Happy International Wheelchair Day 2026!

My NHS wheelchair

I’m very proud to be part of the wheelchair community. For me I’m an ambulatory wheelchair user, that means that I can stand and mobilise without a wheelchair; when I’m not using my wheelchair I use crutches to help me get around.

However I always use my wheelchair when I go out; sometimes I’ll also use my Batec if I know I’m going to struggle pushing myself. When I had my NHS InvaCare Action 3 wheelchair it was impossible to use inside but my new wheelchair allows me to use it inside. This makes life easier but also much safer as I can’t stand for too long as well I can have a very off-balance gait when walking plus when I stand up I get very dizzy and lightheaded and at times want to faint. So transferring into my wheelchair solves a lot of these problems.

March is a special month for me as last year towards the end of this month I got the delivery of my GTM Mustang wheelchair and the difference it’s made to my life has been incredible especially when I compare it to my previous NHS wheelchair.

My GTM Mustang

For me now my wheelchair means freedom and independence. Some of the customisations make it possible for me to use a manual wheelchair. My chair is very lightweight and I have lightweight Spinergy wheels. The lighter the chair the easier it is to push. I also have CarboLife L push rims with gekko grip which give me a bit of extra pushing power.

I actually like being seen in my wheelchair now and I like being seen as an independent wheelchair user. For example if I’m in a supermarket instead of my PA carrying the basket I’ll have the basket with my shopping in it on my lap thanks to my LapStacker which secures the basket on my lap.

For any wheelchair user I highly recommend getting a LapStacker!

I also love my Batec attachment. It’s a power add-on and since getting it it’s really helped my mental health. Even just getting out around my estate for some fresh air does me wonders. I went out yesterday just for a little ride, I was very glad I wrapped up warm and put my BundleBean on too for added warmth. But just that journey after being in the house for days really helped.

I’ve also done some wheelchair skills training with Freedom Wheelchair Skills. Stuart was a great coach and I learnt a lot and gained more confidence as a wheelchair user. I just need to practice and perfect my ability to do backwards balance (pushing your chair on your back wheels).

My Batec Mini 2

I think I’m very lucky to have my GTM wheelchair and Batec. I’m so grateful for to have them. I’m just taking each day as it comes as maybe in 3 or 5 years my needs might change with my wheelchair and I might need to add something like a SmartDrive to assist me. Who knows.

One of the things I recently highlighted at my local supermarket was the lack of an accessible scan as you shop checkout for wheelchairs. As amazing as my PA is I want to be able to do things for myself rather than rely upon her. We also highlights how the scanners are chosen at random so as a wheelchair user if I was on my own I’d be unable to reach a chosen scanner that was either at the top or at the bottom. The world just definitely isn’t made for wheelchairs but hopefully things are moving forward in the transport industry, in allowing wheelchair users to go on holiday, to access work, entertainment venues, hairdressers, shops, cafés, supermarkets and more.

So, what is International Wheelchair Day all about?

• It was founded in 2008 by Steve Wilkinson
• Today celebrates the freedom and independence wheelchairs bring to the disabled community 
• Today also highlights the need for more provision of wheelchairs and those who don’t have access to one
• Today also highlights the inaccessibility for wheelchair users such as the lack of ramps and lifts as well as more advocacy for wheelchair users 

My journey with anorexia

Eating disorder recovery symbol

* TW: Eating disorders and self harm*

Back when I was a teenager I really struggled with a lot of things. Home was difficult due to my mum’s BPD. School wasn’t great either. I was bullied in both primary and secondary school. I never felt like I fitted in anywhere, especially with my peers. I’d try to change myself to fit in but I felt awkward. I preferred the company of adults like the dinner ladies on duty in the playground or teachers. In primary school I’d much rather spend my break and lunch periods in the classroom tidying the classroom and doing jobs for my teacher. 

The move to secondary school I found really unsettling. This quickly brought on feelings of anxiety and depression; I was already deliberately hurting myself in different ways. I struggled to cope with the change of teachers and classrooms. I also found the playground dynamics difficult too. I’d gone from enjoying playing double Dutch skipping in the playground at primary school to just everyone using the playground to stand around in their cliques in. I struggled even more to try and fit in and to change myself as I moved around groups.

More often than not though I was bullied than being friends with people; if it wasn’t one person or group of people bullying me physically and/or verbally it would be another person or group. 

I took to spending my breaks and lunch periods in either the library or my favourite teacher’s classroom. 

I’d always avoided the canteen from day one as I found it too small for purpose and it was noisy and overwhelming. Not eating meant I could spend my whole lunch period in the library of my music teacher’s classroom. 

My only refuge at secondary school from feeling overwhelmed and anxious was to spend time in SEN unit doing worksheets so I didn’t have to be in the main school building. It saved me the stress and panic and worry of changing classrooms and teachers as well as being away from all the bullies.

Very soon my eating disorder took hold. It quickly went from skipping lunch at school to not wanting to eat at home too. I very soon became a vegetarian as it was something I could cut out of my diet. (I’m still a vegetarian now and always will be but I do it for the animals now.) 

Eating disorders are very manipulative. I remember my dad saying he’ll take me to the GP and I bargained with him that if I eat my packed lunch we won’t go. I made it look like I had so voilà no GP. However I annually saw my paediatrician for my spinal curvature and I got on well with him. I remember telling him how dark I felt and we spoke about my eating. My paediatrician diagnosed clinical depression and anorexia.

Very quickly treatment changed. I had to start seeing a dietitian who had zero clue about eating disorders and she was expecting me to do the impossible. I also had to see my paediatrician twice a week. That just lead to me spiralling even deeper. Eventually in October time I self-harmed by taking a small overdose. This fast tracked me to CAMHS: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. I started psychotherapy sessions with the CAMHS therapist that assessed me in hospital; she came to play a key role in my journey. Unfortunately I was in too deep with my eating disorder and depression and a couple of months later I was admitted to my first inpatient unit.

Going into hospital almost saved me in a weird way. I hated inpatient treatment but that first admission got me away from everything that was bothering me school and home.

I spent the next several years in various inpatient units. I restored my weight each time but it didn’t work on me emotionally. I think the problem was the lack of talking therapies. I’d get discharged but I’d quickly relapse and be admitted to another unit. I think what worked for me was in my last unit there was a social worker in that unit and I talked to her about home and basically my mum left and that really helped me. I was able to stay at home and what helped me to recover was my CAMHS therapist. I was in therapy with her for several years and slowly I opened up to her. I honestly think I owe my life to her and I will never forget her.

I relapsed with my anorexia again last year. I think the trigger this time was not feeling in control of my health and care maybe? I actually asked for help this time. I was assessed and then offered outpatient therapy. 

