• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of, and finding treatments for, complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia, long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

Products that make your life easier?

gabriella17

gabriella17

Senior Member
Messages
165
Location
Phoenix, AZ
I use this to organize all my meds and supplements. Wow, what a time and energy saver! I just take out what I need instead of having to constantly open bottles. I got it from the Container Store. You can also get dividers for the individual drawers.

20170627_130010.jpg
 
CFS_for_19_years

CFS_for_19_years

Hoarder of biscuits
Messages
2,396
Location
USA
Hell...Hath...No...Fury..

Hell...Hath...No...Fury..

Senior Member
Messages
1,082
Location
UK
HowToEscape? said:
@Hell...Hath...No...Fury..

The robot sweeper I have is the Roomba brand. It was not hard to arrange things so it wouldn't get stuck, and it comes with a couple of beacons to wall it in or out of an area. It has very modest sweeping and vacuuming power but a fair amount of intelligence, and it eventually gets the job done.
Click to expand...

My experience definitely wasn't like that. Wasn't a case of rearranging things correctly, it just got stuck with dining chairs and every single rug i had of varying thicknesses and sometimes for no reason at all.

The beacons never worked properly either.
 
belize44

belize44

Senior Member
Messages
1,664
The best thing that I have done lately is to replace my mattress with a memory foam one. It is composed of three kinds of memory foam and is incredibly easy to lift (not that I ever do, but sometimes I have to shift it over a bit to make the bed.) It was incredibly inexpensive and I had it delivered to my house. I wasn't sure if I would like it at first, but now I absolutely love it. It doesn't heat up like my old mattress did, and if I am too warm I can shift to a cooler part of the mattress.
https://www.zinus.com/shop/filters/product_cat/136/?catID=136
 
Hell...Hath...No...Fury..

Hell...Hath...No...Fury..

Senior Member
Messages
1,082
Location
UK
For christmas I got a new portable solar panel with a battery that attaches to it, (but can also be charged via a plug - helpful for gloomy england) Called RavPower. That being said, it still charges even through a window with dark clouds and rain outside.

The battery lasts forever! It charges a phone 6-10 times and has 3 usb ports. I've started getting usb devices to plug into it and they can all be used on my bed without electricity. Its great. On top of charging devices, i've got a usb flask, that boils water and stirs it, then keeps it hot, and a small usb heated lap blanket (both great for when outside in wheelchair)

I've got a usb battery charger for 4 batteries and usb fairy lights.

I've since bought a spare battery, so that one can spend a week charging to full via the sun through a window while using the other one for a week.

I no longer use electricity for the kettle and greatly reduced my electric blanket time. I no longer use electric lamps.

The only things i'm still tied to electricity for is my heating (slight use on boiler) hair dryer occassionally and hoover.

But when winter comes i'll also be getting usb heated socks and gloves. I'll be snug as a bug in the wheelchair :) :lol:

It was this review on amazon that talked me into the heated lap blanket...

image.png
 
Last edited:
H

hedgehog

Messages
58
Does anyone know of a type of blanket or plastic that could be used to lie down on in dirty public places? One that's thin and folds really small? And maybe not bigger than a towel. I'm not sure what it would be called. I'm thinking of using a trash bag if there's nothing else.
 
A

arewenearlythereyet

Senior Member
Messages
1,478
hedgehog said:
Does anyone know of a type of blanket or plastic that could be used to lie down on in dirty public places? One that's thin and folds really small? And maybe not bigger than a towel. I'm not sure what it would be called. I'm thinking of using a trash bag if there's nothing else.
Click to expand...
You could use one of those micro towels? They fold up really small. My son has one for swimming. It's the size of a normal bath towel but folds up to the size of a thick napkin and dries really quickly.
 
Strawberry

Strawberry

Senior Member
Messages
2,109
Location
Seattle, WA USA
belize44 said:
The best thing that I have done lately is to replace my mattress with a memory foam one. It is composed of three kinds of memory foam and is incredibly easy to lift (not that I ever do, but sometimes I have to shift it over a bit to make the bed.) It was incredibly inexpensive and I had it delivered to my house. I wasn't sure if I would like it at first, but now I absolutely love it. It doesn't heat up like my old mattress did, and if I am too warm I can shift to a cooler part of the mattress.
https://www.zinus.com/shop/filters/product_cat/136/?catID=136
Click to expand...

@belize44 Which one specifically did you get? My best friend just bought a zinus for her guest bedroom. I slept like a dream on it, although I prefer something softer. I'm thinking of getting one for myself, but I am sort of the princess and the pea, and I think in time I would be sore. She got the 10" green tea one. I was pleasantly surprised that there was no odor.

