I'll need another transplant. Does anybody have experience with this situation?

Hi all

I relapsed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia and I’m supposed to get my transplant in 3 days. The donor has backed out, and I’m gutted.

They’ve mentioned a second donor, but I’m concerned that will be an issue as well. Has anyone else been through this and how did things transpire?

Thanks!

Spouse went thru 1st cycle of hyper cvad with venetoclax and had a very rough start. He was diagnosed with t-all: etp-all in September and started treatment by the end of the month. He was inpatient for 7 days and went home 7 days and came back with neutropenic fevers. We are still in the hospital 8 days in, and after repeat scans, they found what they think is a fungal pneumonia in his lungs. He is so broken right now. They keep pushing more tests and no end sight on going home yet. He looked me in the eyes last night and told me he would never be the same after all this and that it is just too traumatizing. He wants to go home and so do I but he is too sick. How do I help him?

Hi everyone, I’m currently at Day +6 after SCT and am struggling to find anything I can drink. My mouth feels dry and sticky, with a persistent bitter taste. I’m constantly nauseated and keep retching even with anti-nausea medication. My taste has changed, too. I can still taste sweet and sour, but I can no longer taste saltiness or umami. I really want to drink water because my mouth is so dry, but plain water tastes so bland that it actually makes me feel more nauseated. My team has advised me to avoid drinks that are high in sugar because I’m also having severe diarrhea. My doctor said Diet Coke is okay, and sometimes I can tolerate it, but other times even Diet Coke tastes completely different and becomes hard to drink. For those of you who have been through a STC especially around the same stage, what did you find that you could actually drink? Thank you so much.

The first sign something was wrong with me way back in 2022 were random bruises all over. I have ADHD which, among other things, causes me to 1. Bump into things and 2. Forget that I bumped into things. I would poke the bruises, feel nothing, and go about my day. Then, hours later, I’d see they grew JUST bc I poked them.

I’ve been cancer free since December 2022, so I know these new small bruises can’t be bc the leukemia is back, but I can’t for the life of me, remember what I ran into, hit, or had poke me to get these bruises. Thankfully they are not growing when I poke them which is my reminder that the chemo worked and I am safe.

But still, I worry sometimes. Anyone else see signs now, as a cancer free person, that you had before/during diagnosis that causes you PTSD?

Good day everyone! We are Grade 12 STEM students from the Philippines looking for willing respondents for our research about social media exposure, metacognitive beliefs, and coping capacity among people living with cancer. Participation is voluntary, and all responses will be kept confidential. Thank you so much for your help and very much appreciated!

I was diagnosed with B-ALL last month and have been in treatment since. I'm very new to all the terminology so I apologize. I'm still in the hospital and I'll be discharged tomorrow.

As part of my treatment, I was taking prednisone for 28 days. Doctors took it off cold turkey, saying that it's best protocol as opposed to tapering to avoid complications. I've never had worse pain in my joints in my entire life. I've been getting dilauded from the nurses to manage the pain but it's still pretty significant. No oxycodone because it causes extreme histamine responses in me.

The doctors insisted cold turkey was the way to go. They'll check my cortisol later today and then decide whether to go back to a small dose, but I feel like that's what they should have done sooner. Thoughts??

Hi everyone, my mother has been diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma (IgG Lambda, ISS Stage II), along with kidney failure requiring dialysis, anemia, low platelets, E. coli infection and pulmonary edema. She also has diabetes and hypertension.
Her first VCD chemotherapy cycle was given on October 16, and dialysis is ongoing. Doctors have reported some improvement, but it’s too early to assess the response.
Please suggest experienced hemato-oncologists and hospitals in Hyderabad for a second opinion, especially those experienced in myeloma patients requiring dialysis.
Looking for effective treatment at a reasonable cost. Personal experiences, doctor names and hospital recommendations would be greatly appreciated. 🙏

Today 17th October marks my two months since I was diagnosed and on imatinib... Little bit side effects like mild bone pain and occasional dizziness... When I started my treatment my TLC counts were 3,25,596 ... My next blood tests have been scheduled next month... Let's hope for the best🤞

Hey everyone, I was diagnosed with CML (Philadelphia chromosome) about 8 months ago, went on disability bc of the medication knocking me on my ass and now I’m slowly getting back into (physical) work. I know I’m not physically the same as I used to be and I wanted to see if some of you have tips to rest and heal specifically my feet up to my knees. It seems like it’s aching for way too long and when I get up from my bed after work I struggle to stand. I’m trying to find and office job but in the meantime any advice, products, diet changes etc would be greatly appreciated. I’m going to discuss this with my care team on Monday but I’d love to hear from y’all.