There were times earlier when I struggled with outpatient therapy and did want to consider inpatient treatment again but equally I really wanted to try and stay in my own home especially as I now have my own home. I’m still in outpatient therapy. It’s tough going and it’s often a real struggle but my therapist (who I get on well with thankfully), with has made a lot of suggestions to help me at home.

The therapy I’m doing at the moment is CBT-ED so it’s CBT specifically designed for eating disorders. I find my therapist challenges my thinking a lot or will get me explain something I say. I’ve also been shown a lot of resources some are general information to learn about various aspects of eating disorders then some resources my therapist gave me were aimed at specific things I struggle with as part of my eating disorder. I’ve found the education really helpful partly because I like to know and learn things but also it helps me understand my eating disorder. I really struggle with my body image but that topic isn’t worked upon until my weight is restored, something I’m making slow progress with and struggling with as well. 

Recovery takes time but equally recovery is possible.

Beat

Information and resources

Helpline - telephone, email, 1:1 web chat 

13 years later

February this year 13 years on way back from 2013 marks the month my life changed forever. I’d had the flu from which I never seemed to have recovered from. 

On top of my ongoing flu I was experiencing that February in 2013 I also had my first tonic-clonic seizure. Before February at first I was having like daydreaming moments but my head would feel really fuzzy and I’d be really confused afterwards. I now know these to be absence seizures. But once I’d had my first tonic-clonic seizure I was having different types of seizures multiple times a day.

Living undiagnosed

I plan to write a specific blogpost on this topic however living with undiagnosed symptoms was so difficult in so many different ways. I’d get so frustrated with myself and I’d blame myself over my symptoms and not understanding what was happening to me or why. It was also scary and bewildering when new symptoms developed or when my health would worsen. I didn’t know what to do for the best for myself. Like should I try and exercise more but then I was struggling with my mobility and was using a walking stick the right thing to do? Did I need more coffee, more sleep, less sleep, supplements if so which ones?!

I also developed medical trauma from having my seizures but also from the things I heard and saw in hospital especially when in A&E resus but also from experiencing medical gaslighting. 

Doctors and nurses didn’t always treat me so well, physically and verbally and mentally. When I had seizure clusters they wouldn’t give me the medication I needed on my care plan. Then when my EEG’s showed my seizures weren’t epileptic some doctors and nurses assumed I was faking my seizures for attention, or drug seeking or I was mentally unwell among other things.  

Diagnosis time

Getting a diagnosis finally in 2017 was such a relief. I saw a specialist neurologist who specialised in FND and he diagnosed me Functional Neurological Disorder, this is a problem with the brain and spinal cord not sending messages around the body properly causing a plethora of symptoms. He also picked up in the appointment that alongside my FND I also had a condition called M.E. a Neuro-immune disorder that has a variety of symptoms.

Finally after years of living with undiagnosed symptoms, not being believed, being diagnosed repeatedly by my GP with Post Viral Fatigue Syndrome and just being told rest would make me better and countless times going to my GP asking for help and referrals and for tests all to come back normal I had names to my symptoms I could finally say I have FND and M.E. However but more importantly I knew I could finally stop blaming and beating myself up because I knew nothing was my fault.

My neurologist in his physical exam also picked up signs of Ehlers-Danlos so he referred me to an EDS specialist rheumatologist. After a genetic test to rule out vascular EDS I was diagnosed with Hypermobile EDS. With that new diagnosis came things like signs it was missed when I was a child as EDS is hereditary so I was born with it. I also had some of the same thoughts as when I was diagnosed with FND and M.E. The EDS diagnosis did make sense why I so easily subluxed and dislocated my joints; this was one thing I always wondered when I had my seizures.

Post-diagnosis 

It wasn’t easy however after diagnosis. I had to change my life a lot. I had to learn what triggered my seizures, and how to manage my symptoms better as well as how to pace myself. I also had to understand the conditions themselves. 

With my EDS diagnosis I had to do physio but with M.E. I experienced exercise intolerance and it would worsen my symptoms so I had to learn to do my physio but in a careful way that didn’t upset my M.E. too much. It was a fine balance at first.

Also with my EDS diagnosis came appointments for being fitted for splints and I had to learn when to wear them and when not to.

Becoming members of charities to do with my various illnesses really helped me in the early stages. This is something I’d recommend doing to anyone newly diagnosed. You can access a lot of information sheets and other resources as well as helplines and communities with others with your illness. I also got a staying safe with seizures booklet from Epilepsy Action which really helped.

There was already a lot I safely wasn’t able to do because of my seizures like use a kettle, cook, use the stairs, go out alone or drive and so much more.

Life now

Fast forward 13 years and my health has worsened over the years. I’ve had to fight a lot to get the care I need both from the NHS and also adult social care. 

My social care is now more-or-less sorted. I have two fabulous PAs, I just unfortunately have to use a care agency once a fortnight as there’s still a PA vacancy for then (the vacancy has been open 6 years but I remain hopeful). 

I’ve been lucky to get the equipment I need without really asking. I have a profiling bed with hybrid airflow mattress; I also have a bath lift and I’m waiting for a ramp for my back garden. My housing association have also been really good at adapting my bungalow for me too.

Some of the things I safely couldn’t do I’m now finding ways to be able to do those things. Sometimes it’s because I have the support of my PAs, or my seizures are better managed now I’m on medication or because I’m more attuned to my triggers but also because I have more confidence. Like 5 years ago I wouldn’t have thought it possible for me to be able to live alone. Also more recently like a year ago I wouldn’t have thought it possible for me to go out alone but now I have my Batec I share my live location with my PA who is at my home and I’ll take off for a short ride.

My GTM wheelchair and my Batec especially have been the best things I’ve ever bought. Since getting my Batec it does my mental health wonders. I’m just hating all this horrible weather at the moment as I’m missing going out so I’m looking forward to Spring and Summer.

I’ve also discovered more adaptations, aids and disability gadgets that help me and give me more independence.

I’m still learning how to get pacing and activity management done properly. It really isn’t my strength and it’s something I really want to get better at.

It is hard to see how my health has worsened over the years; I think because it’s been gradual I haven’t noticed it until I compare myself to how I am year upon year. Sometimes I have crashes to varying degrees with my M.E. and I’ll deteriorate, (personally my FND doesn’t fluctuate my symptoms just remain the same), and then I’ll have periods where my health will stabilise but not with much significant improvement and then something will trigger another crash. Read about M.E. crashes here. My EDS has also had a lot of complications. Also both with my M.E. and EDS I’ve developed secondary conditions which I have to manage.

