Tag Archives: wheelchair

The Disabled Diva Blog Weekend Recap May 20-24, 2019

fibromyalgia, Product Picks, psoriatic arthritis, Raising awareness, Weekly Recaps May 24, 2019 Leave a comment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Disabled Diva Blog Weekend Recap May 20-24, 2019

This week……..

I asked readers for their thoughts on natural and alternative healthcare products.  My poll ends soon, so click here to add your two cents!

I also shared tips to help you spend less time in bed and more time outside enjoying your vacation.  Click here to improve your next vacation!

And last but not least I shared some skin cancer prevention tips! Click here to check them out and to learn more about Don’t Fry Day!

 

Are you a member of Making Chronic Pain My Bitch with The Disabled Diva?

If not and you want to learn more about relieving pain with natural and alternative pain relief options, click here to join.  Members have an opportunity to win a natural pain relieving stick when they join my think tank (post is located in the announcements of the group) to name my second website.  My new site will focus only on herbal remedies, including cannabis. From how to use it, information about each strain, user reviews, recipes, and more!

 

*Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links. Meaning that at no additional cost to you, I receive a commission when you make a purchase through my links. The proceeds earned fund the giveaways I host in my Facebook groups.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Disabled Diva Blog Weekend Recap May 13-17, 2019

Weekly Recaps May 18, 2019 Leave a comment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Disabled Diva Blog Weekend Recap May 13-17, 2019

Only one blog post this week:

I’m so tired, my tired is tired!

$33.00 worth of some of my favorite products is available for only a total of only $4.00!!!!

Click here to grab this deal before it disappears.

Are you a member of Making Chronic Pain My Bitch with The Disabled Diva?

If not and you want to learn more about relieving pain with natural and alternative treatments, click here to join.  Members have an opportunity to win a natural pain relieving stick when they join my think tank (post is located in the announcements of the group) to name my second website.  My new site will focus only on cannabis. From how to use it, information about each strain, user reviews, recipes, and more!

 

*Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links. Meaning that at no additional cost to you, I receive a commission when you make a purchase through my links. The proceeds earned fund the giveaways I host in my Facebook groups.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Disabled Diva Blog Weekend Recap April 1-5, 2019

Weekly Recaps April 5, 2019 Leave a comment

the disabled diva blog recap april 1 vacation, cannabis review, arnica salve, pain relief, mobility aids, choosing the right one

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Disabled Diva Blog Weekend Recap April 1-5, 2019

  1. White Widow Marijuana Strain Review: Cannabis posts are now password protected.  Click here to learn how to access them.  
  2. How to plan the best summer vacation despite your chronic illness
  3. Arnica Salve Review
  4. Choosing a Mobility Aid That Fits Your Needs and Lifestyle  
  5. Looking for new slippers? Click here for a selection that is fun and comfy!

  New Deals!

*Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links. Meaning that at no additional cost to you, I receive a commission when you make a purchase through my links. The proceeds earned fund the giveaways I host in my Facebook groups.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Choosing a Mobility Aid That Fits Your Needs and Lifestyle

Chronic Life, Mobility April 2, 2019 Leave a comment

choosing a mobility aid that fits your needs and lifestyle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Choosing a Mobility Aid That Fits Your Needs and Lifestyle

Getting used to the idea that a mobility aid will enhance your life isn’t always an easy one.  Click here to find out why you should never feel embarrassed or ashamed about using one.  Whether this step takes place before or after you begin using one, you still need to figure out which mobility aid is going to be the best fit for your needs and lifestyle so you don’t waste precious time and money on ones that aren’t a fit.

*Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links. Meaning that at no additional cost to you, I receive a commission when you make a purchase through my links. The proceeds earned fund the giveaways I host in my Facebook groups.

Balance

Is balance an issue for you?

Do you find that you need a little something to help keep you upright as you move about your home or while on the go?

