The Small Comforts of Chemo
Cancer Patients Are Finding Joy in Treatment, Thanks to Their “Chemo Hobbies”
No two days of chemotherapy are the same. Upon arrival at the infusion center, patients wait for their medications to arrive, get prepped for treatment (which sometimes means pre-infusion blood work or pre-chemo meds), and spend the rest of the day in a gray recliner, watching the medicine drip-drip-drip through a port or IV. Depending on the specific treatment, a single chemo session can last over eight hours, leaving patients to pass the time on their own. To say it's not a particularly cheery process would be a massive understatement . . . but cancer patients are still finding ways to cultivate joy through it all. Kate Middleton, for one, relies on coloring during chemotherapy sessions.
"I didn't have the ability to read or really focus on anything," she said in a video shared on X. "[Coloring] was my way of exploring interesting things and being able to do something that did not require an end product." Intrigued by the concept of a "chemo hobby," we spoke with two other cancer survivors and thrivers to see how they kept their spirits high (and their stress down) in the midst of an especially tumultuous medical journey. From low-stakes creativity to full-on artwork, here are some of the chemo hobbies that have helped patients find comfort during chemo.
Chemo Hobbies in Action
After receiving her lymphoma diagnosis, 28-year-old Virginia Gelli already had an idea of what she wanted to do during treatment. "I've been crocheting for years, so I knew it was the one hobby that could keep both my mind and hands busy without making me too tired," she tells Popsugar. "It also gave me a way to stay creative at a time when so much of my life felt very uncreative and out of my control." During her chemo treatments she made small bags, stuffed animals, and small accessories for herself and friends.
Beyond just passing the time, crocheting is what gave Gelli a sense of purpose throughout an unpredictable chapter of life. "There was something really comforting about being able to sit down and make something with my hands, especially on the harder days," she explains. "Even if I only managed a few rows, I still felt like I was creating something."
Image Source: Courtesy of Virginia Gelli
"There was something really comforting about being able to sit down and make something."
24-year-old Allie Reece can relate to the power of creative hobbies. Her chemo hobby of choice was embroidery, which she initially discovered on social media and decided to learn during cancer treatment. She remembers organizing all her supplies in a bag to take with her wherever she went — from the infusion center to her endless doctors' appointments. "The personalization was what really drew me in. I love the care that goes into personalizing a gift for friends and family," Reece tells Popsugar. "During chemo, my projects were mainly putting my initials on my pajamas. I was pretty much living in them, and would always wear the button-up sets to chemotherapy for easy port access."
Although Reece happily rocked some finished projects herself, she also embroidered a plane for her pilot friend, a monogrammed pair of PJs for her oncologist, and several pieces for her childhood friend's baby girl. Embroidery demanded enough attention to keep Reece focused on something other than chemo, but it also helped her retain some sense of normalcy and control. "During a time when my body didn't even feel like my own, the least I could do was stake a claim over my pajamas," Reece says. "It brought me so much joy to be able to be able to make gifts for my friends, while also making things for myself that made my days a little brighter."
Image Source: Courtesy of Allie Reece
Chemo Hobbies Takeaways
As Middleton described, the best chemo hobbies are the ones that provide a sense of relief — whatever that may look like for you. Maybe it's the joy you feel from customizing your own PJs, or maybe it's the satisfaction you feel after finishing a project. Whatever the case may be, chemo hobbies aren't just about staying busy . . . they're about giving yourself something to focus on beyond the illness.
"Everyone should have a hobby to use as an outlet during chemo," Reece says. "It's so easy to get caught up in your thoughts during such a scary and uncertain time, so keeping my hands and mind busy was a HUGE help." Start with an activity you're already interested in, or a skill you've always wanted to try, Reece suggests. "You might be surprised at how creative you can be."
This is certainly something Gelli discovered about herself while crocheting during chemo. "For me, being creative was especially important because it gave me something that was completely separate from cancer — something I could make, enjoy and feel proud of, even on the days when I didn't feel like myself," she says. "There was something really nice about seeing a little project slowly come together while everything else in my life felt so difficult."
Chandler Plante (she/her) is a staff writer and PS Fit Producer. She has over six years of industry experience, previously working as an editorial assistant for People magazine, a social media manager for Millie magazine, and a contributor for Bustle Digital Group. She has a degree in magazine journalism from Syracuse University and is based in Los Angeles.