Grief

I still sometimes grieve for my old life. When I used to be able to dance and do yoga so well. Or travel on a train or do volunteer work. Part of me thinks about Uni and graduating but another part of me wasn’t happy at uni and I wish I’d done another course at a different university. I think I only went for the course I did was because it was an undergraduate masters and it seemed daft to turn that offer down at the time. Part of me thinks about the career I really wanted and my plans for further study for my dream cream as a therapist with children. Now though I’d be interested in also working as a therapist with people with disabilities; help them get their head being newly diagnosed, grief for their old life or to deal with medical trauma and other such related things. 

Maybe one day I can return to some form of education but my focus at the moment is on just getting through each day and managing as best I can. It is difficult when you live in pain all the time and for me my health is so unpredictable and I have mini crashes and Post Exertion Malaise so easily. I need a lot of rest to manage my conditions.

Thoughts about disability 

I’m proud to say I’m disabled now but it did take me a while to accept that. My disabilities and health conditions don’t define who I am but they’ve shaped me into who I am today and I’m I different person for it. I’d say I have more resilience and I have more gratitude. My health has also over time made me realise who matters in life and who my true friends are too. I’m proud to be part of the disabled and wheelchair community.

Pen palling

Pen palling is something I really enjoy and I’ve been doing it for many years now. 

I got into it it when I came across a group on Facebook called #LettersOfLove set up by Jenny who I still occasionally contact. Jenny’s aim of the group was for members to write to each other with no obligation to write back. I really got involved in that group but in the end very few people were participating and just wanting to receive mail but not send so the group came to an end. I met one pen pal from that group who I still write to today so I’ve been writing to him for many years now!

I’m not sure where my pen palling went from there. For example how I found people to write to. 

Apart from my pen pal from the Facebook group I don’t think I write to anyone from the people I used to write to when I first started pen palling. Sometimes pen pals just fizzle out over time or you find you have no similar interests so I find there’s no point in writing or I’ve had the occasional negative pen pals. Also for myself having chronic illnesses/disabilities I’ve have pen pals with health problems too. I’ve got some current pen pals with health problems but it’s very positive and we rarely talk about our health and we’d rather write about other things, which I like. However in the past I’ve had pen pals who write about hardly anything other than their health problems and they also make made feel like my health problems were a paper cut compared to them. I found this really got me down as I do really struggle with my health. 

However it’s not all bad; I’ve had some lovely pen pals in the past.

Over the years I’ve written and gotten to know many different people. Some people I don’t write to anymore while other people I’ve been writing to for quite some time. Other people I used to write to regularly but now we just write every so often.

Currently I write to people in the UK as well as having pen pals in Sweden, Switzerland, Germany, New Zealand, the USA and Canada.

I’m also part of the Chronic Warrior Collective card swap. You can opt in or out each month depending on your circumstances and if you’re able to do it. If you opt in you write to one person and someone else will write back to you. I personally choose to write to people within the UK as stamp prices as so high for international mail. Some months the card swap has a theme that you can choose from for example in October there are three themes to choose from: Halloween spooky, Halloween non-spooky or Autumn themed which is the one I opt for. Last October I made my swap a pumpkin spice latte themed card. Don’t worry if you opt in then find you can’t write to your match as the CWC has a ‘Yikes Team’ that you can ask to write to your match on your behalf.

I’ve made a few friends through the card swap. I also help out with a related scheme called Cards 2 Warriors. People either nominate themselves or are nominated by someone else because they’re having a tough time with their health whether that be physical health or mental health. They can be ill themselves, or caregivers or medical professionals, or a mixture of these. There’s also a long-term list of people who need long term support. Both those on the short-term list and the long term list are sent out mail to give them some support and to remind them that they’re not alone and how awesome and strong they are.

Cards 2 Warriors means a lot to me as I not only volunteer by sending out mail. I love doing this, making personalised cards based on the person’s profile and just writing messages of support. But as well as sending mail with C2W I also receive mail as I’m on the long-term support list to receive mail. (I’m not quite sure how this came about?) So whenever I receive the mail from a volunteer it really means a lot to know that someone is thinking about me and is wanting to give me some support and remind me that I’m not alone with all the health challenges I have to deal with each day. When I receive mail I feel so much love and gratitude and it makes me wonder how the person I’ve sent mail to feels when they receive my mail?

I’ve made some friends and pen pals through the CWC and C2W who are based in the UK and various other countries.

Mail to Lia in New Zealand

When I write to a pen pal or friend I love making each letter, card or postcard I send to a pen pal unique. I’ve never sent two pieces of mail that look the same.

Sometimes I’m able to write a letter varying in length. Some of my pen pals write more than others. Sometimes I write a card and sometimes I might continue on paper if I have more to write about. Other times if I’m not able, for example if I haven’t been able to reply to a pen pal for some time I’ll send a postcard or sometimes I just want to send a postcard. I’ll write as much as I’m able to on the postcard. I like to have a stash of nice postcards either novelty ones I’ve bought like a rainbow shaped one or ones I’ve coloured in previously.

I’m really grateful that all of my pen pals are really understanding that it can take me a while sometimes to get round to replying to them and/or that my reply might not be as long as their letter to me or that all I’m able to manage this time is a postcard.

Out posting mail 

One of my favourite things to do is take a ride on my Batec to the local post box to post my pen pal mail.

I have some really good conversations with my pen pals and we write to each other about all sorts. Books, crafting, not buying writing and craft supplies and using up what we have instead, current affairs, their work, holidays, crafting, bullet journaling, TV shows, podcasts, doing up our homes and outdoor spaces, stamp prices, pet antics and so much more!

Recently I’ve been watching some pen pal videos on YouTube to get some inspiration on how I can make my letters more creative and as a bonus get more of my craft supplies used up. I’ve written a couple pen pal reply’s so far this year and I really enjoyed just using my imagination and the inspiration. My first creation was to Lia, see her mail above. I’ve also made an envelope flip book. I’d like to try and make an accordion card next. A lot of my inspiration comes from the ‘Craft with me’ videos on The Paper Letter Blog YouTube channel. I wanted to make something jazzier and just a letter in an envelope.

Some pen pals I write to more frequently than others. Some pen pals are still my friends, we just don’t write regularly whereas others we exchange letters back and forth. Due to stamp prices I am thinking of slowing down how quickly I send a letter. Thankfully my international pen pals I don’t write to regularly so that does save me some money. UK 2nd class stamps aren’t too bad to buy however an international stamp for one letter is £3.40 (and they’ll go up soon). Royal Mail used to put their prices up annually and only by a few pence; now they increase prices multiple times a year and quite significantly.

Back before I moved into my own home and I lived at my Dad’s I had a giant notice board next to my bed and I had a collection of novelty push pins for it. I was really sad that there wasn’t room in my bungalow for the notice board to go up anywhere.

