Friends Place
About the Friends Place
After a cancer diagnosis, you may feel as though you have lost
control of your body. This is a common reaction: not only may you
be facing a life-threatening disease, but you may also be
experiencing changes in your physical appearance as a result of
cancer treatment.
At the Friends Place, we offer the tools you need to reclaim
some of what you feel is lost. Our mission is to provide hope,
support, and healing in a caring environment.
The creation of the Friends Place (formerly Friends Boutique)
came from a conviction that in addition to expert medical care,
people with cancer benefit from psychological and educational
services to help manage the ways it affects an individual's quality
of life.
Being able to take charge of your appearance is such an
important part of the healing process. This unique store provides
one-stop shopping that is welcoming and supportive for those we
serve.
Friends Place, located on the first floor of the Yawkey Center for Cancer Care, offers personalized consultation for men, women, teens,
and children experiencing temporary or permanent appearance changes
following cancer treatment.
Our experienced, compassionate staff can suggest a variety of
ways to minimize the physical effects of cancer therapy, including
radiation, chemotherapy, breast surgeries and other cancer
surgeries.
You can make an appointment to choose a wig, be fitted for
compression garments or breast prostheses, learn how to wrap
bandanas and scarves, and tips for redrawing eyebrows.
The Friends Place also sells a range of specialty products,
including wigs, head coverings, skincare items, books, and
gifts.
Do I need to make an appointment before coming into the Friends
Place?
"When you're preparing to go through a difficult time, it's
wonderful to find this oasis of warmth, friendliness, and optimism.
Thanks for being there."
- Friends Place customer
We encourage you to make an appointment for a compression
garment, wig fitting, breast prosthesis, or bra fitting so that we
can ensure you receive our full attention without waiting.
Scheduling ahead also means we can verify your prescription and
insurance information, which will minimize your waiting time when
you do come in for your fitting consultation.
If we are able to accommodate walk-ins we will be more than
happy to help you. You can be confident that we will make every
effort to accommodate your needs.
Do I need to bring a prescription to my appointment at the
Friends Place?
Because many of the items are covered by your insurance, you
will need to get a prescription from your doctor and either bring
it with you on the day of your appointment, or fax it to us prior
to your appointment, at 617-582-8106.
A typical prescription for a breast prosthesis, camisoles, and
bras would say the following:
- "Breast prosthesis for (right, left, or bilateral) and
(quantity) prosthetic bras for diagnosis and (quantity)."
A typical prescription for a hair prosthesis would say the
following:
- "Hair prosthesis for (diagnosis) (and indicate quantity)"
A typical prescription for a lymphedema garment would say the
following:
- "Compression garment for (arm, hand) (right, left, bilateral),
for (diagnosis). Compression of (amount of pressure to be specified
by doctor, generally 20-30mg or 30-40 mg.)" and indicate
quantity