2017 Chronic Illness Holiday Gift Guide

It’s time for another chronic illness gift guide. We’re heading into the holiday season, and as someone who can never remember when people ask me what I want for Christmas, I figured I would make a list (but not check it twice). This is a collection of my favorite chronic illness products, so hopefully, you can find something that appeals to you. I have used and loved almost all these items with the exception of the Infrared Mat which I asked for this year.

This post includes affiliate links, please see my disclosure policy for more details. 

Stocking stuffers for the chronic illness gift guide

Rocking Knife 

For anyone who has sore hands but also needs to spend some time in the kitchen, this rocking knife is perfect. Chopping when your hands hurt is a nightmare, and this should make things a little bit easier.

Adult coloring books 

These things are perfect for stress relief. Depending on what kind of relief you’re looking for you can get a swear word coloring book or something more peaceful

Biofreeze 

So far Biofreeze is my favorite over-the-counter pain relief cream. I’ve tried a few things that I like better, but they’re either prohibitively expensive or have to be purchased through a doctor or compounding pharmacy. I’ve found Biofreeze to be fairly effective for temporary pain relief.

 

Mid-range

TENS Device 

A TENS device is really useful for temporary pain relief. I use mine every night to help me fall asleep. I put the electrodes on my legs because they’re usually really sore after a full day of use.

Spoonie T-shirt

A spoonie T-shirt could spark some great conversations about what it’s like to live with chronic illness.

Acupressure Mat

An Acupressure Mat is a fairly affordable option for pain relief. When I first heard of these I thought there was no way this would work for pain, but the reviews were so positive I decided to go for it. Surprisingly, I really do find it helpful for stiffness and relaxation. It’s not a pain solution exactly, but since it helps to reduce stiffness it can reduce pain.

 

Spurge Items

Infrared Heat Therapy Mat

I have actually never tried an infrared mat, but it’s number one on my Christmas list this year. I want one because they heat in the winter and are cool in the summer, you can adjust the temperature to whatever you want.

Quell Pain Relief 

The Quell Pain Relief device has been on every list I’ve ever made for coping with chronic pain, but I’m including it again because I still use mine every single day. When I don’t wear it (usually because I’m out and about in shorts and don’t want to look like a weirdo) my pain levels tend to be higher. It’s unfortunate that it costs so much because I really think it could help a lot of people (see my full review here).

Amazon Echo Dot 

My husband is going to mock me for including this on my list because I have made fun of him for his love of the Echo dot aka Alexa. I thought its only use was for playing music, telling jokes, and helping my kids with their spelling words. Last year though we connected the dot to the Phillips Hue, and I’ve been in love ever since. Connecting the two means that I can turn off my lights with a voice command, and it is amazing! So many times I get into bed, get set up and comfortable, only to realize I forgot the light. Nothing easier than saying “Alexa, turn off bedroom lights.” Or if I forgot to turn off my other lights, I can turn them off from my bedroom!

Instant Pot

At first, I wasn’t sure my Instant Pot was amazing as everyone said it was. It took me a little while to figure it out, and in the process, I overcooked a lot of food. Eventually, I found the Instant Pot brings a whole new level to the crockpot game! You can dump everything in for dinner at once just like the crockpot, but you don’t even have to plan ahead of time because it cooks so fast. For anyone interested in getting one, I would keep an eye out on Black Friday because there are sure to be great deals.

Roomba

As I’ve shared before, having a Roomba has been life-changing for me. Because I have lots of wood floods and am an asthmatic kid I was swiffering the dust that seems to collect every day. It took up a lot of my energy because I have a lot of wood floors. Enter the Roomba and all I have to do is make sure everything is picked up the floor, I push a button, and 30 minutes later the dust is gone. If I could write romantic poetry I would write a love poem to my Roomba, that’s how much I like it. These also go on great sales for Black Friday so keep an eye out for a better price, that’s how I got mine last year (if I see a good deal I will post it on my Facebook page)

.