A Few Things That Are Making My Life Easier These Days

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. – 1 Peter 1:3-4

As stagnant as this life feels most days, one thing can be counted on; as soon as you start to feel comfortable and get a routine, things are bound to change.

I’ve had a lot of changes these days. A lot of hard changes. Definitely not the direction I want to be going in, and I’m having to process at the same time, that this is the way it’s going to be. I know that my inheritance is safe from all of this change and decay, and that gives me great peace.

I shared in my first book, a list of things that I have accepted as aids that have made my life easier and better. With so many changes flying at me, there have been needs that required new aids. I hope this post will encourage you to give yourself permission to let old aids go and embrace new and more involved ones. You are worth it.

Shower Chair and Shower Bar… sometimes bigger is better. My simple shower chair was no longer working for me. I now have a larger bench-style chair, still with a back and arm rest. It has a small seat that sits outside the shower so that I can sit while drying off and make an easier transition from shower to mobility chair. I also can no longer hold my wonderful handheld shower head. I was sad to see it go, but what I got instead makes me feel like I am at a spa! There is a shower head that will move up and down a bar, so that you can set it at the perfect height for you in the chair, and it sits right over you! These two items have really helped a difficult task (showering) to be more accessible and more enjoyable.

Laptops… what do you do when you no longer have a functioning lap? My legs could no longer take the weight and my arms could no longer shift the laptop on my lap. I now have an ingenious device which is an arm that attaches to the table next to me. It holds the laptop and can be positioned however I need it to be. If I am laying down, I can even position it pointing down so that I can use the laptop while resting my body. Arms like the one I have are also available for tablets or cell phones! Since I can no longer reach or hold my arms up, I have a cushioned lap desk with a wireless keyboard and a wireless mouse. I can position these anywhere I need to in order to be able to comfortably use them and not have to reach for the laptop.

Long-Handled Things… or I guess the proper term is “Reach Extenders”. I have hit the jackpot in this area! One of my favorites is a long-handled hairbrush. I can brush all my hair without lifting my arm even a smidge! It’s amazing. Keeping independence for as long as possible is very important to me! I also recently acquired a long-handled shoe horn! Have you seen these? Yay! I have to wear shoes all day every day, since my feet are doing their best to contort and we want to hold that off for as long as possible. The shoe horn gives me independence. Brian surprised me with an AWESOME gift a few weeks ago! It is a special nail clipper that has a large bar to hold in a fist grip instead of my clumsy fingers that have no strength. The head of the clippers will twist any which way, so I can easily adjust them depending on what my hands are doing that day and can flip them around to clip left or right handed. They are magical. Last but not least, I have a bath puff on a long handle. This helps me to be able to soap up without having to move my arms around much, or twist my body every which way. Love it.

Insomnia… how to self-sabotage a little less. I found an amazing FREE software that helps with insomnia. See, electronic devices can stimulate the brain and make it even harder for it to receive the signal that it’s bedtime. Mostly, this is due to blue light produced by the screen. What this software does is take your time zone into account, and treat the screen more like natural ambient light. It tones the blue light way down, and the screen colors get warmer and less bright as evening and then night approach. It really has made a big difference in the ability to feel sleepy. The name of this software is Flux and it’s just a quick, simple download onto your computer. You can find it here:
https://justgetflux.com/
You’re welcome.

What changes do you need to make in relation to your aids? Is it time for a few upgrades?

Don’t forget that many of these items can be found at second-hand stores or garage sales. Many churches keep these items on hand and are more than willing to help if they can. If all else fails, make a wish list and use it for each holiday and birthday. I’m praying you can get each and every item that would make life more doable.

King of kings, thank You for every blessing you enable each of us to attain. Please help us to shift the roadblock of our pride right out of the way. In Jesus’ Name, Amen…

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May God Bless You,

Shelly