Every day things that make life easier for CPers

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BigLucy
Regular Member

Date Joined Mar 2007
Total Posts : 286

Posted 11/5/2009 7:40 PM (GMT -7)

On another post I announced my love for elastic waisted pants b/c of my bowel diseases (chronic stomach pain and inflammation), slip on shoes, basically anything that makes me feel like I'm wearing PJ's all day (good for fibro). I thought it would be interesting to see what people have come up with that helps them get through the daily grind, from clothes to appliances to chore tips

Momto6boys
Regular Member

Date Joined Aug 2008
Total Posts : 201

Posted 11/5/2009 8:26 PM (GMT -7)

I did see your post on the other thread.... and am RIGHT there with ya!! I live in PJ bottoms at home; I hate putting on "normal" clothes. But, I agree, it's elastic pants all the way. I also have slip on shoes, including Crocs, that I wear. The hardest part for me is finding clothes that are appropriate for church (the only place I go that I wear "nice" clothes), but that I can still stand to wear for 3+ hours. When we get home, it's not 3 minutes before I'm stripped down and back into my PJ's (sorry for the visual pictures on that one!!) lol

I don't have a ton of other suggestions to share....I've actually learned a lot of those type of things from others here on the board. So, I look forward to hearing what others have to share!!

Tina

Pain Issues: Neck/back pain; migraines; carpal tunnel syndrome; widespread joint/muscle pain, nerve pain in hands, arms, feet; I also have POTS/dysautonomia; CFS/Fibromyalgia; Severe Hypertension; Hypothyroidism; Addison's Disease; Central Sleep Apnea; etc etc

Meds: MS Contin (480mg daily); Dilaudid (8mg/3x day); Actiq (1200 mcgs/1x per day); Soma (3x day); Atenolol; Midodrine; Phenergan; Effexor and on the list goes...

Future Plans: Intrathecal Pain Pump; already completed trial; awaiting my decision for implantation

Dani Henson
Veteran Member

Date Joined Jun 2009
Total Posts : 840

Posted 11/5/2009 8:49 PM (GMT -7)

I thought it would be interesting to see what people have come up with that helps them get through the daily grind, from clothes to appliances to chore tips

Dear Lucy,

Story time with my Bumblebees

*huggs*

dani

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood

Lindaloo
Forum Moderator

Date Joined Sep 2006
Total Posts : 1106

Posted 11/5/2009 10:23 PM (GMT -7)

I live in my PJ's. When I do go out, its t shirts and elastic waisted jeans and crocs or flip flops.

I use a stool in the kitchen so I don't have to stand to cook. I have a motorized wheelchair so when I go to disney I don't have to walk.

That's all that I can think of at the moment.

Lindaloo

Co-Moderator Chronic Pain and Fibromyalgia Forums

Believe in yourself. Be kind to fellow humans and animals. Take time to smell the flowers and the coffee.

And by all means, when you are down, ask me for help. I will be there.

Linda

PAlady
Veteran Member

Date Joined Nov 2007
Total Posts : 5582

Posted 11/6/2009 12:33 AM (GMT -7)

In addition to the $5 Hanes sweatpants from WalMart - that have a slightly flaired bottom (no elastic) and wide, comfy elastic waste that I am wearing with "real" clothes out of the house (I'm not tellin' anyone but you!), I also found the clearance bin at the local sports shop for sweatpants and sweatshirts. Hey, now I have two matching sweatpant outfits - as close to pj's as it gets! LOL

PaLady

Scarred_for_life
Veteran Member

Date Joined Jul 2008
Total Posts : 1176

Posted 11/6/2009 4:02 AM (GMT -7)

Your gonna laugh at this gang, but I bought a whole bunch of nursing scrubs when I was a Certified Nurse Aide. Well, I've been reusing them as not only pjs but too as comfortable clothing to hang around the house in or on short trips to the store and whatnot. Also I found a pretty easy way to do dishes. When I rinse them off to put them in the dishwasher I stack them on the cupboard close to the dishwasher opening, that way I can sit down on a chair and put them in the dishwasher.

Too I have found that my grabber comes in handy to pick up things off the floor and also to pick up the dirty clothing and put them in the washer. Slip on shoes are a must for anyone with CP and I have two pair that I love! The only thing I haven't found an easy way of doing is going to the hairdresser to get my hair cut. I am in so much pain after getting out of their chair that I can barely make it to the door when she is done.