Canes are a fantastic option when you need a little stability.  I prefer one that is able to stand upright by itself.  There is no need to find somewhere to hang them nor do they slide off of rails, chairs, etc. and onto the floor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Walking down dark hallways or outdoors after sunset can be dangerous even with a cane.  Click here to check out a cane that is equipped with a flashlight to help you see where you are walking!

Canes don’t have to be boring and cute ones don’t have to be extravagant like the blue diamond cane that Selma Blair rocked at the Oscars.  Click here to view a sizzling purple cane that will surely draw more compliments than remarks questioning your need for a mobility aid.  However, if you really want something that will turn heads at a swanky event, you need to click here for some fancier options.

Another option for stability in the home is a basic walker.  I do not recommend it for outdoor use as it doesn’t have wheels, but it is a safer option than a rollator for indoor use.

Crutches and walking sticks are additional options that you may be interested in.

Balance and a place to rest while on the go

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have been using a rollator for balance while on the go since 2007.  However, my rollator solves more problems besides aiding my stability.  It gives me a place to sit when my feet, knees, or back need a moment to rest.  My rollator provides a place to put my feet up on when sitting on a park bench.  It also reduces how much shoulder and back muscle strain I must endure from my purse or backpack.  Instead of wearing them on my body, I often hang them or place them on the seat of my rollator.

Because of a yet to be diagnosed issue with my intestines, I am not currently able to walk very much and have had to return to using my wheelchair more than my rollator once again.  Before this new health issue became as severe of a problem as it currently is, I was ready to purchase the rollator/transport chair combo pictured below.  It easily transforms from a rollator to a transport chair.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This mobility aid would have allowed me to walk when I could and to be safely pushed by family when I couldn’t.  I will be purchasing this, but not until we are closer to this latest health issue being resolved.  Instead for now I need to look at something that will allow me to keep my independence without enduring physical pain.

Click here to see a variety of rollator options, I guarantee there is one that will fit your needs!

Independence

Depending on your abilities, a standard wheelchair may be what allows you to remain independent.  But if you are like me and your body will not tolerate the physical movement it takes to propel one, you will either need someone to assist you or choose to purchase an electric model.

If you are looking for an inexpensive wheelchair that is tougher than it looks, you need to check out the one that I have.  I purchased it in the fall of 2016 and although it collected dust in the garage during 2018, it is a tough model that will see me through many more years.  This wheelchair has been rammed into curbs, walls, poles, you name it and you would never know by how it performs or looks.  Click here to read my original review of it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although this is the most affordable option for me at the moment, I am looking into purchasing a motorized one to allow me to keep my independence for as long as possible.

My father in-law recently purchased this beauty.  He and my mother in-law have taken it on several trips and love it.  It folds up and is easy to transport in their vehicle and gets him everywhere he wants to go. It allows them to enjoy walks without him having to spend days and weeks in physical agony.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While not ideal for most indoor settings, with the exception of grocery and big box stores, the scooter below is the perfect option for getting around your neighborhood.  It can also breakdown to fit into your trunk so you could use it at Disneyland, cruise the boardwalk at your favorite beach, or for a day at the zoo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click here for more manual and motorized wheelchair options.

Whatever you choose, please remember this……

There is no reason to be ashamed for needing to use a mobility aid.  I don’t care how old or young you are, if your lack of mobility is forcing you to stay home and is isolating you from friends and family, put your pride aside and find the mobility aid that best suits your needs.

My abilities fluctuate often. This is why I have a fleet of mobility aids and not just one.  In the past 3 years there have been days when I haven’t needed any assistance, some where a cane kept me from toppling over, my walker saved my knees and back, and that my wheelchair allowed me to spend time with friends and family without accruing a high level of pain.

Which one or what combination of mobility aids would enhance your life?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tears: I hold them back, until pain pushes them out

Chronic Life, Health issues March 4, 2019 Comments: 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tears: I hold them back, until pain pushes them out

If you see me crying, know that you are witnessing pain that I hope you never have to feel.

Whether it is one single tear rolling down my cheek or many pouring out of my eyes, they still represent the kind of pain you secretly wish upon the most wickedest of people.

