Lupus Gift Guide

With Christmas just around the corner here are some ideas for some great gifts you can buy or make for your loved ones living with chronic illness. A lot of these are inspired by presents I received when I came out of hospital so thank you so much for your thoughtful gifts. They’re little things that really make a difference.

Hair & Beauty

People with Lupus often experience hair loss and skin problems as part of their condition. Unfortunately, it is also a side effect of commonly-used medication so can continue even when treatment is well underway. Sadly, these are quite common symptoms for most auto-immune conditions as well as many others things, including pregnancy, so it’s likely to affect someone close to you. Here are some great things you can gift your spoonie friend to help:

• Maui Moisture hair products – these products are free of all the nasty chemicals that can harm your hair. They’re made with Aloe Vera and coconut oil, and I’d recommend a shampoo, conditioner and hair mask in either the ‘thicken and restore’ range or the ‘heal and hydrate’ range. More info at: http://www.mauimoisture.com
• Lee Stafford HAiR GRowTH range – a six piece regime designed to stimulate hair growth, including a scalp scrub, shampoo, conditioner, treatment, scalp serum, and a leave in treatment. More info at: http://www.leestafford.com/en/products/pink-range/hair-growth
• Silk pillowcase or head wrap – I absolutely swear by these and am sure they helped stave off further hairloss when mine was at its worst. Sleeping with your hair on silk rather than cotton prevents it tugging on the fabric while you sleep. My friend made a beautiful pillowcase for me but if you’re not handy on a sewing machine they can also be found on Amazon.
• Moroccan Argan oil – this is great for adding moisture to brittle hair. You can get the oil in a spray or bottle and you can also get leave in treatments which are great for overnight moisture drench.
• Bio oil – best known as a scar and stretch mark product but it works wonders for skin conditions too. They have launched a new range of dry skin gel which is amazing. More info at: http://www.bio-oil.com/uk/uk-en
• Sheet face masks – another great option for dry skin and so easy to use
• Nail polish – because when your hair and skin are bad it’s just nice to have nice nails!

Sleep & Relaxation

If your friend has a chronic health condition and is on a lot of medication, the chances are they’ll be exhausted but struggling to get a good night’s sleep. Here are some gifts to help them unwind at night and try to hit that insomnia on the head.

• Lavender sleep products – At the worst of my insomnia I received a fantastic package from a friend that included a lavender-filled pillow, some lavender oil, and some lavender tea. It really helped so much and was such a lovely gift. My hamper came from the Hop Shop in Kent but you can find many lavender products on the high street: http://www.hopshop.co.uk
• Bath products – There’s a good chance your friend lives with a lot of joint and muscle pain and there’s nothing that helps more than a steaming hot bath. A luxury bubble bath, a scented candle and a nice body scrub make a medicinal bath a real treat.
• Cosy PJs or loungewear – New PJs, fluffy socks, a cuddly dressing gown or a cosy pair of slippers will go a long way to making those evenings spent on the sofa with no energy to move much more bearable. We ‘spoonies’ spend a lot of time in comfies and any new ones are always a real treat!
• Sleep Rituals Book – One of my favourite gifts I received was a book on the best rituals to give you a good night’s sleep. It contains easy practices and activities to help you fall asleep as well as sleep-friendly recipes, yoga poses, breathing exercises and soothing practices. More info at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sleep-Rituals-Practices-Deep-Peaceful
• Eye mask – blocking out the light and other distractions that prevent sleep is really important, especially if your friend has many hospital stays. Why not get them a cosy and cute eye mask to help? You can also get ones with hot/cold inserts which work wonders if your friend experiences headaches or migraines.

Fight the Freeze

If your friend suffers with circulatory conditions like Raynaud’s, there’s a good chance they’re always cold. As we come into winter, your gifts can help them keep warm.

• Electric blanket – because the idea of getting into a cosy warm bed on a freezing winter’s night is just bliss!
• Hot water bottle – I am pretty much glued to a hot water bottle most of the time and you can never have too many. These make a great gift!
• Hats, Gloves, Scarves – Big blanket scarves are brilliant because they are multi-purpose. Fingerless gloves are also excellent because they can be used while typing, keeping your hands and wrists warm. If you’re a handy knitter or crocheter have a go at making a wooly gift, otherwise there are plenty of winter warmers available on the high street.

Food & Drink

Self-care is really important when you live with a chronic illness and what you eat and drink is a really huge part of that. But I’ll admit that some days it can be really, really hard to find the energy to do a Tesco shop or cook a nice, healthy meal from scratch. While you can put the hoovering off until tomorrow, you can’t pick the mould of the stale crust of bread forever. Here are some things you can gift to make eating and drinking well that bit easier.

• Slowcooker – I am a recent convert but it changed my life. You just chuck the ingredients in the pot and leave it to cook. You can go out for a day at work or back to bed for the day and when you’re back a hot, fresh meal is waiting for you. If your friend doesn’t have a slow cooker please, please buy them one. They’re really not expensive and they will love you forever.
• Recipe books or magazines – Trying to push through the brain fog to remember what it is you usually eat can be really tricky some days so having something written down can really help. Try not to go for a book that contains really complicated recipes with ingredients they’re not likely to have as this can be overwhelming when you don’t feel great. I found that magazines like the ‘Good Food’ seasonal magazines are really good as the ingredients are readily available in the supermarkets and the recipes are short and sweet, but really nutricious and delicious!
• Care packages – you could make your friend a care package of all their favourite goodies like tea, coffee, biscuits. You could also include things like spice mixes that will save them time for a future meal. If they’ve just come out of hospital could you make some meals to go in the freezer? Or could you order them a delivery of fridge and cupboard basics so they don’t need to leave the house for a few days? This will be a real help and will mean such a lot to them.
• If you’re still in doubt about what to buy your poorly pal, you can’t go wrong with a bottle of wine and some nice chocolates.