Tip # 97 Frugal fixes; Wave it Away

     Wave what away? Here's the skinny on it - er, should I say "Here's the skin on it?" Yep, I'm talking about skin care. Why? Whether a minor issue or a major one, skin difficulties are common during the recovery process. In the near future I will be addressing bedsores, and other medical skin related issues. Today though, I'm simply addressing something common to many but more prevalent in illness: crazy dry skin. Nope, simply saying dry skin doesn't cover it… I mean crazy dry skin. What's the deal?

• Lots of medications "dry you out," as they say; dry your mouth, dry your skin, give you dry eyes… hopefully you don't have to take said meds indefinitely. If it's too bothersome, ask your pharmacist/physician if there are other options available.
• Dehydration and dry skin go hand in hand - and if you are not feeling well, and/or you are nauseated and/or you don't have much energy or ability to ambulate, you may have to get creative about making sure you're getting enough water. Make drinking a priority.
• Ironically, showing or bathing too often also dries your skin out - but only if you're bathing too often, and/or staying in the bath too long (it would be helpful if "too often" and "too long" had an exact definition, but apparently it's different for everyone)… The hitch is that sometimes you end up bathing more often and for a longer time (like soaking in the tub for an hour each night to reduce pain in addition to your regular morning shower, etc). Lather up with cream when you get out if you can - if you're still a little wet when you apply it, that's even better.
• If you've had a cast on your leg for 6 weeks, you'll see that presto-magico you have a shrivelled muscle (complete with a very hairy leg I might add!) and very dry, very flaky, and very sensitive skin. Unfortunately, there is not much you can do to prevent this, but there is a help to treat it - it's the wave.

     What wave? The Neutrogena wave. I LOVE it! I'm not one to spend a ton of money on beauty products, but frankly, I would spend money on this if I had too! Due to my meds, my dehydration, and other factors, my skin feels as dry as mud - until I use my wave. You put a little round pad on the wave, wet it, and turn it on; it vibrates as it gently exfoliates. The mud that is my face becomes silky smooth. It also works on the scrawny hairy leg that comes out of the cast, and makes the leg feel better too. It's amazing really. In all the years I've been ill and on drying meds, I have never found anything quite so lovely for my skin. And, it's cheap. And the refill pads are cheap too.
     So, it doesn't fit or fix every dry skin situation, but the wave sure does make a difference. And, face it, if there is something inexpensive that is going to make you feel more human in this whole crazy recovery situation, that's fantastic! Lastly, it turns out that if you have a little one in your life (like my 1 year old Ms. M), if you turn the wave on and put it on a hard surface in front of them, the vibrating wave will bounce around and make a fun noise and result in much awe and many giggles. Can't beat that!
  
Happy waving away!

Tip #7 Frugal Fixes: Surf's Up

     I love the fall. I love all things fall; pretty colours, crisp air, new beginnings, and hot chocolate outside on the deck. Yes, I do love the fall, BUT, I don't like to fall. Frankly I don't know many who do like to fall, unless it's from an airplane (which I'd actually like to do as well someday, but I digress....).
     Although falling is not my favourite thing to do, I seem to excel at it - especially when trying to get out of the bathtub when the tub is all wet. That's pretty tricky! If you have this problem too, allow me to suggest a few inexpensive things that may help. Note that there are some really great and functional solutions out there if you have the financial and physical ability to attain them, but that's a discussion for a future post. For now, we'll stay with the quick and inexpensive fixes.
     Oh, before we get any farther, let me remind you that you should never attempt anything without the consent of your physician or other appropriate team members. Not all fixes work the same for everyone or are appropriate for everyone. Now, disclaimer accounted for  - here are the tips in no particular order. Bare in mind that some of these may be more expensive than the "frugal" definition re this category, however, they are much less so compared to other bathing solutions.

