When someone asks me what gift to send to someone who has been recently diagnosed with breast cancer, I always suggest a nice pair of pajamas. For me they tick all the boxes for compassionate gift giving — self care, comfort and practicality. And if you are searching for the perfect pair, I have to recommend KickIt’s PJs.
Recently, I was introduced to Dr. Cindy Trice, a veterinarian turned entrepreneur, fellow cancer survivor and the co-founder of KickIt Pajamas. She kindly sent me a pair of her PJs and I love them so much I just have to devote a blog to them. So that’s saying something. They are practical for sure, with all kinds of helpful features for someone recovering from a major surgery such as a mastectomy. But they are also stylish and so comfortable I hardly want to take them off. I’ll add that I’m not being paid to say any of this!
Disrupting the Hospital Gown Market
Cindy’s inspiration to create beautifully comfortable post-surgery pajamas came from her own experience with hospitalization. A “cervivor” of cervical cancer, Cindy (like most of us) was horrified at the thought of having to wear the standard issued gown while in hospital. She was young and dating her future husband at the time. Understandably she wanted to look her best, even while in hospital. Any of us who have had the experience of wearing those rumpled, chilly, blue, hard to tie up, hard to keep on, let’s show those undies to the world hospital gowns will empathize with Cindy’s dilemma. Fun fact: The hospital gown was invented by Ellen Dougherty in 1910 and designed for bedpan use. That’s right…the universal hospital, one-size-fits-all gown has been in use and humiliating patients around the world for more than 100 years .
Cindy and her team at KickIt set out to disrupt the hospital gown market in four distinct ways.
- They wanted to create hospital wear that is functional, comfortable, and doesn’t make the patient feel and look like…a patient. Hospital and treatment clothing that is higher quality, stylish, specific to body types, and fit for purpose treatments.
- They wanted to change system-wide thinking that the comfort and quality of patient clothing doesn’t matter. Research shows that social interactions can hasten the healing process and what a person wears can play a role in their comfort receiving visitors. “I need to get dressed; guests are coming over”. Or attend important events in our lives, “I want to attend my daughter’s graduation, but can’t find anything to accommodate my drains.” In other words, and I’ll 100% attest to this as a self-confessed fashionista, clothes matter and can be our armor.
- There is no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to hospital wear. Medical researchers are discovering that when we treat someone for their blood type, genetic composite, gender, we make medical advances. This approach should be the same for clothing, adapting to what people wear inside the hospital and out based on their condition and specific needs.
- Disrupt what we give. KickIt acknowledges that we are often at a loss on what to give a loved one, friend, or colleague when they tell us they’ve been diagnosed with cancer or other illness. Of course we want to show compassion, but flowers are often not permissible, food can be tricky as the patient can lose their appetite or have food aversions and fragrances such as candles or lotions can cause nausea and are often banned from hospitals or chemo suites.
Stylish, Practical and Comfortable Hospital and Recovery Pajamas
I own the KickIt recovery pajamas, and only wish they had been in my life two years ago when I was recovering at home from my double mastectomy, sporting a pair of chest drains which were literally and figuratively a pain to deal with. KickIt’s PJ’s are super soft and moisture wicking (also lovely for those of us dealing with menopause hot flashes), offer a generous fit (I am a size six and the small offers ample room), and are very flattering to wear to bed or lounging around the house. Hidden, built-in drain pockets, which can be accessed from the exterior pocket is a brilliant feature, and completely invisible once the need for drains is done.
KickIt’s hospital PJs and gowns are equally comfy and stylish, but include additional features with snap sleeves for IV, PICC line access, and full coverage adjustable bottoms (bonus, no bare backside!). You can see the entire collection here
The lines also come in an attractive array of colours from navy, to cornflower blue, to dusty rose and more. Not sure which pair suits you or your friend the best? KickIt also has a gift-giving guide you can consult.
