A Few Products That Can Make Life Easier

A Few Products That Can Make Life Easier

Through the Fog

There are a few products that have made a huge difference in my quality of life in this Fibro journey. Perhaps one or more might make life easier for you as well. Over the years I’ve tried many different things, as I’m sure you have, trying to be as comfortable as possible. I would also live to hear from you about the things that make your journey more tolerable, if not exactly more comfortable. I know some of these are expensive, but my husband and I decided they were worth the investment.

1. Tempur-Pedic adjustable bed. For a long time my pillow-top mattress was pretty comfortable. Then I started having a lot more hip and leg pain. Plus, I’m bed-bound most of the time due to severe fatigue, so I needed something I could adjust for comfort. Fabrics matter as well, and I got tired of my sheet wrinkling and bunching up, so I invested in a mattress cover that has a thick, super soft top … seriously heaven. So, no more sheets for me.

2. Snuz pillow. I can’t even tell you how many pillows I have gone through over the years, looking for the right amount of softness and comfort. I’ve tried expensive brand names as well inexpensive ones. What I love about this pillow is that is soft and comfortable, as well as washable. It’s guaranteed not to lose its shape. I used to wake up with neck pain and headaches every day, super rare since I started using this pillow.

3. Front hook Ultimate wireless bra by Amoureuse. I gave up wires a long time ago because it was too painful!! To be perfectly honest, unless I’m going out, I never wear a bra. I have developed issues with one of my shoulders that prevents that arm from reaching behind me. Besides being front hook, this bra is incredibly comfortable and pretty.

4. Squatty Potty. This has been great to take pressure off my sciatic nerve. It also positions my body in an anatomically correct position to take care of business.

5. Shower head with hand-held attachment. I’m very thankful that the shower in our bathroom has a built-in seat. It comes in handy when I lack the energy to stand. It’s at those times when the hand-held attachment is especially appreciated.

I apologize that some of this info is … ahem … rather personal. But I believe it could be helpful to others looking for similar solutions to common Fibro issues.

25 comments

  1. Dear Robin,
    I’m sure that I sent an email to Fibromyalgia News Today, regarding the clothing company that I’m building, that is tailored for those of us who live with chronic pain. I started on June 10th of this year and last I looked the Facebook page has 556 likes, and I plan to launch an Indigogo crowd funding campaign within the next couple of weeks. Although I will be sharing your advice on the wireless bra,since this is one of the most requested items, I am a bit worried at the lack of interest in a one of a kind clothing company, which caters to the needs of your readers. I’m wondering if a publication dedicated to helping those of us with Fibromyalgia isn’t interested, then what hopes have I of finding infuencers, or interest from any other? When I Google Fibromyalgia clothing, I see my purple butterfly logo on page 1 second or third down, so If there’s anything that you can see that I’m doing wrong, please tell me as I believe that there is a real need for what I have been working so hard to accomplish. Should I have crafted my email as a press release?

  2. I’ve never heard of the pillow you mentioned but I’ve laughed a few times at the youtube video for squatty potty 🙂 You’re talking about medical things so nothing is “ahem, too personal” if it helps. Great article as usual Robin.

  3. Susan says:

    Hi, Robin. Thanks for sharing about these products. I’ve had fibromyalgia for 35 years, so I’m always looking for any products that can help. I’m glad the Tempur-Pedic mattress works for you. We bought one two years ago. The overwhelming bad smell was more than everyone in the family could bear, so we returned it. (I read online that quite a few people have had problems with that smell and even been sick from it.) We had to sleep on our recliners in the living room for a month until the ‘trial period’ was over and they would take the bed away and refund our money. It took a while to air our our bedroom after the bed was gone. Thankfully, the new regular bed we bought after that has been just perfect for me.

    I completely agree about the shower head with the hand-held attachment – it has been an enormous help for me! Showering is hard and exhausting, but this device makes it much easier. I like the idea of a seat in the shower. There are times I could have used that. When we travel, I really like the curved shower rod so the shower curtain doesn’t touch me. We can’t put one in at our apartment, but someday, I will have a curved shower rod! 🙂

    • Robin Dix says:

      Susan, I’m sorry you had a bad experience. We kept a fan on ours and the smell went away in a couple of days, but it wasn’t horrible. It’s hard for people to understand just how exhausting taking a shower is. Thankfully our shower has a door and not a curtain ????????

    • Julie Johnson says:

      The odor was always an issue, always is, for me too. I’ve had neck pillows that I had to get rid of due to the odor, so I knew enough to ask questions about the odor of the Tempur-Pedic mattresses too. I’m very sensitive to odors – I think a lot of us are. Sorry you had to go through that trial period for so long. That was crazy that they made you wait a full month before taking it back. Wow.

  4. Heather says:

    Hi Robin!

    Thank You for sharing your helpful gadgets. I also have trouble with sciatica in bed. It’s very painful for me to really be able to sleep on my right side. One thing I have used for years, even before I was diagnosed with fibro, is China Gel. This stuff is great for me and my overall aches and pains at night. It is also relaxing with its cooling effect. It’s not cheap, but like your said, sometimes you have to invest a little to feel bettter. Unfortunately, most of the time heat makes things worse for me.

  5. Julie Johnson says:

    Hi. Since most of us are attached to our heating pads for eternity, I searched and searched for an extra large one to at least encompass my neck through to my hips. Nothing in “heating pads” ever came big enough, but when I tried years back and another product, and then recently bought a newer updated one, it’s been the ticket – especially for the cold weather months. This is the one I purchased, and it’s been worth every penny: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RFYFJGO/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
    Thanks for the great suggestions in your article!

    • Anita Krsak says:

      A few years ago I purchased a massage table warming pad from drugstore.com (now Walgreens). It is 78″x 26″, and has straps to hold it on the massage table that I don’t use. I just put it on the bed and lay on it. Very soothing! I noticed their price is now around $70, but Amazon.com has several brands from $40 up.
      I’d say the only disadvantage is that you must lay on it instead of wrapping it around places that hurt. For me, the total body warmth works great.

  6. Grace from Australia says:

    This last winter I started using a microfiber blanket on top of my mattress. It made sure that the cold from downstairs did not penetrate and that in turn helped with the pain which is always worse in winter. It was the old-fashioned micro-fibre not the new very slippery material. I have an electronic blanket to warm to bed up but, unless it’s really cold, don’t have it on during the night.

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