TL;DR I’m looking for recommendations on how to avoid and treat leg/feet/knee pain :)

My partner recently has been diagnosed with a aggressive form of leukaemia- we still are waiting one more genetic test to know just how much it has spread into his central nervous system.

The doctor came in yesterday along with a social worker and a clinical nurse and advised my partner he needed to complete a power of attorney form and also prepare his will and a justice of the peace came to the bed and officited it that day.

The doctors keep saying he will start a paeds protocol on Wednesday but we’re still waiting for that last test to know what “protocol” they will go down. Not one of these drs have said anything hopeful no talks of it being treatable or manageable just that we have to wait and see how his body will react to the chemo and that he is on the emergency list for a stem cell transplant if it’s needed.

The thing is he was healthy and fine last week. Yes on and off he had minor things come up health wise like a sore leg or a cold but we have children and everything was able to be put down to just life.

He only went to the dr and had the blood test done because he felt like in his words he was dying and well I was because the dr said if he hadn’t of come in on the weekend just gone he would be dead by now.

I get it if it quacks like a duck looks like a duck then it’s a duck. But I just don’t want to accept any of this.

Is this normal for a dr to be pushing for affairs to be in order before all the testing and treatment have even been planned properly?

To parents that have gone through their toddler having the Blinda pump for the 30 days. Any tips for getting a 2.5 yo to carry or move her own backpack?

Our toddler currently refuses to wear or pick up her backpack with her blinda pump in it. This requires me or my husband to constantly follow her around. We already had one ER trip because she moved before we were ready and caused her line to fail and LOTS of blood to come out. We barely got the pump back on within the four hour window and we were in the car to the ER within 15 minutes. Even this was not enough for her to understand, you need to move this back back with you. So any advice??

Hello. I have been browsing posts on here and the internet and felt like it was time that i needed to reach out for some support from the leukemia community with our situation. I am learning more as my partner was recently diagnosed with t- all / etp-all and started hyper cvad with venetoclax on 09/28 - in patient 7 days for treatment. He is currently hospitalized again due to complications with neutropenic fevers and gastritis since 10/11. His platelets made a big jump today to 65, coming from as low as 10. But his electrolytes are still off (phosphorus and calcium mainly), and he can't shake the fever that comes a couple of times each day/ night for the past week - up to 103 most days. They have tried multiple antibiotics and an antifungal now, but still no change, and his abdomen pain is getting worse, as well as bloating is visible from looking at his belly. He just had another abdominal x ray this morning. I feel lost and helpless to him right now. Would really like some advice from those who can help shed some light on similar situations or any information/support would be greatly appreciated. I am scared for him.

I, 30F, got diagnosed with AML in May 2025 and had a SCT in October 2025. This whole time I’ve been really good at staying positive, but I’m having a hard time right now.

Overall, my transplant went really well and my tests have looked good. A week ago my neutrophils and platelets looked a little low but I thought it was just a fluke.

Today, my HLA CD33 donor percentage is down to 92% from 100% a few months ago and my neutrophils are 0. I had a biopsy scheduled for 10/29 and they moved it up to Tuesday.

I’m really scared and can’t stop thinking about the worst possible scenarios. And I feel like I was finally getting some of my life back and started reintegrating into society.

Not sure exactly what I’m looking for but maybe just others who know how it feels to be scared. 🧡

73M, AML M2, adverse risk, not transplant-eligible. Two cycles of azacitidine + venetoclax:

• Cycle 1 (April): aza 130 mg SC d1–8 + ven 100 mg (14 Days) → blasts 23%
• Cycle 2 (June): aza 130 mg SC d1–7 + ven 100 mg (21 Days) → blasts 0%, CR

Cycle 2 was rough. He spent about ten weeks with platelets around 2,000, four transfusions that produced no increment at all, a GI bleed, and three hospital admissions. He was very weak through most of it.