Hugssss

Scarred

What doesn't kill us only makes us fight back harder! :P

edt
Veteran Member

Date Joined Dec 2008
Total Posts : 610

Posted 11/6/2009 6:33 AM (GMT -7)

I wear shorts 24/7 while I'm at home or as soon as I walk in the door, long pants irritate the lower legs....along with pressure stockings, tennis shoes are my best friend the ties help the swelling even further. No matter what I am wearing in public, as soon as the door closes I'm in my shorts, if I could run I'd run to get them lol. Good thing I live in Arizona!!

XXOO
Patti

merrygirl
Regular Member

Date Joined Jun 2007
Total Posts : 305

Posted 11/6/2009 8:45 AM (GMT -7)

I like my one touch can opener! lol. especially when cooking chili, or tomato sauce.

I too wear pj's most of the time, taking hot baths help me get thru the day some days its 4!

I like the idea of a grabber ,

the night before I pick 2-3 things that need to get done, such as clean cat box, empty dishwasher. empty dryer.

If I get those things done, I am happy. anything extra is a bonus

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Chartreux
Veteran Member

Date Joined Aug 2006
Total Posts : 2289

Posted 11/6/2009 8:48 AM (GMT -7)

oh scarred I'm with you on the pain at the hair dresser..geezee I need help just to get up from my hair being rinsed...
anyways what helps me most is my heating pad and my tens unit and sure hope that's okay to mention...
hugz to everyone!

**********************************************
* Asthma, Allergies, Osteoarthritis, Spinal Stenosis, Degenative Disc (Lower Lumbar S1-L3 and Cervical C5,C6, C8 and T1), Fibromyalgia, Gerd,
Enlarged Pituitary Gland, Sjogren's, Ocular Migraines, mild carpel tunnel, ect.... "Would be nice if we could use the edit button in real life"...

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privey
Regular Member

Date Joined Oct 2009
Total Posts : 144

Posted 11/6/2009 8:59 AM (GMT -7)

I like the sweatpants and t-shirts too but try not to wear them all the time cause -- I don't get anything done. For some reason I associate being comfy with not having to do my daily stuff. I also weighed nearly 400 lbs once upon a time and was in my 30's and 40's and all I could find was the elastic pants to fit me so when I lost the weight I decided that was the end of the stretchy pants. So I may not go anywhere but I do dress for awhile when at home and then get comfy for the evening - crazy huh? I also worked for years so maybe that has something to do with it I don't know. I think the thing that makes me most comfy is taking of my shoes and bra.....now that's relief!!!
Cathy

AFLady-Army Mom
New Member

Date Joined Oct 2009
Total Posts : 6

Posted 11/6/2009 9:54 AM (GMT -7)

I work in an office all day and have to dress for work. I discovered pants at NY and Company that look like dress slacks but are soft and stretchy with elastic waist. I bought all I could find and I love them! I wear longer no wrinkle soft tops and I feel like I'm in PJs all day! The second best thing is that leggings are back! I wear them with short baggy soft dresses or long tops with flats and I'm comfy all day. I also take my shoes off under my desk and keep a heating pad on my chair and a small heater next to me. Being warm makes me feel better too. On bad days I close my office door and lay on the floor with a throw blanket I keep at work to try to stretch a bit. I've been known to run down the hall to the copier with no shoes. I hate shoes! I would live in slippers all the time if I could. Oh, another thing I love are the fuzzy slippers that are like flip flops. I've actually gone out in public with those on!

At home I bought one of those gel mats I keep in the kitchen. It makes standing so much easier. As soon as I get home everyday it's straight to the PJ bottoms and cushy slippers! I take frequent breaks all day at work and at home to lay down flat for a few minutes. It's the only position that doesn't make the pain worse....

PAlady
Veteran Member

Date Joined Nov 2007
Total Posts : 5582

Posted 11/6/2009 2:45 PM (GMT -7)

I'm getting like Army in that if I find something (if it's cheap enough!) that fits and works for me, I try to buy a few because I know they'll be hard to find again.

Now I've got to look for sales on another good pair of cozy flannel pj's. I have a bunch, but some are wearing thin!