Now in my bedroom I have fairy lights going across two walls with pegs on them as a new alternative. I love the variety of what my pen pals send me. I peg up cards and little extras people send me. It really brightens up my bedroom and gives me something positive to look at and to remind me of all the people in my life that are my friends that care and support me, especially because so often I have to spend a lot of time in bed because of my health and/or because I need to rest. The mail adds some personality to my bedroom and nearly everyone asks me about the cards when they see them. I love the fairy light element to them too, just having some soft lighting in my bedroom and I can dim them lights if I want to as well.

I’d recommend pen palling to anyone, especially if you’re experiencing loneliness or isolation. The CWC card swap is probably a good way to start. One of the options you can go for alongside writing domestically or internationally is going for the the option of the intention of maybe becoming pen pals with the person you’re writing to (just remember to put your address in with the card or on the envelope.

Favourite things I got in my advent calendar

The past couple of years I haven’t had an advent calendar so this year I decided to treat myself to a beauty advent calendar from Birchbox. It cost me £85 but it has £460 worth of products inside! Some things are full size products while others are smaller versions of the full-size product.

Here are the favourite products I received:

• Day 1 - PawPaw over night lip mask (seriously this stuff is magic!)
• Day 2 - Evolve superfood 360 serum 
• Day 6 - Revolution highlighter
• Day 7 - Balance Me, Radiance face oil, roll-on
• Day 8 - Dr Eve_Ryouth night moisturiser (currently don’t have a night moisturiser)
• Day 13 - Jade Gua Sha facial stone (to go with my face oil)
• Day 14 - Beauty Works comb and heat protection blowdry crème
• Day 19 - BYBI Blueberry Booster facial oil
• Day 20 - Philip Kingsley deep conditioning treatment (to use before washing my hair) plus a Mudmasky vitamin-A booster blue clay mask
• Day 22 - Nuxe dry oil
• Day 23 - Nail Kind Strenghener - vegan and naturally sourced products 
• Day 25 - Kate Somerville, DeliKate Soothing toner

I really liked this advent calendar and it’s given me some great products to make my daily skincare routine a bit more luxurious as well as products to use throughout 2026 as self-care treats.

Looking back over 2025 and into 2026

So what were my goals and intentions for 2025

• Set more time aside for self-care

Done

• Rest more and try to create a schedule for my day

Not quite always done

• Engage more in my faith - attend more Meetings for Worship and join in with groups run by Friends at the Meeting House

Sort of doing more now these past few months. I join in on zoom fortnightly.

• Spend less and use up what I have especially when it comes to craft and stationary supplies

Done

• Read up the books on my shelf and don’t buy new books unless they’re already part of a series I’m reading that’s on my shelf 

Not quite done as I got my Kindle 

• Continue with my 1SE project for 2025

Done

• Do my Jar Project with my best friend 

Done

• Continue to spend less time on social media 

Yep I’d say to that one

• Do random acts of kindness 

I’d say yes to this too

In 2025 I managed to do:

Me and my best friend set out to declutter, save money and not buying craft things or pen pal supplies. We did this jointly to support each other with these goals throughout 2026.

• Decluttering most of my bungalow. I’ve donated a lot and thrown out a lot. It’s made me realise that I don’t need so much stuff. I listened to a book on how to declutter and simplify your life and from that I made a detailed floor map to break down really simply the areas that I needed to declutter. This helped with my ME and pacing the task too.

• I also reduced my craft supplies and donated wha I didn’t need or would use to the hospice for patients there to use in craft groups. I’ve bought very minimal craft supplies this year and I used up what I had; most of what I have bought was to help me use up what I have like aperture cards to use up my iris folding papers.

• I stuck to buying no pen pal supplies and again I’m using up what I have. 

• I also tried to spend less this year and have as many ‘spend-free days’ as possible. When I had a ‘spend day’ I’d group together everything I needed to buy so as to have less ‘spend days’.

• Do some opportunities in my role as a Storyteller for the disability charity Scope. I also volunteer with Cards2Warriors and send mail out to people having a difficult time with their health.

• Continue another year with my blog. I’ve taken a back seat on social media with my disability accounts; I want my social media to be positive plus I was finding it exhausting making content.

A project I did this year with my best friend was something my old therapist suggested; it was a jar project where we write notes to each other and put them into the jar. We’ve exchanged the jars to open in the new year which can is often a difficult time so it gives us both something positive to do in the new year.

In 2026 I want to:

• Finish off my decluttering my bungalow and sending off my box to the charity shop so it’s not cluttering up my bedroom.

• Again, not buy any craft things and continue using up what I have.

• Carry on using up my pen pal supplies. - I eventually just want to have a stash of pretty note pads to write letters on and make my own envelopes.

• Try and spend even less and have more spend-free days.

• Continue my role as a Storyteller for Scope and hopefully there will be some opportunities for me with them next year.

• Continue brightening peoples day with mail through Cards2Warriors. I also hope to do some artwork and design some cards for The Chronic Warrior Collective which is a connected organisation to C2W.

• Carry on blogging for my 8th year with as many posts as I’m able to write. I aim to still do disability content and I want to write more about mental health but I also want to try and do more non-disability content as well.

• Read as many books as I can now I have my kindle!

• Do 1SE again.

• Sell or donate the clothes hanging on my wardrobe door.

• Get to a point where I’m happy and recovered from my anorexia or have learnt to control it rather than it controlling me.

• Go on as many Batec adventures as possible - I’d love to go to the woods and down the sea front. 

Helplines open over the holidays

 Samaritans

• Call: 116 123

Open 24/7 every day of the year

• Email them here

• Online chat

Beat, Eating Disorder support 

You don’t have to have a diagnosis to contact the helpline

• England phone number: 0808 801 0677
• Scotland phone number: 0808 801 0432
• Wales phone number: 0808 801 0433

Open: Monday - Friday, 3pm - 8pm

All free phone numbers

Calls can also be accessed in BSL and Welsh

• Email the England helpline here
• Find email helplines for other UK countries here

• Web chat here

Shout

• Text ‘Shout’ to 85258 for support 

Open 24/7 every day of the year

The Mix

• Support groups in the run-up to Christmas, these are for young people under 25

CALM

• Call: 0800 58 58 58 (free phone) 

Open 5pm - midnight every day 

• Live chat

• WhatsApp

Release the Pressure

• Call: 0800 107 0160 (free phone) 

Open 24/7 every day of the year 

• Email them here

• Web chat
  

Mind

Side-by-side peer support

ME Connect

From the ME Association 

• Call: 0808 801 0484 (free phone)

Christmas open hours:

Christmas Day: 10am-1pm, 6-8pm

Boxing Day: 10am-12pm, 4-5pm

New Years Eve: 1-6pm

 

All other days should be our usual opening times.

