30 Day Chronic Illness Challenge: Day 10

Day 10: What little things make your life easier?

I have a few little things which help, and they clearly demonstrate that my answer to “weapon of choice” would be heat and as much of it as possible.

 

I have a wheat bag (it’s a bunny, naturally) for the microwave which has the added nice touch of being infused with lavender, and it allows a greater versatility than a hot water bottle in terms of getting to wherever the pain is. I definitely recommend them for sufferers who find heat beneficial.

 

It also proved to have an amusing secondary usage – my cat licks a lot and if I’m having a particularly allodynia-heavy day it’s not a pleasant experience. Enter the Wheat Bag of Cat Deterrence!

 

I also have some heat therapy neoprene gloves which are wonderful on days when my hands are stiff and painful. I’d advise to shop around – I settled on some which are thin enough to allow pretty normal dexterity but still have a close fit.

Other than that it’s just the everyday normal things that I’ve always loved and enjoyed. At heart I’m a person of simple pleasures – if I’ve access to a good book, some music and a hot bath I’m usually pretty happy. I recently chased down some books I read as a teenager which belonged to my Dad – Bernard Cornwell’s “The Warlord Chronicles” – and I’m happily falling hard and fast in love with them all over again.

(It's King Arthur Jim, but not as we know it! Heartily recommended. Image source unknown)

 

Continuing with all my old loves as much as possible seems to be a great help in keeping my mental state fairly neutral in terms of my illness, although I’d never be so dismissive as to say that chronic ill health doesn’t affect you mentally. Of course it does, but everyone’s different.

 

And in contradiction to what I’ve just said,my cat is definitely someone who “helps”. She’s a constant joy and an unconditional companion. On days when I’ve been stuck in bed she tends to come and sit with me, but seems to know not to sit “on” me as she usually would, and as any cat owner can attest to they do tend to make for chaos and hilarity on every possible occasion.

 

So, Misty should get a nod. Also known as Her Most Furry Whimsicality (she’s a very fluffy lady) and some of my Tumblr followers recently named her “Dovakhitty” due to her interrupting Skyrim in continually more inventive fashion. The current method is to sit directly in front of the monitor so I can’t see anything.

 

Alduin might not slay himself, but that’s of no consequence when it’s time for a cuddle.

 

(Dovakhitty strikes again.)