PaLady

Dagger
Veteran Member

Date Joined Apr 2008
Total Posts : 842

Posted 11/6/2009 8:45 PM (GMT -7)

An office type chair with wheels to scoot around the kitchen helps a lot. You can lower it to get in the bottom cabinets without bending too much and raise it for comfort. You can put things in your lap when you scoot around. The arms support your elbows when chopping and doing other tasks. Just don't keep spinning in the same direction or you'll get dizzy!

I use scissors instead of a knife to cut up just about everything I cook from broccoli to chicken. They are easier to handle and they are less likely to slip and cut you. I just used scissors to cut up a pizza.

bsjaguar
Regular Member

Date Joined Jun 2009
Total Posts : 335

Posted 11/7/2009 4:25 AM (GMT -7)

PaLady I bought two pairs of fleece pj's last year during the Christmas sales and just love them. They wash up alot nicer that flannel and from what I can tell are gonna last alot longer. They don't fade like flannel does either.

I tend to think that elastic waisted pants though comfortable allows you not to realize you are gaining weight. When my jeans start getting too tight I cut back on my food intake. I've worn the same size pants since my son was born 27 yrs ago. I'm not posting this to brag but just something that I've always followed.

---Jag---

DDD, osteoarthritis, fusion surgeries C-5/7 & L-4/5 both in 2006, torn meniscus left knee 2000 & 2002, buldging disc L-2/3

Momto6boys
Regular Member

Date Joined Aug 2008
Total Posts : 201

Posted 11/7/2009 5:35 AM (GMT -7)

Jag... That's VERY true about the elastic pants. In fact, I take out my jeans at least every couple of weeks to make sure that I can button/zip them!!

Hey, I'm a bit jealous of you wearing the same pant size for 27 years. That's really amazing!! I won't even tell you my "before six kids" pant size and my "after six kids" pant size. Yikes!

Also, a very frustrating thing keeps happening to me....every time I go in to the hospital (which last year, I spent off/on 7 weeks hospitalized; this year was just one week)...I end up gaining 5 to 10 pounds - most of which doesn't come off after I get home (so it's not fluid weight, etc). I hardly eat in the hospital; and I'm pretty house-bound at home, so it's not like I'm running marathons at home/being sedentary in the hospital. I could understand a couple of pounds...but 5 to 10? Anyway, I need to stay out of the hospital for many reasons...the weight gain being one of them!!

Thanks for sharing! --Tina

bsjaguar
Regular Member

Date Joined Jun 2009
Total Posts : 335

Posted 11/7/2009 6:40 PM (GMT -7)

Mom, 6 kids would do a job on anyone's body. I only had 2 kids with early term c-sections with both cause I couldn't seem to get dialated past a 6 even with pitocin (sp?). I was also blessed with my dad's tall slim body and not my mom's short stout one.

In the summer I use my clothes line outside. I sit my clothes basket on a lawn chair so I don't have to bend over and I can drag the chair along behind me so I'm not lifting the basket so often.

---Jag---

DDD, osteoarthritis, fusion surgeries C-5/7 & L-4/5 both in 2006, torn meniscus left knee 2000 & 2002, buldging disc L-2/3

Momto6boys
Regular Member

Date Joined Aug 2008
Total Posts : 201

Posted 11/7/2009 9:25 PM (GMT -7)

Jag...

Yep, I had c-sections, too. All six of them were born via c-section. Too big of boys to "progress". After the second baby, the rest were scheduled sections! Fun stuff. As for me, both parents are on the short side, so that's me. I can't catch a break sometimes :)

I love clothes dried on a clothes line, by the way!

--Tina

Praying for Real Relief
Regular Member

Date Joined Sep 2009
Total Posts : 123

Posted 11/8/2009 3:51 PM (GMT -7)

My grabber is my best tool. If I didn't have one (make that about 10), anything dropped on the floor would have to stay there until somebody came along and picked it up. There are some types (of which I have two) that work wonderfully for changing a light bulb, too. They kind of clamp in place, but don't crush the bulb. I use them all the time!

Spinal Stenosis, DDD, Chronic Pain, L5-S1 TLIF (Fusion) 03/09, Fibro, GAD, PSTD, OCD, GERD and a host of medicine allergies.....plus much, much more!