Also curious if you are still in love with it?
 
A

Avena

Senior Member
Messages
138
Last edited:
EtherSpin

EtherSpin

Senior Member
Messages
257
Location
Melbourne , Australia
Hugo said:
Electric bike, I tampered a little bit with mine so I dont need to use my legs at all.
Click to expand...
little disclaimer for people - I went all in on the electric bike thing because I had enormous guilt about not running around with my kids at the park. got a 3 wheel delivery style tricycle outfitted with a double kids set where normally there is a back tray for cargo. I then had a long range battery and front wheel motor put on and this used all my savings.
I soon found out that its very hard to pre-pace when you have to get back from where you ride to ( the distance doubles) and that often its only when you are far from home you realise the cold, the wind in your face and the demands of the kids will make your cognition drain and your strength to get back.
its been a year since I've used the setup because of the lack of paths joining us up from our house to the really nice bike trail that runs the side of a major highway. getting to the tracks involves lots of negotiating traffic and crossing over grassy uneven surfaces and pulling off the road into ditches to let big vehicles past (trike is wide!)

you really need to have a stable or minor degree of brain fog to do it and to have a traffic environment in your locale that is not stressful or dangerous for a slow rider.
 
Mel9

Mel9

Senior Member
Messages
995
Location
NSW Australia
EtherSpin said:
little disclaimer for people - I went all in on the electric bike thing because I had enormous guilt about not running around with my kids at the park. got a 3 wheel delivery style tricycle outfitted with a double kids set where normally there is a back tray for cargo. I then had a long range battery and front wheel motor put on and this used all my savings.
I soon found out that its very hard to pre-pace when you have to get back from where you ride to ( the distance doubles) and that often its only when you are far from home you realise the cold, the wind in your face and the demands of the kids will make your cognition drain and your strength to get back.
its been a year since I've used the setup because of the lack of paths joining us up from our house to the really nice bike trail that runs the side of a major highway. getting to the tracks involves lots of negotiating traffic and crossing over grassy uneven surfaces and pulling off the road into ditches to let big vehicles past (trike is wide!)

you really need to have a stable or minor degree of brain fog to do it and to have a traffic environment in your locale that is not stressful or dangerous for a slow rider.
Click to expand...


Many have lost their balance too and would fall off
 
Hugo

Hugo

Senior Member
Messages
230
EtherSpin said:
little disclaimer for people - I went all in on the electric bike thing because I had enormous guilt about not running around with my kids at the park. got a 3 wheel delivery style tricycle outfitted with a double kids set where normally there is a back tray for cargo. I then had a long range battery and front wheel motor put on and this used all my savings.
I soon found out that its very hard to pre-pace when you have to get back from where you ride to ( the distance doubles) and that often its only when you are far from home you realise the cold, the wind in your face and the demands of the kids will make your cognition drain and your strength to get back.
its been a year since I've used the setup because of the lack of paths joining us up from our house to the really nice bike trail that runs the side of a major highway. getting to the tracks involves lots of negotiating traffic and crossing over grassy uneven surfaces and pulling off the road into ditches to let big vehicles past (trike is wide!)

you really need to have a stable or minor degree of brain fog to do it and to have a traffic environment in your locale that is not stressful or dangerous for a slow rider.
Click to expand...

True, all traffic could be dangerous with brainfog. I dont have any problems with it though and for example I can drive a car without any problems. Strangely enough though my brainfog could act out in other circumstanses. Like cognitive tasks like mathematics or logic problems or social meetings.

For me my e-bike have helped me a lot.
 
EtherSpin

EtherSpin

Senior Member
Messages
257
Location
Melbourne , Australia
Hugo said:
This version may be a little better if one has balance problems. http://www.bikemania.biz/rmb-libert-e-hybrid-electric-tricycle.html
Click to expand...
that is essentially what I have (bigger wheels on mine) with the basket removed at the back and a kids carriage from a dutch cargo bike like this one http://imgur.com/rZsJ8sU

tradeoff once you go trike is more work getting the thing moving (more input needs to be added to make it work on an upwards slope) and moving around without getting in the way of anything. my wife has a fold up tiny electric 2 wheeler and its nimble as hell but I would fall off after a few minutes.

also might be worth having a friend help or having a word with the bike motor installation because the power allowed in certain countries is limited significantly to stop general public being idiots on the bikes (they make no noise and don't look imposing like motorbikes) *but* that power drop could be the thing that prevents you making it back up a hill to get home after a ride. there are some very populated areas of the world where local authorities have a tool to check the power/voltage or whatever but I'd imagine thats crazy rare.

wheel kits with instructions for installation are very easily available for people that way inclined
 
You must log in or register to reply here.