I'm not going to get into the specific diagnoseses that I have, both in the interest of not blasting my medical history onto the internet, and also because I'm still working with my doctors and specialists to figure things out. With my symptoms and my family's collective medical history it's probably at least three genetic disorders stuffed into a trenchcoat, on top of what we already know is there. It's not fun, it's not pretty, but it's what I'm dealing with, and I'm putting this out onto the internet in case anyone who is also dealing with this happens to come across it, whether you need help too or have other things to try.

Two specific things I have are osteoarthritis in my hips and also scoliosis in my lower back. The scoliosis isn't a huge factor but I have a feeling it's complicating things behind the scenes: just enough to make my hips a bit uneven and make my back hurt a goodly amount. I was told growing up that I didn't need a medical brace but honestly... I'm pretty sure it would have helped. The osteoarthritis on the other hand is a fairly large problem and makes mobility difficult. Walking hurts, standing hurts, I can sit for a while but then that starts hurting too... I spend a lot of time on my back in bed because that is the thing that takes the longest to start hurting. In fact, that's why I have a laptop instead of a desktop: I prop it up on my knee.

For more nebulous things though... one of the most frustrating things is *severe* heat intolerance. And excessive sweating. I have overheated in the middle of winter before. Summer is impossible. I will sweat like I am dying even in the air conditioning. Heart rate, blood pressure... when I stand up I get extremely light headed/dizzy to the point of feeling like I'm going to faint. I haven't fainted but I throw up a *lot*. At first I thought it was motion sickness or something but it happens way too often and not only in motion sickness situations to only be motion sickness. Also just fairly consistent nausea in the mornings that I still haven't found a cause for- it's severe enough that I feel like I can't drive when it hits. That isn't it by a long shot but I'll put more in later.

Stools. Stools are the name of the game for any task that requires any amount of standing. I have a shower stool in my shower (along with a movable shower head with a hose) a rolly low stool in the living room, a telescoping camping stool that I keep in the trunk of my car for doing stuff out at the barn. Also a stool in the kitchen (that really needs to be painted...) Handy, portable, functional. The stool.

Mobility aids. I have a rollator walker, a cane, and also use forearm crutches while I'm at the barn since I get tired easily and also the ground is unstable out there. I also use the motorized carts at the grocery store- it was a big mental hurdle for me but they have done a world of good and I am developing Opinions on different ones. The cane used to work really well but now it's mostly for getting between places where I'm sitting down/extremely short distances. The rollator helps and having a seat is good- I end up sitting down and scooting with my feet more than my particular model is really designed for: it only likes going forward which means that when I'm sitting down I have to go backwards. I call it "shrimping." It works but it's exhausting. I'm currently in the beginning stages of getting an ultralight wheelchair.

Ice packs. This sounds very basic but I'm slowly realizing that a bunch of people I know don't have them so I'm adding them here. Have several. Like a slightly concerning amount. All sizes, shapes, filling types. They all behave differently but also the more you have the more you can either use at one time or have in rotation.

Good comfortable sturdy shoes. When you only wear old falling apart shoes that were intended to only be your gardening shoes but are really convienent so you end up throwing them on constantly because shoe shopping frustrates you, it is very easy to forget the massive difference that shoes make. I have both Crocs and super fancy orthopedic insoles that my mom got for me.

Miso soup! Also egg drop soup when I can get it. But I've found some good instant miso soup that I just have to add water to- it's got tofu pieces and seaweed in it and everything. It really helps with the morning nausea when I need to eat but can't. I'm adding pictures of both the individual soup packets and the main packaging.

A Small Whiteboard on the fridge. So among other things, I have ADHD and OCD, and they can get pretty severe. They also work together to make each other worse. One of my OCD fixations/fears is spoiled food: I don't remember where exactly it came from, I think part of it is that a) my stomach is already fussy enough on its own and b) contamination fears. Now combine this with my ADHD which means that I have absolutely no idea when something in the refrigerator was put there, how long its been there, forgot that it was even there until I opened the door again etc. So I smell it, and sure it smells... okay? Fine? But wait! I don't remember if that's how it's supposed to smell! What if the smell is actually way off and it's gone bad and I don't realize it? I should just throw it away to be safe. I have thrown away so much food over the course of the last few years and it's gotten bad enough that I only regularly eat things that are shelf-stable which is... not great for nutrition.

So I've started using this whiteboard! I write down what I've put in the refrigeratior and when I put it in there so now I don't have to see it to remember it and also I can tell how long it's been there and whether it's likely to have gone bad or not. And I'm happy to say that I actually finished a package of lunch meat for the first time in at least two years!