Monday – Friday: 10am-6pm 

Thursday: late night until 9pm 

Saturday: 10am-12pm 

• Email the helpline here

EDS UK Advise line

• Call: 0800 907 8518 (free phone)

Open: Tuesday’s and Friday’s 9am-3pm

• Email them here

If you are in immediate danger or need of urgent medical help call 999 or NHS 111

How to make your Christmas chronic illness friendly

Christmas can be really hard when you have a chronic illness and there are lots of elements to it that make it a challenge. Getting cards written and sent out, gifts bought and wrapped, homes to decorate. Plus there’s events to go to that you need to have the energy for plus the pre-energy to get ready to go out: getting dress up, doing your hair and makeup and nail. It’s exhausting even before you get there! Then there’s the post event energy comedown crash giving you time to recover before the next event. On top of that you have your health to continue to deal with as well! It can often feel overwhelming and just exhausting to even think about.

As well because of your health you have to decline invites to events. This brings FOMO; not the ‘Fear’ but the ‘Feeling Of Missing Out’ because you actually are missing out and that can be really hard. I find it hard because I miss out on seeing family members I rarely see and I’d like to be able to see the but I know realistically my body can’t handle the event. The only event I do over Christmas and New Year is Christmas Day with close family. I just go to my Dad’s for a couple of hours to have Christmas Dinner and to exchange and open gifts from each other.

Christmas isn’t just hard on our physical health it can be difficult emotionally too. Like I said above missing out on events or feeling down because you’re in pain or an increase in anxiety or stress levels because it’s a change in your routine which can be hard for those with autism or difficult feelings around food if you have say an eating disorder or because this is your first Christmas in which you receive artificial nutrition, or you’ve had a deterioration in your health since last Christmas, you struggle with loneliness or a whole host of other things that can make Christmas a difficult time.

Ideas for a more chronic illness friendly Christmas:

1. Get Christmas themed bedding. This will bring some festivity to your bedroom especially if you spend a lot of time in bed.
2. If you spend a lot of time in bed think about decorating your bedroom for Christmas. This is something I’ve been thinking about how I can do this, like where can I put a mini tree that I can decorate (I love Sass & Belle’s tree decorations!) It’s something I need to figure out but something I’d like to do as I don’t often get to spend a great deal of time in my front room where my main tree is.
3. Buy Christmas pyjamas - I got some lovely ones from Chelsea Peers.
4. Christmas can be difficult emotionally for different reasons so so maybe plan some self-care activities over the holidays. If you find Christmas Day especially difficult plan some things for Christmas Eve evening: make a hot chocolate, watch your favourite film or TV show series and do your nails and put on a face mask.
5. Remember that there are helplines that are open even at Christmas. - I’ll do a blog post on what helplines are open over the holidays.
6. Remember to take time out to rest just as you would any time of the year.
7. Instead of wrapping things you can put your gifts into gift bags instead to save you time and energy.
8. You can get wrapping gadgets like paper roll slicers and on hand sellotape dispensers. I have both of these gadgets and they really do make wrapping much easier.
9. Start Christmas shopping early. I even have a basket of gifts ready to give at any time. This saves me time and money as it means less Christmas shopping. Plus remember gifts are more about the thought than how much you spend on someone.
10. I find making lists really helps both my anxiety and it helps me make a pacing plan. On my phone I made two lists one for cards another for gifts all multi colour coded and looked like organised chaos. I now have another tick box list that’s much more simplistic in my bullet journal with all the final tasks I need to do so I can now pace myself with that list between now and Christmas and it eases my anxiety seeing what I’ve achieved and what I still need to do.
11. You don’t have to look red carpet ready when going to events; it’s more about being there than having fancy nails, glamorous makeup and fabulous hair. What matters most is you being there.
12. Treat yourself to a really nice advent calendar. I’ve found this year getting myself an extra special advent calendar gives me something to look forward to each day and I’m loving a lot of the things I’m getting. I got myself a Birchbox advent calendar with luxury brand products in it totalling £460! The products make my skincare routine just that little bit more special and it’s enjoyable using new products. This also helps me engage in more self-care over the holidays too.
13. Do Christmas crafts that you find you can do to get into the festive spirit. There are a lot of  low-level activities¹ and activities you can do in bed² for example I got a reindeer punch needle kit that I know I in bed and I can do on/off for short periods at a time.
1. * these are activities that I’ve classed as low-level, for some people they may be more medium-level 
2. ** these are activities that I’ve found I’m able to do in bed
14. Listen to Christmas themed audiobooks. My annual go-to it ‘Twas the night shift before Christmas’ by Adam Kay which I always love listening to and it is so funny.
15. Don’t feel bad for asking your care agency to come out to you over the holidays. You deserve the care just as much as anyone else.
16. Plan days of rest, for example for myself Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and the days after that will all be rest days for me to enable me to go to my Dad’s to spend time with family on Christmas Day in the afternoon. 
17. You could decorate your mobility aids for Christmas like putting lights on your wheelchair wheels or tinsel around your guide cane. 
18. If you have a medical device like a catheter, feeding tube, port, ileostomy bag etc. you can get Christmas themed tubie pads, valve, line and bag covers as well as tubie face tape.

Last minute chronic illness/disability gift ideas

It’s that time of year again and if you’re stuck for last minute gift ideas for someone with a chronic illness or disability here are a few suggestions:

• Heated blanket - Tesco, £29.99
  
• Rechargeable hot water bottle - Curry’s, £16.99
  
• YUYU long hot water bottle - Argos, £20
  
• Warmies® microwaveable warm animals - prices vary
  

Pippa Stacey’s two books

• ‘How to do life with a chronic illness’ - £13.99
  
• ‘Pave your way with chronic illness’ - £14.99
  

Both from Waterstones - both books are written to go with each other. They’re both also available on Kindle and the first book is also available as an audiobook but personally you’re best off getting the physical copies as Pippa has designed activities to do in the books, especially the second book which is very much like a journal.

• A fancy Blue Badge wallet - you can get nice ones from Amazon, Blue Badge Co and Etsy
• Travel card holder for a disabled bus pass or rail card - check out Etsy and Amazon

FFORA core essentials set - £99, FFORA

• Attachment system, cup holder, bag, thermal tumbler 

BundleBean wheelchair accessories

• Wheelchair cosies, organisers, spokegards

• Adaptive clothing including pyjamas from Primark and George at Asda
• Funky compression socks - Not Your Grandma’s, £18
  

• Lanyard phone case

• PopSockets - from PopSocket and Amazon

• 2-in-1 pill organiser water bottle - Amazon, £7.89
  

• Sleep eye mask headphones - Amazon, £19.75

 

• SpaceMasks - self heating eye masks
• Build a gift hamper at Bear Hug gifts

Experiences

Often people with disabilities find it hard to get out. You could gift them an experience like a day out, afternoon tea somewhere accessible or meets their dietary restrictions, or a gift voucher for a spa that is accessible.

