Thinking of flowers for your favorite breast cancer patient? Think again.

I love fresh cut flowers - but I couldn't have them when I was in chemotherapy

(Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links)

I absolutely, unequivocally LOVE, LUV, LURVE fresh flowers. So beautiful, so fragrant... just lovely. Fresh flowers are simply magical to me. Since Mother's Day is around the corner... as is the birthday of your favorite breast cancer blogger (cough... cough), I thought that perhaps you were thinking of flowers as a gift idea.

Flowers are WONDERFUL gifts... except when they're not!

We always see in the movies and on television, people bringing or sending flowers to people in the hospital. It is a really nice gesture. However, if the recipient of your floral gift is in chemotherapy (or breast cancer treatment), flowers are NOT the best gift to give. Why? Because chemotherapy tears down your immune system.

Neutropenia is a real side effect of chemotherapy and not a fictional city in a young adult novel

When I was in chemotherapy, I suffered from neutropenia a few times. And ended up in the hospital twice due to it. Neutropenia is when your body's white blood cells (neutrophils) drop drastically low. This leaves your immune system in a severely compromised state. One time I was admitted to the hospital with a neutrophil count of 30. A healthy person has between 1500 and 7000.

I was in bad shape. They pumped me so full of antibiotics and fluids, that I felt like a little balloon. (LOL) But, it was necessary.

While I was neutropenic I couldn't have visitors, couldn't be around children and couldn't have fresh flowers or even fresh fruit delivered to me. All of these normally innocent things put my body at severe risk of infection because my immune system wasn't strong enough to fight anything off.

Each cancer patient is different - some people don't have this issue at all. But many do. If you want to send flowers to someone with a healthy immune system... Please do!! Please do. (Click my link above to get a beautiful bouquet)

Flowers are such a lovely way to brighten someone's week. If, however, you're worried that the flowers may trigger an allergy or worse, a neutropenic episode, perhaps a nice classic book would be better.

One of my favorite classic books.
A great way to pass some time. Click the book to purchase.

Read: What Is Neutropenia?
Read: Cancer.net: Cancer Side Effects Neutropenia