Please feel free to add more resources in the comments, as we’re all always looking for things to help us manage our illness. But I ask that you follow these guidelines:
1. If you are involved with a particular product or service, please do not post your affiliate link. This is not the place for selling; it’s a place for gentle suggestions and offerings. If I see an affiliate link I will delete it.
2. Please do not judge or attack anyone or anything. Here we’re suggesting things in the spirit of, “Hey, I found something that really helps me, and I just want to offer it as a possibility for you to try, if you feel inspired.”
3. Please, no stories ending in, “…and then they were completely cured!” This page is about finding things to help us feel a little more comfortable, and gain a little bit of relief.
4. None of these links is an affiliate link; I don’t receive any money for recommending these products and services. I’m just sharing some things that I’ve found to be helpful.
The go-to resource for explaining what it’s like to live with chronic pain and illness:
–The Spoon Theory, by Christine Miserandino
These are a few of the products I’ve found to be helpful:
-My trusty Thera Cane. I spend a lot of time feeling like a gnarled-up old tree full of knots and hard places, and thanks to this lovely device I can reach almost anywhere on my body and loosen things up a bit.
-My Equadose Pill Splitter. This is the best pill cutter I’ve ever had; it cuts even the smallest pills without crumbling them. You can read my review here.
-My PillSuite. I love this product so much. It has completely streamlined the way I organize my medications. You can read my review here.
–FibroCane Serenitea. Calming, soothing tea. You can read my review here.
–Mo’s Dream Cream. Homeopathic pain relieving lotion. You can read my review here.
–Two Old Goats. Pain relieving lotion with the added bonus that it lets me ask my husband things like, “Where’s The Goat?”, and, “Can you lather me up with some Goat?”
People I love:
-Anna Guest-Jelley, creator of Curvy Yoga. Yoga for all levels, and for all types of bodies.
– Lynne Morrell. “Officially”, Lynne is a Personal Life Coach and Certified EFT Practitioner, but more than that she is my mentor, Wise Older Sister, Ass-Kicker (When I Need It), Fellow Bad-Ass Babe, Partner In Crime, and dear, dear friend. She is also a fellow chronic illness sufferer, so if you are needing support in managing your illness, there is no one I could possibly recommend more.
–Jennifer Louden. I’ve been a fan of Jen’s work for so many years that it’s hard for me to pick just one or two things to recommend. But two of my favorites would definitely have to be her Satisfaction Finder and her online community, The Oasis.
My go-to tool for managing the mental and emotional aspects of my illness.
–EFT, or, Emotional Freedom Technique. From the website:
EFT means “Emotional Freedom Techniques” and is a powerful self-help method based on research showing that emotional trauma contributes greatly to disease. Clinical trials have shown that EFT tapping is able to rapidly reduce the emotional impact of memories and incidents that trigger emotional distress.
Once the distress is reduced or removed, the body can often rebalance itself, and accelerate healing.
EFT uses elements of Cognitive Therapy and Exposure Therapy, and combines them with Acupressure, in the form of fingertip tapping on 12 acupuncture points. Over 20 clinical trials published in peer-reviewed medical and psychology journals have demonstrated that EFT is effective for phobias, anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, pain, and other problems.
I have used EFT on everything from migraines and fibro pain, to conflicts in my relationships, to my bipolar disorder. It is not a cure. I still suffer from chronic pain. I still have to do the work that’s necessary to have the relationships I want. Lord KNOWS I’m still bipolar. But EFT, or “tapping”, helps me start to relax and stop pushing against what’s going on, so I’m able to start releasing the emotional charge and shifting the habits and behaviors that are keeping me stuck and in pain.
