Here are my favorite accessibility aids that I use to make life a little bit more tolerable.
POTS Tools
I don’t know about you, but I used to faint in the shower almost weekly, and nearly faint every single shower. Standing for long periods of time, with the added stressor of temperature changes, it was bad. Being able to sit has been a major help in allowing me to shower without fainting. Now if only I could figure out a solution to washing my hair without getting dizzy. If anyone has any helpful tips about that, who also struggles with reaching up or down being a fainting trigger, please let me know in the comments!
These along with the chewable tablets are helpful in a pinch. I recommend keeping them in your emergency med kit, purse, car, wherever you get dizzy.
While these patches don’t fix everything, they certainly help. I use these along with liquid electrolytes, salt tabs, and under the tongue electrolytes as needed.
These compression socks are not only up my spooky alley, they are also super helpful to limit blood pooling.
Ehlers Danlos Mobility Aids
This is not the exact one that I use, however it is relatively inexpensive and has decent reviews. A TENS Unit is a lifesaver for pain management. “Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) uses low-voltage electrical currents to relieve pain. A TENS unit is a small device that delivers the current at or near your nerves to block or change your perception of pain.”
My hands fail frequently, they’re weak, I drop things, and they lack the strength to do basic things like opening cans with a normal can opener. My husband found the above can opener as well as a plethora of other items I use in my daily life to minimize pain, subluxations, and dislocations.
Once again this was a wonderful find by my husband who advocates for me better than I could ever advocate for myself. These tools have been a lifesaver for my hand pain and neuropathy. These tools open any size bottle or jar with ease. I use them almost every day, especially when opening a sealed new bottle or jar.
Chronic Pain Tools
This massaging heating pad has been an actual lifesaver. This along with ice packs are my saving grace and the reason I can move after flare days and days where I do too much. It has multiple heating and massaging settings, and while I use it most for my shoulders, neck, and back, it works all over! It also almost acts as a calming weighted blanket.
These freeze sleeves are wonderful! I don’t use them as a sleeve most of the time actually, they are great as regular ice packs. We own multiple of these and they’re fantastic for contorting to any part of the body. They aren’t too heavy and they aren’t too cold. Lately they’ve been my go-to for my knees and ankles. They are also so helpful when I have a migraine, barely noticeable to place on my pillow for my neck or on my forehead. I highly recommend these freeze sleeves!
Painful Beloved 
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