Check out access guides like Euan’s Guide or AccessAble to find accessible places.

Alternatively you can gift experiences at home like look on Facebook for mobile beauticians, nail artists or if the person is into dance you could gift a virtual dance session with a gift card for Kate Stanforth’s Academy of Dance who specialise in disability dance.

(*prices correct at time of publishing)

Self-care ideas

Self-care is such an important act to do. Looking after our mental health is just as important as looking after our physical health. 

Doing acts of self-care is especially good to do if we have health conditions, physical or mental health as sometimes we’re so busy with appointments and juggling booking appointments, taking care of our medical devices, ordering medication and medical supplies and then putting them away when they’re delivered, staying on top of our symptoms and so much more. This means that our emotional well-being and needs often get forgotten about. Also having a physical health condition will often affect our mental health and vice versa.

Try to do acts of self-care on a regular basis, such as making it a weekly thing in your schedule. 

Here are some ideas:

• Settle down somewhere comfortable such as your bed or your favourite chair or outside if the weather is nice and read with your favourite drink. If reading is difficult you could put some headphones on and listen to a book or podcast.

• Spend time outside. Nature is so good for our mental health. I love to go out for rides outside with my Batec - a power add-on for my wheelchair. You could go for a short walk, or like me go for a ride with your mobility aid. You can stay local or if possible you could go somewhere scenic like I enjoy going to our local country park and in the summer I’d love to go to the woods.

• Paint your nails. For added jazz you could try out some nail art like stickers, nail wraps or using dotting tools to do dots, flowers or animals. Or you could use a matte top coat, or glitter polish or crackle effect polish (I highly recommend the OPI brand crackle polish). MoYou also sell gel nail wraps that you don’t need a UV light for so that’s an easy alternative for jazzy nails.

• Put on a face mask or under eye mask.

• Give your feet a pamper with a foot mask and soak in hot soapy water and give them a scrub to have nice soft skin.

• Have a bit of a pampering bath with a bath or bubble bar and relax in the hot water. If you have sensitive skin you could use Epsom salts to help ease and relax your muscles.

• Put on a self-warming eye mask such as SpaceMasks. You can even make your own if you have a sewing machine.

• If you’re a crafty person why not buy a craft kit to try out a new craft. You could try iris folding, needle punch, embroidery, needle felting, sewing, decoupage and many other crafts.

• Call or message a friend or close family member. Sometimes illness can be very isolating so reaching out to people is really important. I like to write people.

• Talk about how your illness is affecting you. You could talk to a friend, family member or a professional like your GP or a therapist. - There’s no shame in going to therapy and sometimes it can take a while to find the right therapist and type of therapy for you, but don’t give up. Therapy can do wonders. Some therapists offer virtual sessions over platforms like Zoom if you’re unable to leave the house.

• Holistic treatments are great for self-care, our emotional wellbeing and for symptom management. You can book in for a massage or facial or other therapy treatment. If being touched is too much for you could try reiki. There are some holistic therapists that specialise in treating people with chronic health conditions so the focus of treatment is on helping with symptoms as well as having a nice relaxing time. Some of these therapists work in the community and can provide treatments in your own home. Having regular massage therapy myself really benefits my physical and emotional wellbeing; it helps my symptoms and gives me something to look forward to as well.

• Have a little tea party. I have a small teapot and I like to make a pot of tea and drink out of my teacup and saucer. I do the same with coffee too and enjoy a nice cafetière coffee as a treat. If you want you can add cake or biscuits as an extra special treat.

• Another self-care drink idea is to treat yourself to your favourite drink. You could go to your favourite café and either sit in or use the drive through. You can also buy in your favourite drinks to have at home - I have some chilled oat Starbucks coffees and Oatly Matcha Latte.

• You can also light your favourite candle, or use your favourite wax melts. My alternative is to use my aromatherapy diffuser.

• Some people find sensory things good for self-care. You can use things like weighted blankets, sensory lights - I have a Mathmos Space Projector, or sensory toys like tangles, kinetic sand or bubbles.

• Snuggle up in bed or on the sofa and have a film night with your favourite film or a newly released film you want to see if you’re unable to go to the cinema. You could add popcorn or your favourite snack.

• Have a pyjama day wearing your favourite pjs. 

• Eat your favourite meal or snack

M.E. and crashing

A ‘crash’ is what we call it with M.E. when our symptoms worsen and become difficult to manage. A crash might last a day or two, a week, a few weeks or even longer. Crashes often go along with Post Exertion Malaise, PEM for short. Crashes are caused by me over exerting myself. It could be from going to my Dad’s for a couple of hours, going to my GP practice for my ECG, or just not pacing myself enough during the day.

My symptoms are really unpredictable; that’s one of that hardest things I find about M.E. I can sometimes wake up feeling crashed or other times I can be having one of my relatively ‘normal’ day and then very quickly I’m feeling totally crashed. This is especially why my evening care with my care agency or my PA is so needed.

Bad day = PJ day

When I’m feeling crashed I struggle to manage my symptoms as they are much worse. Some things that trigger me to crash are: exerting myself beyond my limit - this could be doing an activity at home that over exerts me or leaving the house, having a non-epileptic seizure again is a another trigger as that over exerts my body physically, not sleeping well, high levels of pain, an exacerbation in my M.E. symptoms, stress and anxiety, physical exertion that is beyond my limit including being sat upright for too long - orthostatic intolerance, being ‘normal person unwell’ for example having a cold or an infection - I have a low immune system because of my M.E.

My recent crash was triggered by going to my Dad’s for a couple of hours. I got home and was beyond exhausted; much more fatigued than usual. My crash continued into the next day. I thankfully slept well which helps. The following day I didn’t rest enough, I’d paced myself doing low-level activities but I didn’t have any rest periods. By mid afternoon I was in bed feeling completely crashed. I just laid in bed with my headphones on listening to soundscapes resting or listening to podcasts on a low volume due to hypersensitivity to the noise. My blind was also closed and the lighting in my room was dimmed due to my hypersensitivity to the light. My pain levels were high, especially in my legs and the muscles in my legs were in spasm. Times like this are when I’m grateful to have a profiling bed; I was able to lay my head down and raise my legs to get comfortable more easily and independently. I was also grateful for my airflow mattress with the memory foam over the airflow tubes. I find this mattress much more comfortable and less painful. I found my previous mattress where I laid on top of the moving airflow tubes painful and uncomfortable due to my hypersensitivity and leg pain. I just laid listening and rested waiting for my evening carer to arrive.

