Any Shopping Tricks? I Need Some Strategies.....

[lieze]

I am able to get out a little but not ready to do a full shop in the grocery store.

I am interested in how everyone else handles shopping.

Items we run out of quickly are milk, bananas, and bread.

Those things can only be stocked up so much I realize one loaf or so of bread could go in the freezer.

I am feeling overwhelmed with the move and trying to figure out ways to pick up items like milk on my own without having to walk clear to the back of the store and drive thru's mark theirs up so high usually...we go through about a gallon a day. A cow would be nice maybe?

[misstraci]

haha Lieze, you're funny! You could get a cow I don't have any good suggestions but I just wanted to say you made me laugh. Is there anyway that you could drive to the store and allow a child or friend to run in for the milk? I know that couldn't be an option for every single time I guess but maybe sometimes.

[anaphylaxing]

What limits you in the store? fatigue? heart rate? temperature? I carry I ice packs with me and extra clothing layers in case of temperature changes. I walk a bit then sit or lean wherever then go more. But I'm not shopping for myself yet or driving so I don't know if it helps

Also I'm on a fairly high steroid dose so it's probably giving me false energy. Hang in there. You are gong through SO much,

[lieze]

Energy level.

I just have a limit as far as what I can expend everyday so I have to "budget" my energy and try to make everything as easy as possible.

[Katybug]

Hi lieze,

Could you get milk, bread, eggs at the drugstore when you go or a little local 7-11 type place? Much easier and the walk will be short plus you may be able to cut your drive time. I liked misstraci's idea of letting one of the kids run in. If you are getting through a gallon of milk a day, I would think you can buy at least 5 days worth without it going bad. Also, block and sliced cheese (even cream cheese) freezes pretty well (shredded not so much), so that's something you can buy in bulk and freeze in smaller packages. I have also been trying to cook extra of things I make that are freezable, so I can freeze it and have easy to heat and eat dinners in the future...it usually doesn't take any extra effort to make the larger portions and boy its nice to have almost no effort on a night that I don't feel well. Also, could you maybe make a deal with a neighbor or a friend that lives close that you give them cash to get you some milk, eggs, bread once a week when they are going to the store anyway?

Hope you are able to get things sorted out...I know you have a lot on your plate.

Katie

[Katybug]

Oh, just thought of one more thing...you could buy your bananas reallllly green and only a few that are already ripe so you have bananas for longer periods of time (don't store the ripe ones near the green ones or it will make the green ones ripen much faster.)

[janiedelite]

When I was recovering from my hip injury, I used the electric grocery carts that the larger stores provide. I would also get someone to help me get the groceries into my car.

I do have a disabled parking pass that I can use if I'm feeling tired.

When I'm feeling tired, I use my seat cane. I stick it in the cart so that I can have a place to sit if I have to stand in a line. Also, I try to go shopping with my mom each week. We're good company for each other, and we can help each other as needed.

[friday7]

I also have trouble shopping . Sometimes it fatigue , or dizziness or the fact that I can't walk too long without sitting. or I can't stand in lines. I got a disabled card from motor vehicle. which isn't hard to get if your sick. So that helps.

I also used to use the motorized carts they have in the grocery stores. But when my Mom got a rollator, or walker with a seat , she found she didn't like it as much as her cane and gave it to me. That's been great. I can walk and lean on that a little, and whenever i feel the need to sit there's always a seat.

It's a bit hard with food shopping being that there's not much room for food storage. but for small shopping trips it's fine. It has a little basket I can put on front. And I also take a small store basket with me and put it on the seat. I fill up the outer basket first and when that's full I use the other basket which I keep on the seat. and if i need to sit i jsut take that put it on the floor and my seat is free again.

It is also good for shopping in stores like Walmart. I often sit down when there's a long aisle that I want to look at and push myself along with my feet. so instead of the extra walking i have a little sit while I am gliding along and looking at things.

If it's a real long walk to the back of the store, I put my knee up on the seat and push with my other leg, giving them a chance to rest off and on.

It really increases the amount of time i am able t o shop and gives me piece of mind knowing there's always a seat around.

And for standing in line it's fantastic. I just sit down and have a rest, where before I'd wind up leaving my stuff because I could not stand in a line that wasn't moving.

I just got a new one through medicaid, but they are not too expensive. You can find them around 45 bucks if you're lucky. If money is an issue you may be able to find a used one online.

[lieze]

I really appreciate all the suggestions they are very helpful.

I notice my stamina has increased with the iron treatment I am just very fearful though.

I'm really not sure if just low iron was my problem. I'm thinking not so I don't want to get myself in a bad situation.

I also feel like I need to conserve the energy I do have.

[rubytuesday]

Thank you for posting this. This is very challenging to me and since having a few episodes where I had to immediately sit down right where I was, or grab and chug any bottle of fluid from the cooler at checkout line while holding myself up with the cart/the checkout counter, my DH does the shopping. Sometimes I go in feeling fine but by the time I make the trek from parking to store, I have to always remember--I cannot bend down to look at items/read labels on things on the lower shelves. I cannot raise my arms up above heart level. I cannot lift anything very heavy. I cannot stand in line for very long--and if I stand in line, I just assume the position--legs crossed (as if you have to you know) and try to squeeze the weak calves while standing (pumping muscles as best I can--or going up and down on toes while standing as another way to pump the calves).

Now that I am doing the tredmil in the aquaciser in physical therapy to help build the strength and endurance in the legs, and that they have diagnosed the orthostatic hypotension, ANS failing, and have me on the Midodrine and Mestinon, I am so hoping that I'll do better (but I'm still afraid to go without DH).

