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A few weeks ago I shared my favorite spoonie items that I can’t live without, but today I’m sharing the best gifts for chronic illness. After hearing from other spoonies about what products they rely on I’ve added several new items to my wish list and created a gift guide for spoonies this year. I haven’t personally tried any of these things yet, I just really want to and hopefully, you do too.
- A nice mattress topper
Most spoonies deal with chronic pain of some sort as well as difficulty sleeping. The right kind of mattress topper could make a big difference in someone’s comfort level. I’ve had this on my wish list ever since a reader mentioned how much it helped her. One of these days it’s going to happen!
2. A body pillow to snuggle up with
Sleep can be a frustrating exercise in futility for anyone in pain. It’s impossible to get comfortable and as a result, many spoonies end up using multiple pillows to try to support the parts of the body that hurt. A body pillow could make things much easier. I know I personally have a complicated system of pillows set up when I go to sleep, but they inevitably get dislodged during the night. Hopefully, a body pillow could fix this.
3. A quality slow cooker/pressure cooker
A slow cooker is a really important tool for anyone with chronic illness. It’s a lot healthier for us to eat at home and it allows for more control of our diets, but it’s hard to cook when you’re sick. Most slow cooker recipes allow you to dump ingredients and go, which makes them perfect for anyone with limited energy.
4. Heating pad therapy wrap
Every spoonie has at least one heating pad that they rely on, but many do not have a heating wrap. The wrap allows for more coverage by going around the shoulders. My shoulders carry a lot of my tension, so I really want one of these.
Yoga pants are absolute essentials for most spoonies. I personally can’t wear sweat pants like I’d prefer to because it’s too hot where I live. Enter yoga pants to save the day.
6. Soft pajamas
Every spoonie needs some soft pajamas to change into when they change out of their daytime pajamas. The pajamas also need to be very soft because many spoonies have sensitive skin. I can barely stand to have fabric touching my skin, but if it’s lightweight and the right fabric I can make it work.
7. Swear word or relaxing coloring books
These are great for any spoonie that wants to work out their rage in a productive manner. It’s amazing how therapeutic coloring swear words can be. If that’s not your cup of tea you can always try out a regular coloring book.
8. Massage ball
These might not work on everyone, but they’re something I’ve always found intriguing so I just want to give them a try. Can these tiny little balls really make a difference? Inquiring minds would like to know.
9. Car seat cushion
Because the seats in my car as so uncomfortable I can’t stand to be in them for more than a few minutes. They are literally a pain in the ass.
…and I’ve saved the best for last…
10. Body parts plush
If you have a twisted sense of humor like I do, you’ll think these are hilarious. You can buy plush body parts! Everything from a uterus to intestines, to a gallbladder. If you have a body part that refuses to work right, you need it in plush form so you can throw it against the wall when it malfunctions. I really want the kidney one, because my kidney likes to produce really annoying stones and I’d like to take out my rage on the plush version.
What’s on your spoonie wish list this year? Anything you’d recommend I add to my list?
This is actually the best list like this I’ve come across! And as a Crohn’s sufferer, the last item is my personal favorite lol.