Types of tears

Mourning

Living with chronic pain from illnesses such as fibromyalgia, psoriatic arthritis, endometriosis, abdominal adhesions, degenerative disc disease, and coccydynia forced me to change my life. Like most other chronically ill people, I had to say good-bye to my old life. We literally bury our old lives. We don’t move on, instead we start anew, which is terrifying in a body that is riddled with diseases we know nothing about.

*Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links. Meaning that at no additional cost to you, I receive a commission when you make a purchase through my links. The proceeds earned fund the giveaways I host in my Facebook groups.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fear

It doesn’t matter what type of disease a person has, it could be an autoimmune, neurological, or parasitic disease and each person will fear what the future holds for them.  How long until they can’t walk?  How fast will their disease progress?  What if a cure is never found? Will I ever find pain relief?  How can I afford to live?  Who will take care of me?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Frustration

With every chronic illness comes frustration.  We are frustrated by many things such as but not limited to: not being able to do what we could before becoming sick, having our friends, family, and even doctors doubt our pain and illness, over the cost of care and medications that rarely help, from trying to be stronger than you are……

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Physical pain

Even with the best pain management plan, chronic pain is always there.  Even when I managed to bring my daily pain level down to 0-3, I was devastated by the pain I experienced from my car accident last year and later the fall I took while on my morning walk.  When I fell, the pain pushed the tears out of my eyes.  I had no idea I was even crying until my daughter noticed.  People who have lived in pain as long as I have don’t cry for no reason. Nor do we cry over minor pain.  So if someone who has lived with pain for 20 years starts crying because of a pain, it is serious.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Because I live with multiple chronic illnesses, I was shocked to be able to reduce the pain from all of them for as long as I did.  Unfortunately, the damage that I have sustained in my abdomen (problems with endometriosis and adhesions began in 2003) are continually presenting themselves and the worst part is there is nothing I can do to stop it.  Whenever I think I have calmed the storm that is taking place inside my belly, it comes back and laughs in my face. I am trying to be strong, I am trying to not allow it to disrupt my life, I am trying to hide from my family just how bad it is, but I am failing…… the tears that I keep whisking away give it all away……..

I am not going to tell you to hold back your tears.  Nor am I going to tell you to spend the rest of your life crying.  What I am going to tell you is this:  Trust your instincts! Fight for your body! Don’t give up and try everything.  Thankfully I do have a great pain management plan that is keeping all my other chronic illnesses happy at the moment. I honestly do not believe that I could go on if they were all flaring at the moment.  Find what works for you, even if it means doing what I did which was trying things that aren’t considered the norm in our healthcare system.

Never be ashamed of your tears.  They talk when your mouth can’t bring forth the words you need to say.

 

Therapy when you need it, where you want it…. ****** Save 20% when you click here to enroll.

 

 

 

 

 

 

What Happens When I Live My Old Life

DisneyAbility February 27, 2019 1 Comment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What happens when I live my old life

I received my cluster of diagnoses during the early 2000’s.  During that time not one doctor urged, nudged, or hinted to me that I needed to make changes to how I lived my life.  Not ONE!!!

Instead of issuing warnings or advice to improve the quality of my life, my doctors insisted that they would be able to find the right pill(s) to offset my symptoms and pain.  Of course everything they tried failed.  Click here if you would like to take a peek at the pain management plan that finally helped reduce the pain I experience from fibromyalgia, psoriatic arthritis, psoriasis, degenerative disc disease, coccydynia, and abdominal adhesions from endometriosis and surgical scarring.

Between the false hope my doctors were issuing and the pressure from friends and family to get better, making changes to how I lived never crossed my mind.  But it should have and here is why:

When I live my old life:

  • I ignore the needs of my body/chronic illnesses
  • I injure myself more often
  • I spend more time in bed than actually living my life
  • My family loses precious time with me
  • I spend more time and money seeing doctors and visiting emergency rooms
  • I took no responsibility towards reducing my pain.  I trusted and followed everything my doctors said.

*Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links. Meaning that at no additional cost to you, I receive a commission when you make a purchase through my links. The proceeds earned fund the giveaways I host in my Facebook groups.

Why changes had to be made

  • The longer I ignored the needs of my body/illnesses, the sicker I became and more damage was done to my body
  • Refusing to accept the need to use a mobility aid created more opportunities to fall, which I did often.  Each fall resulted with either a broken bone or blood clot.
  • I was killing myself
  • My family needed me
  • I would rather take my family to Disneyland, then to spend money and time in the emergency room over an injury that could have been prevented had I listened to my body, done things differently, or utilized a mobility aid.
  • I had to take responsibility and to accept that my doctor may never be able to help me.

 

Changes that literally changed my chronic life

  • I made friends with my diseases.  I got to know them and my body so well that I after awhile I could feel the beginning stages of a flare coming on.  In the past, I just pushed until I collapsed.
  • Using mobility aids may have been hard to accept on an emotional level, but when I look back and see how little I have fallen since I began using them, I know I made the right decision.
  • By recognizing and addressing signs of a flare or physical distress I am able to avoid complications like my body mimicking a stroke or muscles freezing to the point of feeling rock hard for months on end.
  • Spending the amount of time that I do in caring for my body, doing things differently, accepting what I can’t do, and letting go of unrealistic expectations has gifted me with less time in bed and more out making memories with my family.
  • I took responsibility and charge over my care.  I researched and tried alternative treatments. While I may spend more money on those treatments than any pill that my insurance would cover, I save by not having to visit my doctor for a refill every month and not visiting the emergency room throughout the year. Click here to read about my pain management plan.

All of these changes, plus others that you can read about in my eBook Make Pain Your Bitch: How to Dominate Your Chronic Life, has restored my independence.  Going grocery shopping no longer makes me anxious, because I can finally do it without needing a day or two to recuperate.  I can drive and clean my house again.

Now I am not saying that everyone who reads my book and follows my pain management plan will have the same results.  The changes you need to make may differ, but no matter what, any change that involves listening to and respecting your body/disease is going to improve your life.

Don’t make the mistake I did by waiting 12 years before even accepting that there was no way I could go on living like I used to.

Living our old lives doesn’t make us strong, instead it makes us weaker.

Living our old lives does more than increase our physical pain, it hurts us and our loved ones emotionally too.

Are you still living your old life? 

Whether you are or not, I challenge you to examine your day to day life and pick one area/task that could be done differently, in a way that won’t increase your pain level.  Then make that change.  You don’t have to change every aspect of your life immediately, take your time and make your changes one step at a time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One PEMF Device, Two Years, Tons of Pain Relief!

Chronic Life, fibromyalgia, Health issues, lifestyle, Oska Pulse, pain relief, psoriatic arthritis February 23, 2019 Leave a comment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two years!!!

I am not always thrilled to try new pain relief products.  I am skeptical and rightfully so as most really don’t help to the extent that someone who lives with excruciating chronic pain needs.  My attitude was no different when I was asked to try Oska Pulse.  I figured the worst case scenario would be that it didn’t work and I could warn my readers before they forked over several hundreds of dollars.  Thankfully I decided to give it a chance, because as you will see, it has changed my life.

*Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links. Meaning that at no additional cost to you, I receive a commission when you make a purchase through my links. The proceeds earned fund the giveaways I host in my Facebook groups. I am not a medical professional and am not issuing medical advice.

I began using PEMF therapy with Oska Pulse in late November 2016.  I wasn’t diligent about running daily treatments, yet I still experienced enough pain relief to know that this device was something special. On March 24, 2017 I began using my drug free pain relief device in the manner it should be, daily and often.  That is when I experienced what this device could truly do.  I remember how giddy I felt after the first pain that my doctors said I would never live without, disappeared.  Then the next and the next….. I was so excited and couldn’t wait to see what the future held.