• Ask your physical therapist or occupational therapist to work with you towards safe bathing solutions should you have access to either.
• Ask someone to put up bath rails  to hold on to
• Put a bath stool in the tub. I DON'T recommend the following; in a pinch, a sturdy plastic lawn chair has been used. But, without a tight fit and non-slip flat shower floors, things get more dangerous not less
• Get into the tub before turning on the water
• Try a handheld shower - they make things much easier!
• Use anti-slip bathtub coating. Just know that not every tub is eligible for this fix (porcelain vs. non-porcelain etc). 
• Cut a hole in the middle of a bath-towel, slip your head through it, and wear it like a poncho. This way, whoever is helping you out of the tub has a better grip (you're less slippery).
• If you can sit on the edge of the tub and swivel to get your legs in or out of the tub and vice versa, you may have less chance of falling than if you get in/out from a standing position.
• Many subscribe to using no slip mats in the tub, but I have seen many (myself included) fall if it slips... so (as with the rest of these tips) use with caution.
• The crazy solution? Surf Shoes,

     Yep, you heard me right; surf shoes. I know it sounds crazy, and truth be told, I am a little crazy. But crazy or not, an inexpensive pair of surf shoes seems like a good solution to me.  Amazon.com has a wide selection in a range of prices. I'm not sure how easy they are to get on and off with wet feet, but I am going to give it a try myself when I get the chance, and then I'll let you know how they worked.

    One last thing - do you know what I think of when I think of surfing? Balance. I'm no surf swami, but I've noticed that surfers have the ability to balance like few others; but they also work hard at it.  So, surf shoes will not be enough on their own - but neither will any of the other list items. Think about it, work at it, and employ good tools and techniques - all of these things will be helpful and improve your chance of staying upright whilst getting in and out of the tub. Like, isn't that gnarly?

Surf's up Dude,

Happy Bathing!

Tip #287 Frugal Fixes: Glorious Gloves

     Okay, so I know they don't look so glorious, but for you diva's out there at least they are pink!   Why such a long glove (or any at all), and why do they look suspiciously like veterinary gloves? Well, lets look at the latter first. Yes, they are indeed veterinary gloves. But, you don't need to be a vet to use them, and you don't need to have a cow to want to use them, and you don't need any special designation or title in order to buy them. Nope.Not at all. But, they are still very handy (sorry about the pun, I couldn't contain myself!).  So, why are they of interest here? Well, it's hard to get anything more perfect to cover wounds so you can bathe without getting said wounds wet.

     After many types of surgery, you are not allowed to get your wound wet for quite some time. Ergo, you can't have a proper shower. The same is true when you have a central line of any kind (much like having an IV but it's a direct link to your heart and thus it can be especially dangerous to get those kinds of wounds wet). Over the years I myself, and many others I know have worked at finding quickly applied, easy to use, and effective protection from infection in order to shower worry-free. We've been very creative, and we've tried various types of saran and Ziploc/glad bags, cut, not cut, various tapes, dressings, part of a rain coat, and the list just starts to get more unusual from there. 

     BUT, as it turns out, vet gloves are a happy solution for many wound-protecting situations. They are great. What was our criteria? 

Quick to apply. Check. 

Easy to use. Check. Put them on, and seal the end with waterproof tape.

Effective protection. Check.

And a criteria not yet listed: cheap. That's the biggest check; a very frugal fix!!

     Back to the waterproof tape - that's an important step. You can use water resistant tapes too. They are cheaper, and either kind is readily available at most local pharmacies. A roll is usually less than three dollars and will last you a long time, since the gloves don't require much to seal them. 

 Side note: No matter what protection you use, it will get sweaty under the dressing, and that is icky and itchy. Suggestions?  If you are careful, you can easily cut holes in the fingers of your gloves before you put them on, but then you must keep your hand down (in the shower) or up (in the bathtub) so you don't compromise the effectiveness. At least that way you still have SOME protection, but be VERY careful if you do so. Plan B? Take cooler and shorter baths/showers, and remove the glove ASAP.

     Ahhhh, glorious gloves. At least for us, when we don't need them anymore, we can use them in the barn!  Well, it's crazy, but it works; you'd be surprized at how many items from the farming world carry over to the human health realm.... but that's another story. 

     An added bonus? There isn't as much tape to re-moo-ve because of the way the gloves fit ;P! And, if you're careful you can reuse the gloves, but I suggest you don't. I'm frugal, but I like to ensure that I am safe too!! And they are cheap enough in most places (30 cents is common) that you won't feel too guilty about letting them go once used. Have fun!

Happy singing in the shower!