His counts came back on their own over the last three weeks — platelets 51k, Hb 10.1, blasts still 0%. He’s eating properly again and asking when he can travel.

His hematologist now proposes a third cycle with azacitidine alone, no venetoclax. She was straightforward with us: it doesn’t guarantee anything, but without it relapse is likely. She’s leaving the decision to us.

What I keep coming back to: at diagnosis we were told there wasn’t much hope. Now there is some, and the answer is another cycle. I don’t want him to go through one just because it’s the standard next step on a list. And I don’t know where that list ends — do we keep going until his marrow stops tolerating the drugs?

What I’d like to hear from you please:

Did anyone here stop treatment after reaching Remission on aza+ven? How long did the remission hold, and would you make the same call again?

And if you switched to azacitidine alone : was it genuinely easier on the marrow, or did the cytopenias come back anyway?

Thanks, any experience helps.

• Anti sickness tablets take 30-60 minutes to work so take them in advance of your chemo. They last about 5-6 hours so I usually take some later that evening too to prevent any evening sickness. (I don't go without them after puking for 4 hours once when I didn't take them one evening).
• I take Ondansetron and Domperidone on days I have chemo to prevent sickness but they can make you constipated.
• I recommend taking one sachet of Laxido (or other similar prescribed laxative) on any day you're taking anti-sickness tablets to help pre-emptively prevent any constipation. And obviously take more if you actually get constipated.

Obviously only take what you're prescribed and follow the instructions. (I'm in the UK so your drugs may have different brand names wherever you are).

Hey everyone, I have diagnosed in 2025 sept and since then I was on dasatinib 100mg within 3 months my levels were from 33% to 0.0168% and in Aug I saw rise or 0.0408% but doctor said flatuates are common on 0. 1% less than ..but about the side effects I’m starting I saw acne and notnhing else ,from Aug it all started with ankle pain and some dizziness but from last two days i won’t say dizziness it’s like falling or feel like drunk alcohol , I went ER they scanned said nothing has damaged or everything is ok but still I feel that he says meet oncologist and say what’s going on !, is same thing happened to anyone ?.

I’m 26 and lost my dad (56) on December 30, 2025, just two days after he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Everything happened so incredibly fast, and I’m hoping to connect with other young adults who lost a parent suddenly to AML or another aggressive cancer.
I’m especially interested in hearing from people who had almost no time to process the diagnosis before losing their parent. I’d really love to talk to others who understand this experience.

i weigh about 315lbs and my hematologist told me today that my weight is a complicating factor to receiving/recovering from a bone marrow transplant. i have an appointment with an endocrinologist next week to discuss glp-1s. i’ve been on ozempic before and had severe side effects so i stopped taking it and didn’t try any alternatives before my first cancer diagnosis (before AML). i asked my solid tumor team about weight loss medication once i was a couple of months out from finishing treatment and they were unsure. my hematologist however feels it could be helpful.

has anyone had a similar experience? gotten a transplant and recovered while obese? intentionally lost weight for a transplant? been on a glp-1 during leukemia treatment/chemo in general? i’m actively on oral chemo and with my appetite and energy level i’m worried i won’t lose as much weight as i need to, especially if a glp-1 isn’t approved or if im not tolerating it well.

any advice or personal stories would be greatly appreciated.

Hi, im 21 F! I am comin up 1 year post transplant this Saturday (yay). I was just wondering if anyone went back to smoking weed? At the moment I do take edibles, but I truthfully miss smoking/vaping. The first time i got cancer i smoked throughout treatment but heard SCT are a lot more aggressive than chemo alone, so I refrained and was sober for the first 100 days, then moved on to micro dosing, and now im a somewhat regular gummy user. Gummies are cool but getting expensive and i just overall prefer smoking/vaping, so im wondering if anyone got cleared to do so or if its just best not to.