I have compiled a list of things that make life just a little bit easier for me. For those of you with dysautonomia or another chronic illness, I hope you can find some helpful tips here. I will also include a few simple recipes in the second text box. I will add more simple solutions and easy recipes as I think of them.
Things that may make life just a little bit easier:
~ Keep pillows and blankets in the living room, bedroom, and car so that you can always get comfortable and rest wherever you are. ~ Bring a lightweight blanket to doctors' appointments incase you are left waiting in a chilly room with only a hospital gown.
~ Russian Tea made from Gatorade instead of Tang is great when you are cold and want a hot drink, but need your glass of Gatorade. Gatorade Tea is a hot drink with electrolytes! (Recipe can be found below.)
~ Keep a list in a Word document of all your symptoms, and another list of all the meds you have tried (including trial dates, side effects, dosage, etc.). Update the lists as necessary and print an updated list for every doctor's appointment. It saves the trouble of remembering all of your symptoms, med trials, current meds, etc.
~ Keep a journal of every doctor's appointment, even if it isn't related to dysautonomia. My mom started one of these for me when I was born. We never thought we would need it, but it has since proven to be an invaluable resource.
~ Use a spray in/leave in conditioner to shorten shower time. I just spray it into my damp hair, brush, and it's good to go.
~ Sit on the bathroom counter to put on make up (on a good balance day!). Keep a stool or chair in the bathroom for brushing teeth and washing hands.
~ When you need your hair to look nice for going out, simply brush it and put on a fabric or ribbon covered headband. It is easy to do, looks nice, and works for short or long hair. My cousin made one of these for me, and I love it!
~ Use a pager phone when you need help and cannot call out. I have a phone with a page feature on my nightstand. If I need help and can't get out of bed, I just page the phone out in the main area of the house and my husband comes to my rescue.
If you have any suggestions for more simple solutions, please feel free to share them with me so I can add them to this page.
Easy Peanut Butter Cookies
(Wheat and Gluten free!)
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat toaster oven to 325 F. Mix all ingredients.
Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and flatten with a fork.
Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool 1 minute, then remove and cool on wire rack.
Gatorade Tea
2 cups powdered orange Gatorade 1 cup instant black tea 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon cloves Mix ingredients well and store in an air tight container. To serve: Put two heaping teaspoonsfull into a cup of hot water. Stir and enjoy. Simmering Pot 1/2 orange 1/2 lemon 2 cinnamon sticks 2 bay leaves Tablespoon whole cloves 4 cups water Place all ingredients in a pot. Bring water to a boil, then simmer. The fragrance will fill the house. When you are finished, place a lid on the pot and store in the refrigerator. This makes a nice hostess gift. Simply place the ingredients, minus the four cups of water, in a cute bag, jar, or box, attach an instruction card, and give it to your hostess. Do you have a simple recipe I can add to this collection? Please share!