While I normally don’t talk about what gifts are helpful for those of us living with disabilities or chronic illnesses, I wanted to break with tradition this year and share some of my favorite gadgets and gizmos.
What changed my mind? Well, I’ve spent the last few weeks taking care of one of my guinea pigs. He’s been dealing with inflammation, pain, and an infection since the week of Halloween. If I could, I would love to get anything and everything that would be able to help him get lower pain levels.
This post contains affiliate links. That means I may monetarily benefit from you purchasing anything on this list. That said, payment for affiliates never comes at your expense. I also would not be promoting anything I didn’t personally appreciate, agree with, or review.
Benepod
Benepod is a new type of contrast therapy device which utilizes both hot and cold simultaneously to fight pain. By applying both hot and cold at the same time to a particular point on your body, the Benepod engages your bodies natural healing abilities by introducing a sensation known as the thermal grill illusion.
This device is used with a USB-C cable and must be plugged into a power source during use.
The research for the Benepod started back in the 1990s, meaning the company has been working hard at improving the device design to bring us the best possible one.
You can read my review or snag the Benepod on Amazon.
Fay Farm CBD Rejuvenation Lotion
This lotion contains CBD, essential oils, and even magnesium. It leaves the skin happy and healthy without the greasy feeling a lot of powerful lotions can leave behind.
Tech Care Pro TENS Unit
I’ve tried a number of TENS units, and this is the best one I’ve found for my own pain. The unit itself is light, compact, and easy to use. While it doesn’t have a pause button, it is powerful and I’ve never had to use it on medium levels at all.
You can read my review and snag your own on Amazon.
Oska
The Oska Pulse has the cutest name backstory involving helping a koala recover from injury.
The research is there that Oska works – they have a ton of journal articles and research on their site for your perusal. It’s much more a device for preventing pain than treating immediate pain.
You can read my review and SAVE big! For the rest of the year, Oska is on sale for $344 if you use the code NSSD here.
Quell
While my review was on their first edition, the new model is 50% smaller. It’s comparable to the size of a credit card now, making it less obvious that you’re wearing something on your leg. It has more power and more intuitive – it can adjust power on its own depending on your body positioning.
You can read my review. The code HOLIDAY30 saves you $30 off the Quell starter kit for the rest of 2018 here.
Axon Optics
I would not be alive if it weren’t for my Axon Optics and, no, that’s not an exaggeration.
My migraines were so awful over the last year that I was in a really bad place. My glasses were one the one thing that helped me get through my day. They help filter out some layers of light which have been shown to cause or worsen migraines. While these may not work for everyone, they’re a must – especially for those of us who stare at screens all day.
You can read my review and snag yours on Amazon.
Vogmask
Thanks to Kenzie, I got my first Vogmask. As I’ve started to remove allergens from my life due to MCAS, it’s become incredibly important for me to have a mask on me at all times. The Vogmask is compact, easy-to-carry in my bag or pocket, and look snazzy.
You can get yours from Amazon.
FaSoLa Pill Organizer
I love this round pill organizer! I put all of my emergency medications in them – and, yes, I have seven now. It’s compact enough to fit in my bag, but big enough to hold what I need. Plus, you push the button and the circle advances to the next compartment.
You can snag this on Amazon or at Walgreens.
Books
I love reading. While I haven’t read all of these books, they’re all sitting on my bookshelf waiting for when I have more time.
- Invisible: How Young Women with Serious Health Issues Navigate Work, Relationships, and the Pressure to Seem Just Fine | Amazon
- Ask Me About My Uterus: A Quest to Make Doctors Believe in Women’s Pain | Amazon
- Backbone: Living with Chronic Pain without Turning into One by Karen Duffy | Amazon
- When Doctors Don’t Listen: How to Avoid Misdiagnoses and Unnecessary Tests by Leana Wen & Joshua Kosowsky review | Amazon
- Doing Harm: The Truth About How Bad Medicine and Lazy Science Leave Women Dismissed, Misdiagnosed, and Sick by Maya Dusenbery | Amazon
- Sick: A Memoir by Porochista Khakpor | Amazon
- A Disability History of the United States by Kim E Nielsen | Amazon
- The Ultimate Guide to Sex and Disability by Miriam Kaufman, Cory Silverberg, and Fran Odette | Amazon
Of course, gift cards and quality time are always appreciated, too.
Looking for more chronically helpful gifts? Check out this list I curated on Amazon!