***EVERYTHING happens for a reason...even if we never know what that reason i*****

WhiteChocChip
Regular Member

Date Joined Jun 2009
Total Posts : 336

Posted 11/9/2009 3:26 AM (GMT -7)

I have a cushy chair complete with floor lamp, blanket, and novel in the kitchen so I can be comfy while I wait for water to boil

bsjaguar
Regular Member

Date Joined Jun 2009
Total Posts : 335

Posted 11/9/2009 6:19 AM (GMT -7)

The grabber was a lifesaver after my lumbar fusion. A friend bought me one and I used it all the time, it will even pick up a dime off the floor. It took time but I could take clothes from the washer to the dryer with it.

Here's some helpful hints! A friend of my dad's borrowed my grabber for his surgery and when it was returned one of the rubber suction cup things was missing from the end. We purchased two matching suction cups for hanging stuff on a window and my husband was able to attach them to the grabber and it worked like new again. Also, if you have one break and have to purchase a replacement don't through the old one away. Keep it for spare parts. I kept the suction cup from mine when we replaced the missing one and sure enough one of my clients, while I was working home health, lost one of hers and I was able to get hers up and running again.

---Jag---

DDD, osteoarthritis, fusion surgeries C-5/7 & L-4/5 both in 2006, torn meniscus left knee 2000 & 2002, buldging disc L-2/3

Praying for Real Relief
Regular Member

Date Joined Sep 2009
Total Posts : 123

Posted 11/10/2009 11:21 AM (GMT -7)

Hey Jag,

My mother owns a small old time hardware and carries the replacement cups for the ends. I had only just found that out right before your post....so now I have a couple of spares for replacement parts.

I have also found that using my grabber to pick up meds (I drop them all the time) is much safer than having someone else pick them up. You never know what a child (or an animal) may do with a "colorful" candy looking item they find on the floor.

Spinal Stenosis, DDD, Chronic Pain, L5-S1 TLIF (Fusion) 03/09, Fibro, GAD, PSTD, OCD, GERD and a host of medicine allergies.....plus much, much more!

babycakes-
Regular Member

Date Joined Nov 2009
Total Posts : 55

Posted 11/12/2009 4:10 AM (GMT -7)

today i came up with something brillant.
i had a specalist apointment so put on a nice high waisted skirt + top with a belt around the waist; my kidney started hurting so i tucked my heat pad under the belt and it stayed there all morning ! hahaha, awesome will definitly be doing that again!!

hmm other things that make life easier; hot showers, my favourite trackpants; heat pads; my tri pillow;
and as its the start of summer here, my boyfriends set up this portable bed & mattress outside in the sun every morning for me before he leaves for work. i then drag out my pillows and lay in the sun, comfortable!! bliss. im sure the sunlight does me good too.
oh and i also have a chair in the bathroom for when i get tired after my showers :)

- erin xo

Loin Pain Haematuria Syndrome - A Painful & Rare Kidney Disease.

^.^ ^_^ >.< ~.~ -_- -['.']- o.o +_+ @-@ ~^^~
____________________________

ekkorose
Regular Member

Date Joined Jul 2008
Total Posts : 246

Posted 11/12/2009 7:25 AM (GMT -7)

For those of us with cats I found a great litter box. All you have to do it roll it forward, tap on the bottom and roll it back then empty the drawer with the kitty waste in iit. No more scopping and bending and dealing with heavy bags of litter. It also helps save money because your litter goes farther since it is being agitated and all the absorbant properties are used. Its call the Omega Paw Self-Cleaning Litter Box and only costs about 30$ at petsmart. It has been a huge help with me and my cats have no issues with it.

Hysterectomy at 25

4 laproscopic surgeries since 24

Cervical Stenosis between C 2 and C6 and two bulging disks located C2/3 and C4/5

_____________________________________________

Meds - percocet 3x day :

____________________________________________

In the United States today, there is a pervasive tendency to treat children as adults, and adults as children. The options of children are thus steadily expanded, while those of adults are progressively constricted. The result is unruly children and childish adults. ~Thomas Szasz

WhiteChocChip
Regular Member

Date Joined Jun 2009
Total Posts : 336

Posted 11/12/2009 9:16 AM (GMT -7)

I used to take small ice backs and shove them into my boots ... icing my ankle on the go was a plus!

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