MY LIFE: Living in pain and how I do it

Everyone has special things they find helpful when they have really bad days, and chronic illness warriors are no different, except that we have more bad days. So how do I and others survive? Several ways…with a hat tip to Chronic Mom.

Heating Pad

My heating pad is practically my best friend. Even in the middle of the summer heat I’m still attached to it. I have tried every brand of heating pad imaginable because they rarely last me more than three or four months. So far the best one I’ve found is a Sunbeam king-sized pad, which I reviewed here.

The plug comes out on occasion which really annoys me, but it doesn’t have a cover that falls off all the time, and it’s lasted the longest out of all the ones I’ve tried. Its size makes it easy for me to soothe more than one area at a time, too, which is a huge bonus.

Epsom Salts

Epsom salt baths are my lifeline. I initially didn’t believe they did anything because there is very little science behind the idea. When my muscles are really sore it helps to soak in a hot bath with epsom salts by Dr Teals and baking soda (for detox purposes). It doesn’t fix everything, but it does seem to reduce the muscle pain.

Pillows

At the moment I sleep with three pillows, one for my head, one for my arms so I don’t curl up into myself too much, and one for my legs. I’d like one of those cooling pillows, but it remains on my wish list for now.

Snacks

My husband bought me two of these fabric containers to contain the snacks I keep in my bedroom. Even when I feel really crappy, I can roll over there and pluck out something to eat. We all know the dual problem of nausea from not eating and then nausea from eating, but we also know we have to keep eating.

In order to make sure I have good snacks, I keep things like Mary’s Gone Crackers Super Seed crackers (review here), Planter’s cashews, Bai5 flavored water and my favorite chocolate, for when I really can’t face anything else.

Roku

Roku has been a lifesaver. We have Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and a couple of other channels, and that’s all I need. On days when I feel crummy, I can either turn on an old favorite like Pride and Prejudice or Clueless, or find a new show to binge watch. I did a review of Roku here if you’re interested.

What are your favorite things to keep you going when you’re having a tough time? Tell me in the comments!