the bare necessities

I love the next Patients for a Moment topic: things that making living with chronic illness that much easier. While the number one thing on the list would be the Professor, he’s not exactly a thing. But I digress.

1. My laptop. Without my little four-year-old MacBook, I would be a lot less connected to the world. When I’m not feeling well enough to go out, I can still hop on Twitter or Facebook and find out what my friends are up to. I can look up new symptoms or research possible therapies. I can post on this blog and read others’ thoughts. I can watch silly videos on YouTube to raise my spirits or check out Last.fm to find my next favourite musician.
2. My Keurig coffee maker. Though it has been on hiatus lately—we need to run vinegar or something through it to make our hot beverages taste yummy again—it is perfect to make a quick cup of coffee or tea. It has K-cups with a predetermined amount of coffee/tea/hot chocolate in it. Just pop it in, pick your beverage size and 30 seconds later, it’s ready. It’s so easy, even me in the grip of a terrible brain fog can operate it flawlessly.
3. Cardigans. The Professor thinks I have a problem; nearly every sweater I buy is a cardigan. I can’t help it; they are absolutely perfect. They’re stylish and professional and fun. I can add one to an outfit, giving me a layer to remove if I get to hot or add if I get cold. Even on a day I’m feeling terrible, I can throw one on, belt it and still look good while being comfortable.
4. The Body Shop’s Cottonseed Curl Booster. (Disclosure: While I did receive this product for free, it was as one of The Body Shop’s Love Your Body members, not as a result of this blog. I received nothing for the review.) Normally, I straighten my hair. That requires a blow dryer and a flat iron. However, there are days when I can’t easily lift my arms over my head, days when I don’t want to fiddle with heavy styling tools to make my hair look nice. So, I’ve been searching and searching for something to make my wavy hair look good naturally, and I’ve finally found it: the Cottonseed Curl Booster. All I have to do is wash my hair as I normally do, scrunch the product into my hair and go: no brushing, no fiddling around, no blow drying. It makes my hair wash and wear.
5. The Scotch Pop-Up Tape Dispenser. This is the only way I get through wrapping presents, without having to fiddle with tape and a lot of cursing.

These are, of course, just a few of the things that help me through the day. But, today, they feel like the most important ones.