When my carer arrived I asked her to let herself in using my key safe as I was unable to get out of bed. I needed conversation to be at a lower volume and kept to a minimum as conversation is something I always find tiring even on a good day and the noise I find physically painful if it’s too loud. I felt up to having my usual wash in bed - on worse days I can’t tolerate this and I just get into my pyjamas. I have to be touched very lightly because of the hypersensivity and pain in my body. With my M.E. I find that when I’m struggling my legs get very painful and just ‘hurt’ but it’s a pain that I find hard to describe other than just this deep hurting pain. I need more help from my carer to get dressed and undressed. I find if I’m finding it hard to move my adapted pyjamas are easier for my carers to dress me into because of how they can be unfastened with the poppers on them. I have barrier creams put on me by my carers to help prevent pressure sores which I’ve had in the past and my mattress reduces my risk too. I also have a pressure relief cushion on my wheelchair and I have another cushion on my desk chair for when I sit there. I ask my carer to help get me in a more comfortable position in bed. I have a body pillow on my bed which I find helps as it can hold me in a more supportive and comfortable position. I rest and recover while my carer is in the kitchen. I have my bedroom door closed to reduce the noise and the subsequent pain. I need to eat something that will be easier for me. I had planned on salad but that would be too difficult for me to to eat so I opted instead for jacket potato and beans which can be cut up small and mashed up. I eat with adapted cutlery that has a chunkier handle for me that I find easier to hold, the only downside is that it’s heavier some sometimes I struggle. On occasions at my worst I’ll ask my carer or PA to help feed me. I’ll only do this if it’s really needed as it’s so hard emotionally to have someone help me eat. I have an over bed table which my carer will move towards me so I can eat and have my drinks closer to me. I’ll drink my coffee out of a lightweight lidded cup. I love my colour changing Starbucks cup for when I need a cup like this. I always have straws with my drinks too. My carer will refresh my Giraffe bottle so I’m able to sip on water for the evening. The bottle holder is attached to my bed and it has a long gooseneck straw that I can position in front of me so I can drink hands free only moving my head a little. I can even drink while laid down. It just makes it so much easier for me and gives me the independence to have a drink when I want when I’m unable to lift my drinks bottle. Before my carer leaves they’ll close the blinds in the front room and make sure I’m settled in bed and I have a bottle of juice for the morning, water for my pain relief medication and my wheelchair is next to my bed along with anything else I might need. They’ll then lock up and put my keys back in the key safe.

Giraffe straw for me to drink

For the rest of the evening I just rest. I can’t tolerate watching something (I don’t watch much television or YouTube anyway as I find it quite sensory overwhelming). Thankfully I can tolerate listening to something to entertain me. I like to listen to audiobooks and I like a verity of podcasts. I listen on a low volume so it’s more restful and tolerable. Sometimes I can read my Kindle for a little bit too. I put it on my Flexzi stand and I attach my page turner remote so I can read laid down. I make the font bigger which makes it easier to be able to read. I like reading as it’s a quiet low-energy activity an I find my Kindle makes reading more accessible. There aren’t many activities I can do when I’m feeling crashed because of just how tired I feel as well as the malaise and hypersensitivity as well as the brain fog which makes concentration difficult. I just hope that I’ll be able to get an early night.

When I’m crashed:

• It takes more effort and more energy from me when trying to do tasks.
• The fatigue is overwhelming it’s hard to put into words just how intense the fatigue is and even with rest it does nothing to restore my energy levels.
• Make my hypersensitivity worse. My bedroom lighting is dimmed and I need more quiet. I talk quietly and I need people around me to talk quietly. I struggle to watch things like TV programs or YouTube so usually I don’t watch anything at all as it’s sensory overload for me. I can usually listen to something for entertainment like audiobooks or podcasts. I also like to lay and listen to soundscapes. I also read my Kindle. At my worst I just lay in the quiet, thankfully I have a good imagination. I’m more hypersensitive to touch and strong smells as well.
• My pain levels are worse and I’m more hypersensitive to pain. I especially get pain in my legs. I get muscle pain and achyness as well as other types of pain. My muscles are a lot weaker too.
• My body just feels so heavy too, like I’m being weighed down.
• My mobility is worse and I rely upon my wheelchair to get around, at times I’m unable to get out of bed. I also need more help with my mobility like getting my carer/PA to lift my legs onto my bed or to transfer into my wheelchair.
• I find talking more tiring than usual. Conversation has to be kept to a minimum and at a lower volume. I find noise physically painful. Sometimes I use communication aids like my communication cards that have basic phrases on them like: yes, no, I need a drink etc. I also use basic SSE - Sign Supported English which uses BSL signs.
• I get cold more easily especially when I’m tired.
• My immune system flares up and I get flu-like symptoms without having a viral infection.
• My brain fog is worse. I’m more forgetful, lose track of the day, get more confused etc. My speech is also affected. I forget words and I struggle to put sentences together. The fatigue doesn’t help.
• My headaches and migraines also worsen.
• Despite the extreme fatigue I can experience sleep problems. I find this really difficult as if I don’t get the sleep I need my M.E. is worse the following day, which is especially not great when I’m crashed.

All I can do when I’m in a crash is rest as much as possible to allow my mind and body to recover and just wait until I’m back to my baseline. Some of these crash symptoms are still there as my ‘normal’ they’re just maximised during a crash. Even at baseline with Severe M.E. life is still a challenge and I still very much need my carers and PA’s for most things but by pacing myself I am able to do a little more in terms of activities and I’m able to do a little more myself. I still experience payback and PEM but that’s just the nature of M.E. and something I find people don’t always understand a.k.a the consequences of doing activities like why I request telephone or community medical appointments instead of face-to-face at the GP practice or hospital because the latter will leave me crashed. I need to try and avoid crashing as much as possible. Sometimes this isn’t always possible but whenever I can I try to minimise the risk of me crashing. At times there are things that I do that are worth crashing for because I can’t live in a bubble and it’s nice to do enjoyable things.

I have quite a few things that give me some independence, even when I’m crashed. For example I have my Giraffe Bottle, a hands free water bottle so that even when I’m unable to lift a bottle I can still drink and stay hydrated. I also have all of my smart tech in my home too so I can control the lights, my bedroom blind, my fan and the heating all on my own either with my voice or on my phone. I also have my profiling bed so I can reposition myself like sit up to eat or drink, recline to rest and raise my legs to get more comfortable on my own and I find my body pillow also helps to make me be feel comfortable and supported in bed too. I also have a Ring doorbell so when my carers, PA’s, nurses, the urgent care team etc. arrive I can ask them to use the key safe to let themselves in, or I can let them them know that I’m on the way to the door. I also feel safer with my Ring doorbell too. I also have my CareLink that I can press should I need any urgent help, the button I wear on my wrist will also alert CareLink if I have a fall too.

