Simple Helps

[goldicedance]

Don't use precious energy on cleaning!!!

I try to do some knitting so I feel somewhat productive.

A cuddly dog and/or cat adds such a great sense of calm and affection. You know they are always there for you even when the going gets rough.

During POTS exacerbations, drink alot of V8 (the one with sodium).

Ramen noodles are a good comfort food and high in sodium and take very little effort to prepare. I sometimes throw in broccoli and/or carrots (the pre-peeled baby ones).

Buy frozen chopped onions and green peppers for stews, etc. Less exertion!

These are "just some of my favorite things" to quote a famous Sound of Music song.

Lois

[Suzanne]

Great thread my tips came from the forum, but may help others. Shower at night only, I love to enjpy the hot water and then go to bed. BP after morning showers is too low and takes hours to recover from. In the morning I splash my face with water and do a mini clean.

Also, wash hair in laundry tub in the afternoons. Then I air dry, or blow dry sitting down and don't do the big style. It looks nearly as good.

Thanks for all the tips. I must try and record all meds and doctors too.

[Eli6596]

Wow, this is a great topic. I will definitely try the fingerless gloves from Target. I never thought of a kitchen stool on wheels. I love to cook and that idea may change my life! I worry about rolling it over the grout in the kitchen ceramic tile though.

I found really thick warm socks in the hunting department. The pressure from the socks helps with the tingling in my feet, not just the coldness.

I have learned so much from all of you.

Karyn

[Ernie]

Hi Karyn,

I have a stool on wheels and it goes well. My wheels are all round. Maybe the flat wheels on one side are more dangerous.

[corina]

karyn,

my stool on wheels was delivered by a company that is specialized in medical "helps" as i call them. they asked me what kind of floor i had so that they could pcik the right wheels for it. so it seems there are different types of wheels available. now that we have a new floor, i'm thinking of changing the wheels.

if you (or anyone else, of course!) want more information on the stool, please let me know!

happy cooking!

corina

[ajw4790]

Hi,

I also thought this may be a useful post to bump up with all the new "faces". I think there was some hints on heat intolerance. To find more just search for heat (or other related words) on the bottom of the page.

Also, there have been current posts on the cooling vests.

Hope this helps!

[JaneEyre9]

This is a great post-- I have also learned a lot from being here over the years--most of it I think I do now without thinking.

My favorite helps are:

~Smart Water (which I carry everywhere and often hear the obvious "does that make you smarter?" comment)

~Citrucel (methycellulose powder) every day for easing IBS symptoms

~Nature Made Super B Complex vitamins

~Tilting my seat back a few degrees in the car rather than being straight upright

~Keeping a robe in the bathroom so I can lie down right after my shower

~Going to quiet restaurants or ones without waiters/waitresses so I don't feel overstimulated or have to wait for the check or slow service when I'm lightheaded.

~Ordering carryout rather than cooking if I have company so I can focus my energy on the company

~Instant chocolate pudding has considerable sodium in it

I eat Amy's frozen entrees-- veggie loaf, soy mac and cheese, and soy cheese pizza. They are made from organic ingredients and have a lot of sodium. There are also gluten-free entrees from Amy's. http://www.amyskitchen.com/products/catego...prod_category=4

I also go for booths at restaurants and put my feet up at the movies, but never thought of sitting by the rail!

Kristen

[jump]

I want to second showering at night and wearing fingerless mittens! I carry my fingerless mittens in my purse and now that buildings have put their air conditioning on, let me tell you I really use them!

I also want to add:

- eating six small meals a day. Although I hate all that food prep, I find I really do feel better when I make the time to eat regularly.

- if I have to fly (which I avoid as much as possible), I always schedule for the afternoons. Sometimes it's more expensive, but I've found that if I fly in the morning I'm so sick for so many days it's not worth the money I saved.

- Periodically, I schedule a "sleep day" where I don't plan anything and I just get caught up on sleep & rest. I have a flexible job and no kids, which is probably why I can do this but I really find it makes a big difference.

This thread actually really touched me. I've spent so long accommodating this syndrome and although I hate that all of you have to deal with this too, I'm also really, really comforted by the feeling of not being alone. To know that others can't tolerate blow-drying their hair is strangely comforting and makes me feel less lonely. I'm beginning to realize how much of my time is spent dealing with this, and while it's not the worst thing in the world, it means so very much to me to have "met" people who understand.

jump

[carinara]

Hello everybody :-)

Every morning my alarm clock wakes me up 45 minutes before I actually have to get up. I take my medicine, put my compression stockings on and slowly sit down on a office chair with wheels and roll to the living room. I sit on the couch and drink my drink that i prepared the night before. After 30 minutes i take my chair aigain roll to the bathroom to get ready for work. After all that i wake up my daughter and wait for her to get ready. That way i have no stress in the mornings and a lot of rest in between things.

I also have a hand ventilator with the option to put water in it to spray. Its a great help and i always take it with me. I event went to a concert the other week. I sat down and had the ventilator on the whole time. I never leave the house without my ventilator.

At work i have a big ventilator (fan) just in front of my legs. Last sommer i found out that it is a great relief when it is warm in the office. It makes it a little easier to stand up if i have to.

(Hope you can all understand my english)