What I Deal With and What Helps

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.

Specific Symptoms

What Helps

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. Handy, portable, functional. The stool.

Mobility aids. As I'm writing this I've just gotten a rollator and I've had a cane for about 8 months now. 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 rollator I'm still getting used to walking with since I can't lean on it full-bore like I can with my cane, but the plus side is having somewhere to sit anywhere and everywhere. Also now people have to give me space. The cane is far more portable, though- I can see why my great aunt walked around with two canes instead of getting a walker.

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.