Resources and products:

Books

• A great book I’d recommend to anyone is ‘Severe ME: A Guide to Living by Emily Collingridge - Buy here

• For more general guidance I can recommend Pippa Stacy’s two books:

‘How To Do Life With A Chronic Illness’ and ‘Pave Your Way With Chronic Illness’ - both books go hand-in-hand with each other so the links to both books are both from the same bookstore.

Products

• Giraffe hands-free bottle - VAT relief to those eligible - Product review
• Body pillow
  
• Flexzi stand - VAT relief to those eligible - Product review
• Page turner remote - Product review
  

Kitchen gadgets to make food prep easier

I use quite a few gadgets in the kitchen to give me a bit more independence so I can join in with meal preparation on my good days. They give me a sense of achievement when I have been able to more-or-less make my own meals rather than let my carer do it all for me. 

Some these products are specifically designed for people with disabilities while other items are just ordinary kitchen gadgets that I find really useful.

For me I have an Energy Limiting Illness as well as hypermobility and limited mobility and reduced hand function at times. So when I’m looking at buying kitchen gadgets I’m looking for things that will save me energy, be easy to hold or use hands free as well as being a safer alternative as I’m sat down when I’m preparing meals.

I’m only showing you what I have in my kitchen and what I use most often and find most useful, however you might want to check out the Active Hands shop to see what they have available there. I get a lot of products from them and find they have a great range of products and you might find some additional items that will be useful to you, such as a beer bottle top opener (I don’t drink alcohol so I don’t have any gadgets for that).

Some products you may be able to buy with VAT relief if you’re eligible for it.

Croc chopper

Buy here - £29.99

The OTOTO Croc Chopper is a new and fantastic edition to my kitchen. It’s given me a lot more independence in helping prepare meals in the kitchen. It’s very easy easy to use. I use the small food chopper insert and it’s the perfect size as I like my food cut up really small as this makes it easier for me to eat. You place the food on the cutting insert then press down. It’s that simple and easy so great for reduced hand function. I also find it makes meal preparation quicker and it saves me energy. It’s also a lot safer too. It’s also meant since I got it that I can join i with preparing meals a lot more now too which I enjoy.

Adapted knives

Buy here (VAT exemption to those eligible) - Bread and all-purpose knife £27.95

When I do use a knife I use an adapted L shaped knife. I find this makes it easier to use on my weak and hypermobile wrist making chopping a lot easier and more comfortable compared to using traditional knives which I just find awkward to use.

Hot water dispenser 

Buy here - £160 (approx)

This is an invaluable piece of equipment in my kitchen. I can’t safely use a kettle due to my seizures nor am I able to lift and pour a kettle. I also find I struggle to fill a kettle because of the weight of it once it’s full.

I like being able to set the water at a cooler temperature which is safer for me. I can also set the volume of water being dispensed into my cup which is also helpful as I don’t have to worry about the water spilling over.

The hot water dispenser I have has a 4 litre tank so my PA ensures it’s kept topped up for me and the big tank size means that I get plenty of drinks out of it.

Pans can also be placed under it to put boiling water into the pan for cooking. My PA also manages to make me hot water bottle with it too.

You can buy other water dispensers that dispense chilled water as well as hot water.

Egg spoon

The egg spoon I have I’ve had for years (it’s a Tupperware one which shows how old it is however I’m sure you can find similar). It holds an egg in it so you can place it into as well as take it out of a pan of boiling water more safely as well as easily.

CanPull

Buy here - £8.88

My CanPull aid helps me open tins with a ring pull, it allows me to independently open a tin with a ring pull allowing me to help out more when preparing my meals. I personally prefer this particular design compared to the hook design ring pull aid which I personally find more difficult to use. It clips onto the ring pull, you lift the ring pull up then the CanPull helps you to peel back the lid. It works on most tin sizes which is another reason why I like the CanPull.

Drinks can ring pull aid

Buy here - £5.99 (pack of 6)

This little gadget helps me open the ring pull on my Diet Coke cans, another task I wouldn’t be able to do on my own without this gadget. It slots onto the ring pull so I can more easily lift it up to open the drinks can and then I can spin the ring pull around so the ring pull is over the hole. I do this as the the ring pull makes for a nice straw holder as I can’t drink without using straws.

Electric can opener 

Buy here - £19.13 (price shown without VAT)

This is another kitchen gadget that gives me independence when helping prepare meals. Traditional can opener’s I just can’t use as I don’t have the strength plus they can cause subluxations and dislocations because of my hypermobility. An electric hands free tin opener allows me to easily and independently open tins. The only downside is that they’re more expensive than traditional tin opener however the batteries in them last a very long time. I like the one I have at the moment as it’s nice and big and chunky to hold.

Jar and bottle top grips

Buy jar opener here - £4.95 (price shown without VAT)

Buy Dycem botttle opener here - £9.49

These two items my Occupational Therapist recommended to me. They give me extra grip when opening jars and bottle tops, whether they’ve never been opened or they have been opened before but I lack the strength to open them. Like all of the gadgets I’ve listed in this post they give me the independence and usually if someone is struggling with a jar lid I’ll bring out my magic Dycem jar lid opener.

The bottle top opener is also handy for opening medicine bottle tops, so I have a second bottle top opener that I keep in my medication drawer.

I use the Dycem brand style jar and bottle top openers, however there are other designs of jar grip openers and bottle top openers out there but in my personal opinion I find the style of what I use the easiest to use and most effective.

Nimble

Buy here - £7.46 (price shown without VAT)

The Nimble goes on your finger and has a blade that is safe to touch but is still sharp and will slice open pretty much anything so they’re useful in kitchen for food packets. For example opening a bag of popcorn or opening a packet of Quorn slices or a box of frozen jacket potatoes and many other things. The Nimble is so versatile as well as easy and safe to use. I have a couple of them as I use them for opening parcels too and they’re so handy to have around.

Egg slicer

Buy here - £5.69

This gadget is great for slicing my boiled eggs up perfectly for things like salads and sandwiches. It’s a nice chunky design that I find easier to use. I also like that I have the two choices in how my eggs are sliced. It makes the task so much quicker and easier than doing it by hand.

You can find others out there but I’ve managed to find the exact one to the one I have though mine was bought from somewhere else.