In my previous articles and videos, I’ve mentioned the importance of celebrating each victory that comes with cancer. I know it’s sometimes hard to come up with ideas of how to celebrate these days for which you never thought you would have to plan a party. When the end of my treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma snuck up on me, my family and I decided we should probably throw a big party to celebrate with all our family and friends. I finally finished my chemo regimen and could attempt to go back to normal!
Here, I share with you specific creative ideas I executed for my big party, in hopes that you, too, can throw one when you are cancer-free!
I knew I needed to have a custom-made cake with sunflowers on it, so I reached out to a friend of mine who makes cakes and bought all the ingredients she needed. We met at her house to craft this beautiful sunflower cake. Don’t forget to add the cancer awareness touch to it!
We also baked cookies in the shape of cancer ribbons and made a cute little sign that said, “Survival is sweet, take a treat!” The color theme of the party was lavender because that’s the color of the cancer ribbon for Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Next, we planned drinks for the party. I was inspired by our calling the chemo a “cocktail,” so we incorporated the names of my chemo into the drinks. I decided on four different drinks and created cocktails for each one. We made sure to have a non-alcoholic drink as well, which I placed in the “B” dispenser since I ended up stopping Bleomycin halfway through. I also made a red drink and got syringes to make it look like the Adriamycin that I received in my chemo regimen.
After the drinks, it was time to plan the photobooth props! I made a various amount of props with sayings related to my cancer journey! These could be customized to you and your experience. They are a great way to document the celebration and get beautiful pictures with the people who mean the most to you!
My cancer-free party was one of the most important and special things I got to plan. When diagnosed with a life-threatening disease like cancer, you aren’t totally sure that you’ll ever get to hear the words “cancer-free.” While survivorship is a journey of its own, I think celebrating each victory is wildly important.
Please comment below how you celebrated your remission and if you took any ideas from my party to make your day extra special!
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Note: Lymphoma News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Lymphoma News Today, or its parent company, BioNews Services, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to lymphoma.