Tip #10 Frugal Fixes; The Case of the Coloured Baskets

     He knew she was lying; how could she have seen the man leave his house by the light of the moon as it was a new moon, and thus could not have provided any light...
     Okay, so I'd never make it as a novelist writing detective stories, but nonetheless I have helped solve a mystery or two in my time. I'm not talking about solving murders and robberies - but you knew that. No, it's the mysteries that revolve around medical events that have not yet happened; events avoidable if the right checks and balances are in place. What kind of events? Dangerous ones. Potentially harmful and even fatal ones; like medication errors.
     Medication errors are very easy to make in the home setting. This is especially true for people recovering from a traumatic injury or illness that now have a large number of medications to manage. In such a case as this, considering the kinds of things that can go wrong is a step in the right direction (without dwelling on it). If you want to avoid an incident of medication error, then consider the following (note, this is not an exhaustive list):
1) Who has access to said medications? Make sure no one accidentally takes medications meant for you - especially young children, someone with low vision, or someone who is easily confused.
2) Are there a number of people involved in your care? Make sure there are good protocols in place:

• Have them tell you the expiry date, and the name of the drug before handing it to you
• Give each med a "home" so they're easy to find, and use them in the order they came (oldest- but not expired, to newest)
• Have each person receiving a delivery from your pharmacy check that a) the med has your name, and b) the med is actually the one you ordered/reordered

3) Minimize mistaken identity issues between meds. There is a lot of room for error in this department. For instance, if you have two or more medications that come with nearly identical labels and/or packaging, VERY CLEARLY label them (in colour, or capital letters, etc)

4) Ensure that it is safe to have this medication (again) now. Each time you are about to take a med, make sure that you and/or your attendant look on the whiteboard (or however you track your meds) to note the last time you had this med, and that you are taking the right med in terms of your symptoms

      So where is the frugal fix in all of this? Using a basket system (as in the picture) makes it easier to accomplish most of the suggestions above. The blue, red, and brown baskets in the picture of the refrigerator collectively cost less than $10. In fact, most dollar-type stores carry them in varying sizes and colours for a dollar or two. If your meds don't need to be refrigerated, and/or require much smaller baskets, this system can still work, just don't use the fridge, and use size appropriate baskets. However, if you are going to adopt this system I suggest that you consider doing the following:

• Choose different coloured baskets for each med or group of meds
• Label the outside of the baskets with large lettering
• Place a a piece of brightly coloured card stock or cardboard to separate the current supply from the new refills within the basket. 
• Place stickers with the date of expiry written in colourful marker on any medications that have a very short shelf life (e.g. some IV meds come as seven IV bags that last only a week; in this case label each bag)
• Periodically review the system, to ensure that everyone is following the protocols the same way, and consistently.

     Not all of these issues and/or strategies may apply to you. Still, whether or not they apply I hope that this gets you thinking more critically about something we often forget to pay attention to - how dangerous meds can be if not administered properly. So, make friends with your pharmacist. When you look at your meds processes, make a plan that makes it hard to for you and/or others to make dangerous mistakes. Sit down with your caregivers/attendants to make sure that whatever system you've adopted, everyone knows the plan and how to carry out that plan. Implement whatever it is you need to in order to make you as safe as possible. Mistakes still happen, but I think they happen much less when you have all of your ducks in a row. Or, I guess in this case, all of your coloured baskets in a row...

Happy Detective-ing!

      

Tip #138 Frugal Fixes and Patience Patients; Aaaaarrr Matey!

 The average, healthy, well-adjusted adult gets up at seven-thirty in the morning feeling just plain terrible. Jean Kerr, Please Don't Eat the Daisies, 1957    

   How positive is that? And,if we extrapolate, what does that mean for the average "unhealthy," well-adjusted adult?  Hmmm, that might be a dangerous experience for morning people! Maybe that's why sailors commit mutiny? 

     Okay, well, not really dangerous or mutinous, but, the point is that it is good to get as much sleep as you can in life. When you are recovering from illness and/or trauma, it is especially important. Sleep (or lack thereof) impacts your body's ability to heal, and your brain's ability to cope with the illness itself as well as the treatments thereof. Caregivers, this applies to you too! Sleep is truly wonderful in recovery; It's wonderful to feel like the world is once again a good place, that the pain is more manageable, that you're more energetic, and that those around you seem more joyful too. Yep, it's very important to make sure you get as much sleep as possible during this phase of life. It's amazing when it happens!

It never happens.

Never.

Okay, so maybe not never, but not often enough!

Sleep often seems possible, but not really probable.

