Sometimes we wonder where our donated dollar goes. Is it used wisely? Does most of it go to administration or does a healthy chunk go toward research? I can only speak for my little corner of the world, but I would like to put in a nice word for a program offered by the American Cancer Society (ACS).

The national program is called “Look Good . . . Feel Better.” The ACS bills it as a public service for cancer patients, “helping them cope with the appearance-related side effects of treatment.” I don’t have those issues yet. But according to the doctors, chemotherapy patients often lose their hair after the second treatment. When my hair falls out in clumps toward the end of this December, and the eyebrows and eyelashes begin to disappear, I believe I’ll be very glad I attended today’s seminar in Marin County, California.

The session was presented in two parts: Wigs, turbans, and hats for the newly bald, and make-up and skin care for the chemo patient’s suddenly over-sensitive skin. Both appealed to a woman’s vanity. But there was a lot of practical advice as well.

I had no idea that the skin becomes so sensitive to sun with chemotherapy that plenty of people can’t stand to be outdoors (even in winter sun) without being covered up or using creams to block the rays. Moisturizers, in general, were recommended because the skin dries out. Drinking lots of water to stay hydrated during the chemo months was also advised. I didn’t know that a sun block with SPF-15 is better for the skin as it is lower in chemicals. And I didn’t know that synthetic wigs can be cut, styled, and thinned. Now I do.

The ACS provided a goodie bag with lots of nice creams and make-up products. They also offered wigs, scarves, hats, pajamas and robes free of charge.

The ACS offers telephone-based education programs, a support network, and programs on nutrition and on managing cancer-related fatigue. Complimentary or reduced-rate lodging for patients traveling more than fifty miles to treatments is offered, too.

An especially valuable service provided by the ACS has to do with transportation. Volunteer drivers donate their time to take patients to appointments and return them home. This is a lifeline for people who become so fatigued with various treatments they cannot drive themselves. Imagine having to drive to radiation treatment five-days-a-week for six weeks and feeling too weak to do so. Even when friends and family offer their help, there are times when they can’t be there.

I have no affiliation with the American Cancer Society. Based on my experience today, I think they are doing a world of good. Their phone number is 1-800-ACS-2345. It operates twenty four hours a day.