To keep track of and to share my results, I began blogging about my experience.  Click here to read all of my PEMF therapy posts.  Short on time? No worries, I have the highlights covered below!

 

Background

I have experienced chronic pain from fibromyalgia, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, endometriosis, degenerative disc disease, and coccydynia since the mid nineties.  My first diagnosis, psoriasis, was received in February of 2001.  The rest minus coccydynia were received between the fall of 2003 through the spring of 2004.  Coccydynia was added in early 2008 after falling and breaking my tailbone for the first time.  In 2011 my doctors said that my degenerative discs were bone on bone.  The pain was unbelievable and completely devastating.  I couldn’t walk, sit, or stand for more than five minutes.  I had to use a wheelchair for all outings and still had to limit how long I sat, even on a donut hole pillow.

There was some improvement after I stopped following my doctor’s pain relief protocol and swapped it for a natural and alternative approach.  By the time I tried PEMF therapy, I had been following this approach for several years and was able to walk through a grocery store once a week without too much pain.

I had no idea what to expect with PEMF therapy.  Because I had made peace with having to use a wheelchair, I would have been happy to use it a little less…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Four months

Click here to watch my video explaining the improvements I experienced up to the four month mark.

No time? Here are the highlights:

  1. Adhesions no longer holding my bowels hostage
  2. No longer needed days to recover from exercising
  3. Decrease in sacrum pain
  4. Decreased how often I needed pain relief medication during daytime hours

Six months

Click here to watch my video explaining the improvements I experienced up to the six month mark.

  1. Full relief from sacrum pain
  2. Nerve pain from surgical error is no longer a daily pain
  3. Was able to walk 2 miles without needing days to recover

One year

Click here to read my one year recap.

  1. Retired my wheelchair
  2. Only experiencing weather related flares, but they are less often and less painful than in the past.
  3. Ability to walk farther increased
  4. Increased energy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today

In the past year I have had to use my wheelchair twice.  Once for a day at Disneyland after a car accident injury and the other time because of abdominal pain.  The abdominal pain was from having my internal organs once again under attack from adhesions.  As you may remember, they were one of the first things I experienced relief with when I began using my device full time in March of 2017.  I believe it was in my 6th months recap that I address how I tested the device by not using it on my belly for a couple of days, how the pain returned, but then went away after focusing treatment on it again.

Well, during the time that I was recovering from the car accident, I focused all treatment on my neck and shoulder. Months later after I healed from the accident, I fell while walking and once again treatment was not focused on my abdomen.  Then just as I was ready to refocus on my belly, I came down with bronchitis and needed my device to keep my chest from becoming too congested.  During that time, adhesions resumed their mayhem.

Eight months was too long to not have fulltime treatment on my abdominal adhesions.  Because my HMO has made it clear that surgery is no longer an option for me, PEMF therapy is my only hope for continual relief and is why I am purchasing a second device, just for me.  This way I can run the fulltime treatments that my belly requires, while using the second device to go after problem areas as they cry out.  Some days it is my knees, sacrum, neck, or feet.  Some days, my belly is the only area that needs addressing, but it needs it every day.

Most days, when my abdominal pain is lower, I am able to walk all day at Disneyland using my rollator and not need time to recover.  Outside of the problems brought on by my abdominal adhesions, I only experience weather related flares from my other chronic illnesses.  Fibromyalgia, psoriatic arthritis, psoriasis, degenerative disc disease, and coccydynia no longer rule my life!!!!  I do!!

I can drive without pain! I can shop without pain! I have regained all the independence that I had not only lost, but that my doctors said I would never have again!

Did it take time? YES!!

Was it worth it?  YES!!

Click here to learn more about this amazing drug free pain relief device.

Use discount code DIVA to save $55.00 when you are ready to give it a try!

Because seriously, you have nothing to lose except pain!

Click here for a list of all the different illnesses, pains, conditions, and symptoms that PEMF therapy has been shown to help.

Click here to compare Oska Pulse with other available brands of PEMF devices

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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