#crip tips

Give your doctor a frame of reference!!!

For example: I say, “when I broke my elbow, that was about a 5. Right now my foot pain is at an 8”.

people really liked my last post about crip tips, so here's more. what you're able to do while bedbound will really depend on where you're at physically - doing more, doing less, etc. will all be different. so, these are just what got me through ~a year of being stuck in bed for 18 hours of the day.

have a hobby that doesn't involve looking at a screen. i cannot overstate how important this is - if you're usually writing/gaming/watching shows/scrolling, you are going to get into a rut and probably also a migraine. i latched onto crocheting and reading.

lap desks are your savior. aside from the practical use of not having everything on your lap, i found that lap desks offer a sort of mental differentiation between 'work zone' and 'sleep zone' even if it's all your bed.

showering. this one depends a lot on your health and energy levels, but showering was always super helpful to me. at the end of the day, i would drag myself to the bathroom, sit on my shower stool, and wash everything off from the day. this was another thing that helped me differentiate from 'work' and 'sleep.'

stretching when you can. even if it's small (wiggling your toes, stretching your arms up, rolling your neck from side to side), moving in small ways will help you keep in touch with your body and keep moving forward.

mix in fresh food. lettuce, apples, oranges, cucumbers, peppers, whatever. it was always easier for me to eat processed foods, and those are definitely worthwhile. but, you need to mix in fresh foods too. even if you're not doing a whole gourmet salad, eating a fresh vegetable will feel good.

keep your usual things. i hated having my schedule out of normal, so i incorporated my schedule into what i needed then. i still had my morning coffee, still watched a movie most nights, still did my assignments for a few hours after school let out.

If you have migraines and you're looking for a free symptom tracking app with lots of customizable options on what to track, you might want to check out 'Migraine Buddy'

thought it might be helpful if i made a list of stuff i use that makes my life easier (with side commentary present) !

feel free to reblog and add more items/tips and tricks!

showerchair

(get an official one, i used a repurposed like stool type thing and brained myself in the shower and caused myself worse back pain, luckily got one of my docs 2 prescribe me one)

heating pad

(bottled and electric, the electric one that Vibrates is most excellent when you are dying in/of pain and kinda acts as a mini-massager)

thermal pad

(okay so this is most excellent for my back and neck pain, the cold is MWAH, the one i had has straps so i kinda wear it like a lil cold frozen backpack)

cane

( i borrowed my grandma's, my rheumatologist refuses to prescribe me one rn bc he thinks i'm lying,, haha...... [UPDATE: fired him])

compression items and braces from @bibipins store

(you can get these items from many stores but i personally love the galaxy design & that i'm helping support a small business owned by a disabled queer Black creator!) [p.s if you are an Artist or Writer or use your hands quite often, try a wrist brace or hand brace and see how it feels! also stretch out your wrists and hands, i know the guides are floating around somewhere]

baby wipes

(now the days where you are too fatigued to do anything but remain convalescing a la the Victorians, a baby wipe or a towel set aside will do! v gentle on the skin!)

basket to keep my meds in

(i've tried using pill boxes/organizers before but personally they just don't work for me, may work for you tho!, got mine from the 99cent store)

gigantic sunglasses

(okay so back in the day i kept my sunglasses after my cataract surgery which were AMAZING bc they blocked out sm light but someone borrowed them n they never gave it back..., so, i got these ones outside my doctors office bc a dude was selling em, these are oversized and perfect for the days my eyes are THROBBING and feel like shriveling up and dying like a withered plant)

shoe inserts

(standing for too long burns my feet and custom orthotics are mad expensive, i got a set of shoe inserts for i think $18 off amazon)

liquidiv

(revived me when i had an extremely terrible flair and felt like i was dying or gonna pass out-- but that shit is so expensive, Costco or others stores may sell them in bulk/they go on sale occasionally. alternatively, you can make your own home-made version!)

memory foam cloud slippers

(i use these around the house, they are live-saving, i get mine from whatever local 99 cent store has 'em)

memory foam pillow

(i sleep with like five & use 3 too keep my head elevated and a few extra for my back)

a wide brimmed baseball hat

(my eyes are so so sensitive that whenever i go outside i must wear this hat. it gives me some measure of relief, got mine from the same guy who sold me my sunglasses)

blackout curtains

(perfect for when i just can't handle any stimulation)

Wheelchair user looking to rent? Not sure if your chair will fit in the bathroom with the door closed? When looking at layouts, bathrooms that show the tub in front of the toilet instead of beside it will (usually) have more room for a wheelchair.