• Braces (ankle, knee, SI joint, abdomen, wrist, elbow, fingers)

• Pain relief arsenal (acetamenaphin, ibuprofen, diclofenac sodium cream, CBD cream, tiger balm)

• Heating pads and ice packs

• E-reader (lighter than a book)

• Stand for e-reader

• Many kinds of lotion for sensitive skin

• Neck pillow for my recliner (bonus: it’s cross stitched with a quote to remind me to listen to my body and not to the “shoulds” of the world)

• Body pillow

• Bags to carry anything, even just my keys

• TENS unit

• Indoor shoes with custom orthotics

• “Slippers” with cork footbeds and arch support

• Thigh high compression stockings

• Nightgaurd and two kinds of toothpaste

• Tools like scissors for opening bags, needle nose pliers for opening the “pull tab” on sealed bottles, and a jar opener

• Infinite PT and infinite resistance bands and exercise balls

• Book pillow for books and tablets

• SALT tablets, pickles, olives, and drink powders

• Meds for GERD, nerve pain, and varicose veins

• Avoid triggering activities

• Massage

• Dry needling

• Use of vacation time to manage fatigue

• Carefully curated diet

• Logistical strategy—which path at work has doors with handicapped openers

• Career changes

• Ring on phone case so I don’t have to grip so hard

• Cat support—this guy will not leave my side when I’m sick or post-op

• Last, but absolutely not least, my partner

@ehlers.danlos

#MyEDSChallenge

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#invisibleillness

#invisibledisability

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#ehlersdanlos

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