My son got me a Trak phone for mother's day (I'm not a cell phone person) but I do carry it when I go out. I always pray that if I faint, I don't get seriously hurt (cardiac specialist says its the 4th leading cause of death--falls with this), and that if I am not seriously hurt that nobody calls 9-1-1 as so far I regain consciousness and strength after laying for awhile. By the time an ambulance was hailed and I got to a hospital, I would probably be asymptomatic.

[lieze]

We forgot one...shopping at night.

For whatever reason my heartrate cooperates much better in the evening and I took the kids and they helped.

First we went for the 2 milk for $6 at speedway and I'll start using the reward card.

Then the plan was we would go for Nesquik and juice tomorrow.

Well I felt so okay that we swung into Walmart which is handy dandy right at the end of our street. 12 yr old pushed the cart and loaded and unloaded everything from the cart to checkout and in the car and then in the house and no waiting in line.

I was surprised they have now moved the juice to the back of the store also.

There were four riding carts available so maybe that would work too for me if we want to do a little more shopping.

But we did it and I stayed symptom free.

I think the iron treatments are making a definite difference for me but I still feel a long way from the normal "me".

[janiedelite]

So glad to hear you're feeling a bit better!

[icesktr189]

When I was REALLY bad I would have the grocery store deliver to me.. it was amazing!

[corina]

glad to hear you've found a way to get through this lieze! i think the kids enjoyed helping you too, it makes them feel important and aware of your situation which (imo) is a good thing. to help them cooperate with you you can do something fun for them after they've helped you. like watching a film together (considering your energy levels are low after shopping) or playing a boardgame together or something like that. hope things will continue to go well.

[lieze]

I bought them beef jerky even though I probably couldn't afford it so they had a treat and some ice cream.

Both things are considerably healthy.

I am a bit worried about my 2nd son Noah.

He the last two evenings has complained he was dizzy.

He has not been able to do the after school sports at all due to not having the stamina.

He is underweight.

So I'm trying to make sure he eats everyday and see if some of it maybe nutritional like me.

It could be his body just does not recognize the need for food like me or get a healthy appetite.

But he felt too nauseated to eat when we came home last night and just had his ice cream for breakfast.

So long as he eats I don't get on him for what he is eating.

I'll try to get some protein in him in a bit.

[mwise]

You can freeze milk. I freeze it all the time. I also freeze lunch meat, cheeses and just about anything pre-cooked. Sometimes, they are a little soggy once thawed but usually tasty & edible. I also make a list and time my shopping visits with my best times in the morning. I also choose stores that have electric carts to drive/ride in case I start feeling tired: Wal-Mart, Giant Eagle. There are stores that do deliver. There are still some drive through stores around. I use them when I am feeling weak. It is worth the extra few miles vs having to get out of the car & walk. I also ask friends and family when they are going to the store and they will pick up things for me. I am sure with the kids you can get creative and make it a play date out too. Glad to hear you are having good days.

[janiedelite]

Yes, I've also frozen milk for up to 30 days at a time.

[E246]

Hi Lieze,

I always carry a shooting stick with a rubber end - i no longer feel embarrassed about sitting wherever I am.

[fiona-jane]

hiya,

i buy the vast majority of my grocery shopping online and get it delivered and just pop into my local store to buy things i've run out of etc. not sure if online shopping is available to you or not, but it's made my life soooo much easier. it was a task i used to find very difficult and i'd run the gauntlet of fainting in the store or once i got home so was quite risky, and totally exhausting.

i now use a wheelchair, mainly due to walking and standing problems due to my ehlers-danlos syndrome but i find it also helps my dysautonomia loads as some of my main symptoms comes from being stood up- a few seconds and the dizzy starts and a few minutes i'm out cold on the floor so before i discovered online shopping i got really good about finding aisles in the store that had shelving at the right height to be sat on! i also used to queue up to pay on my knees (and shuffle along on my knees) so made sure i wore my old, tatty trousers so i wouldnt get upset when i got them dirty (although the queue area was always very clean after i'd paid. now i'm thinking i should have invoiced them for my services ). but the wheelchair means i dont have to stand up, and so my symptoms stay constant and i can be pretty sure that if i'm not at the point of fainting when i leave the house to go shopping (and in such cases i just dont go) i'll not faint when i'm out. as long as i dont stand up too often.... and its really helpful for conserving energy as its much easier to propel the chair round the store than it is to walk as the floor is usually all nice and smooth (feels like a racetrack- the smooth, lowered friction floor i hated so much on my crutches i now LOVE! ). is borrowing a chair or scooter an option when going round the store? maybe this may help if it's available? my local supermarket has a little cafe so i also used to factor in a sit down with a cup of tea or some food so i could have a rest, but this meant i needed to have someone with me to help me plan what to put in the trolley before our cafe stop (or i'd put in fresh or frozen stuff that would end up defrosting or going bad really quick after i got home). but it made me able to buy food for a long time so if the option of a cafe break is an option i'd take it

i also freeze milk and other stuff and buy in bulk every few months and get my carer or mum to help me sort it all out once it arrives and help put it in freezer containers and into the freezer. you can freeze most foods and it makes life soooo much easier when i'm in a flare when all i need to do is get stuff from the freezer than order new stuff, and i also struggle to remember to buy groceries etc when i'm in a flare and so without freezing stuff my fridge would be bare! also freeze gluten free bread and get mum to make up pots of stir fried veg and lightly stewed fruit to freeze so i can have a pretty healthy diet even when i totally forget to shop- the carer knows to get stuff out of the freezer and put it in the fridge for me if i'm missing milk or bread and writes a note on my whiteboard notice board when my stocks are running low so mum can see and remind me to get more stuff (or buy it herself, which she does sometimes when i'm very bad). and tend to stock up on canned, long life milk and dried foods for just in case eventualities if i run out of freezer foods before i can get more. thats been really helpful too

fi xx