Ug. 
     How does one get sleep when one is so ill? A lack of sleep usually results in a lot more pain, and difficulties with coping with said pain. And, here's the real kicker - a lot of pain (and thus difficulty coping) makes it harder to get to sleep and to stay asleep, too! Anxiety, medications, and illness can all affect our sleeping habits. Have no fear though, there is some good news...

     There are a ton of things that you can do to help stop this crazy cycle. The one site that I especially like covers a lot of ground, and I'd encourage you to exploring the site yourself (you must click on one of the links below to get there, but once there you can explore more). However, if you'd prefer it, I've listed the three sections that I think are most relevant on said site in the links below.

Can't Sleep? Insomnia Causes, Cures, and Treatments

How Much Sleep do You Need?: Sleep Cycles & Stages, Lack of Sleep, and Getting the Hours You Need

How to Sleep Better: Tips for Getting a Good Night's Sleep.

      

     Okay, so where does the "frugal fix " part come in? It helps address the issue of getting back to sleep once you're up. Recovery can result in nightmares due to stress, sleep cycles being wonky due to medications, a planned wake up due to the need to take meds in the middle of the night, and so on...While the techniques on the site are helpful in this scenario as well, in my experience, nothing works so well for getting back to sleep as addressing pain and light. What? Re pain - ask yourself if your pain is controlled, and if not, rectify that situation. Re light - wear an eye mask. 

     Wow you say, that was huge. She's as intelligent as a rocket scientist and as original as a fine painting. No? I know it sounds silly to have such a simple solution for getting back to sleep, but when you're up and want to get back to sleep, why not try it? Now, I know that you may be resistant to wearing a mask all night, so don't. When you wake up and want to go back to sleep - address the pain med issue first, and then put the mask on (even if it's still dark). For most, this is relaxing, and it thwarts the biological clock that wakes you up when the sun is shining! And, a mask is under $10! Nice. 

     And finally, you ask why the Aaaarrr Matey? Maybe you're not asking, but I'll tell you anyway! I'm a bit of a moron (definitely not a rocket scientist!). For quite some time after I got my mask, I thought it was called a patch (and even got others calling it that too). I have to keep remembering "patient wears mask, pirate wears patch!" Silly, yes, but it works. And, laughing at yourself is never a bad thing. By all means, laugh away at me yourself, too. I don't mind at all:)

     On the other hand, maybe the whole pirate thing isn't entirely without merit. After all, the goal of wearing the mask does have a hint of thievery...  and the booty is stolen sleep! Aaaarrrr!

Happy Pirating!

     

     

Tip #48 Frugal Fixes; You rang?

     You weren't planning on you (or one of your loved ones) having a stroke, breaking a leg, being hit by a car, or whatever the reason you are now recovering at home. You're home, and that's grand, but you feel like a burden and the person taking care of you keeps coming into your room (or the living room, wherever it is you are taking up residence) to make sure you're okay, and you feel really bad that they have to do that. Or, you're the caregiver and you need to continue with the functioning of your home while you are caring for someone who can't move around your home so easily, and you can't be with them every moment of every day just to make sure they have what they need to stay safe at the very least. Or you are a spouse who desperately needs a full night's sleep upstairs in the good bed (rather than downstairs where your loved one is as they can't get upstairs safely) but you won't because you're afraid you won't hear him/her when they call out for you, or that you'll sleep through it.
     Unless you happen to have the luxury of living in a home with an intercom system that is easy for both of you to operate, you're going to need to figure something out so that everyone can maintain their sanity. Doorbells are the perfect solution. Yep, doorbells. If you have a wireless doorbell system already, for under $10 you can get another push button (what you see when you're standing at a door and want to ring the bell) to work with it. Just make sure that the brand is compatible with the brand that you already have.  If you have a wired in doorbell system (common in older homes), then for about $30 you can buy a whole wireless doorbell system, which includes one or two push buttons, and the section that actually makes the sounds. The idea is that the caregiver can carry the chimer with them (wow, "chimer," that surely must be the technical term? LOL).
     I can't take credit for thinking of the doorbell system, but a family member (thanks!) did figure it out, and it works like a charm. It gives both parties peace of mind as the "pusher" doesn't feel like so much trouble (to have to be checked in on constantly), and the "pushee" is confident that a) that they will hear the chime when assistance is needed, and b) that if they don't hear the chime, the patient is still safe! It's a win - win. Note, you will need to buy batteries for it.
Happy ringing!