Being bedbound much of the day this mattress is very useful and comfortable:
Lucid memory foam mattress. I had to let it offgass for a few days before I could use it.
My watch with five alarms is mandatory (it's an old Casio that isn't produced anymore.) I use it to remind me when to eat and drink. I need to do both frequently at scheduled times to keep hypoglycemia at bay.
This blood pressure monitor is one of the few tools I have that
shows I have physical problems. It allows me to chart my low blood pressure, instead of expecting someone to take my word for it and rely on symptoms that could be explained away or ignored.
I use an
I Can Breathe filter mask whenever I'm near someone who is wearing perfume, hairspray, sun-block, etc. By absorbing the odors that cause me to have MCS reactions, this mask helps to prevent nausea, poor balance, and sometimes a multi-hour headache.
Compression stockings allow me to stay upright a few minutes longer before OI symptoms start.
Foam ear plugs and noise blocking earmuffs make life far more bearable by reducing or eliminating the sounds that can induce poor balance, nausea, greater fatigue, brain-fog, bad mood, and multi-day headaches.
Sylvania Daylight incandescent light bulbs are one of the only kind that I can tolerate, so they make life easier and more pleasant. Fluorescent and LED induce brain fog, nausea, and headaches.
For someone with OI and fatigue, this
Instant Pot pressure cooker has made life easier for a few reasons:
* I don't have to spend as much time upright waiting for water to boil and make sure it doesn't boil over. I just add everything to the IP, press a couple of buttons, and walk away. The IP beeps when cooking is done.
* I can set it to scald milk for making yogurt instead of using a pot and stove which used to take a lot of time being upright to watch the pot and prevent the milk boiling over. The same IP can then be used as a yogurt incubator.
* It can also slow cook and automatically switch over to keep warm mode so I can have a warm breakfast ready when I get up.
My laptop (IBM T40) is such a life-enhancing device that allows access to Phoenix Rising and other forums, research, access to online shopping, banking, etc. It's small and light enough to keep propped on my knees while lying in bed. It has a trackpoint that I can use instead of a mouse so I can keep my hands on the home row and just move my right index finger over a little to use the trackpoint for mouse pointer movement. If I had to rely on the trackpad I would probably have muscle fatigue and shoulder problems from moving my hand back and forth so much while in an awkward bedbound position.